Boyd Plaza comes alive with music, art, and crowds during Arts & Draughts at the CMA. | Photo by Columbia Museum of Art
Celebrate the solstice with art, music, and brews at the Arts & Draughts block party, returning to the Columbia Museum of Art from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, June 20. The summer kickoff features live sets by Cubs, Hrlum, and Folk Tech, plus performances by The Power Company Collaborative.
Fuel up at food trucks, try your hand at the DIY dyeing station, and sip Creature Comforts brews from Weco Bottle and Biergarten. Pro tip: Don’t leave without a solstice-themed photo booth snap for your fridge.
It’ll be the first day of summer — why not welcome it with art, music, and a night out in the Main Street District?
Events
Events
Monday, June 16
Ed’s Dinosaurs Live | 10:30-11:15 a.m. | Richland Library Southeast | Free | Mr. Ed combines education + entertainment in an interactive show where dinosaurs come to life.
Tuesday, June 17
Sip & Plant Workshop: Desert in a Pot | 6:30-8 p.m. | Gardener’s Outpost | $50 | Grab a friend and a drink from the bar while you craft your own miniature desert using indoor and outdoor succulents.
Wednesday, June 18
Morning Blend: A Jazz, Soul, and Coffee Series | 7:30-10:30 a.m. | Columbia Museum of Art | Free | Relax with jazz music, local coffee from Curiosity Coffee Bar, and vegan breakfast options from Drake’s Duck-in.
Thursday, June 19
Third Thursday Art Night | 5:30-7 p.m. | The Nook at Koger Center for the Arts | Free | Meet visual artist Jakeem DaDream and explore his work at the debut of a new rotating art space.
Friday, June 20
Friday Yoga Class at Saluda Riverwalk | 9-10 a.m. | Saluda Riverwalk | Free | Find your flow next to the river with instructors from the Drew Wellness Center for a calming session in nature.
Summer Nights at the Museum | 9 p.m. | South Carolina State Museum | $10 | Experience the “Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume” exhibit and more after hours on select summer Fridays.
Friday, Aug. 1
Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair | Friday, Aug. 1-Saturday, Aug. 2 | 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | Burnsville Town Square, Burnsville, NC | Free | The 69th Annual Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair brings the region’s finest artists + craftsmen together for two days of art, live music, food, and fun.*
Things are flowing forward in West Columbia as design work wraps on the $6 million Saluda River Pedestrian Bridge. Once complete, it will link the Saluda Riverwalk to the Columbia Canal near Riverbanks Zoo. Permitting could begin in six months. (The Post and Courier)
Biz
TMC Transportation celebrated the grand opening of its $40 million terminal last week with a ribbon-cutting featuring special guests like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Sammy Smith. The investment created 185 jobs and consolidated the flatbed carrier’s SC operations in Richland County.
Sports
If you ever meet the 21-year-old US winner of the French Open, Coco Gauff, don’t mention that you just crushed your recent pickleball tournament — she probably won’t be impressed. But we will, and that’s all that matters; here’s how to play in Cola.
Outdoors
Tired of staring at your screen? Take 60 seconds to be transported to a park somewhere in the world thanks to “One Minute Park.” Or just take a quick break from work to stroll a real nearby park — find one in our local parks guide.
Seasonal
Summer is coming. The summer solstice is this Friday, June 20, which marks the astronomical start of the season. It’s also the longest day of the year — measured by the amount of daylight — and the sun will set in Columbia at 8:38 p.m.
Mansion Monday
This home in Gregg Park in Forest Acres comes with a breezy back porch, a koi pond, and hand-printed Zuber & Cie wallpaper. Inside, find four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a renovated kitchen, an indoor workshop, and a gated three-car garage — all on a waterfront corner lot.
Edu
Want to stand out in today’s job market? The University of South Carolina’s flexible professional education and certificate programs — like Lean Six Sigma, grant writing, and HR management — are built to boost your skills and fit your schedule. Explore the options.*
Stat
27%. That’s how much home insurance rates have risen in the last four years, widely due to the increased frequency and scope of natural disasters like hurricanes, fires, and floods. Take this two-minute questionnaire to see if you’re wasting money on overpaying for insurance (and how you could save).*
Family
National Mascot Day is tomorrow, June 17, and EdVenture is celebrating with an energy-filled day of meet-and-greets, photo ops, and mascot mayhem from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. More on the Mascot Meetup(included with museum admission).*
Watch
When you play the SC Education Lottery, you help fund higher education opportunities for local students like Sam Haile. After receiving the LIFE scholarship, he went on to become a wildlife technician — and his office is pretty cool.*
Olay Super Cream with sunscreen. The tried-and-true cream boasts better hydrating power than the No. 1 luxury moisturizer on the market — plus, it plumps, firms, and protects skin, making it a great daytime moisturizer to wear alone or under makeup.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Local food influencer @kenwalkertherealtor took on one of Cola’s crispiest debates — Zesto or Bernie’s fried chicken? You’ll have to watch to see which one he picked, but with 240+ comments and counting, the takes are hot. One thing’s for sure, Columbians are passionate about their chicken.
As for my favorite, I vote Palmetto Pig. What’s yours?
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