The environmentally focused nonprofit will host a free educational event on Saturday, Aug. 30, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Earlewood Park, where participants will receive information about how to apply for free trees and how to select, site, plant, and care for them. Registration is now open.
Asked
Asked
Which of the following is the tallest tree in South Carolina?
A. Live oak B. Loblolly pine C. Southern magnolia D. Bald cypress
The Joke Room – Open Mic Comedy Night | 7:30-9 p.m. | The Babylon Kino | Free | Join Comedian Pudgee for a free weekly open mic where comics test new jokes and improv teams hone their craft.
Tuesday, Aug. 12
Coffee Talk | 8-9:30 a.m. | Stars and Strikes Family Entertainment Center, Irmo | Free | Bring your business cards to this morning meet-up for networking + a cup of Bart’s Crazy Good Coffee.
Pop Art Paint and Pour | 6-8 p.m. | Tandem Treasures, Elgin | $50 | Sip wine and unleash your creativity as you paint your pop art masterpiece with local artist Sharon Funderburk.
Friday, Aug. 15
Bierkeller Jubiläumsfest | Friday, Aug. 15-Saturday, Aug. 16 | 4 p.m. | Bierkeller Columbia | Free | Celebrate the local brewery’s second anniversary with fresh beer releases, music, and family-friendly fun all weekend.
Saturday, Aug. 16
Garnet and Black Bash | 5 p.m. | Steel Hands Brewing, Cayce | Free | Celebrate the start of football season with live music, tailgate eats, and garnet + black pride at Steel Hands.
📈 This new investment method delivered an 89,900% return
Presented by Pacaso
Austin Allison’s Pacaso has already earned $110 million+ in gross profit to date. | Image provided by Pacaso
VCs back startups for outsized returns. Regular people wait. But rule changes fixed that.
Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 people averaged a $2,370 stake. Today? That’s worth $1 million+, up 89,900%. No wonder 10,000+ people and the same VCs behind Uber and Venmo are taking the chance on Pacaso.
Founded by a former Zillow exec, they’ve earned $110 million+ in gross profit to date. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO. Invest for $2.90/share.†‡‡
All lanes of Hardscrabble Road in northeast Richland County are now open after more than eight years of widening work and delays. Final paving is complete, though crews will finish smaller items with occasional lane closures. The seven-mile project began in 2017 to improve one of the area’s busiest roads. (WLTX)
Civic
Columbia City Council approved a $4.8 million water project to serve the planned 566-home Arabella Springs subdivision east of Blythewood and other future developments. Columbia Water will fund $2.5 million, with the developer covering the rest. Construction is set to start by mid-2026. (WLTX)
Theater
Trustus Theatre will stage “Take My Hand and Wave Goodbye,” winner of the 2025 Playwright’s Festival, Thursday, Aug. 14-Saturday, Aug. 23. The drama, written by Tammy Ryan and directed by Dewey Scott-Wiley, explores family, loss, and healing.
Award
Columbia’s Freddy Goodman will be inducted into the SC Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday, Nov. 15, joining Greenville’s Robb Thompson in the Class of 2025. Goodman, a coach, player, and longtime Junior Team Tennis coordinator at Rawls Creek, has shaped the sport locally for more than 40 years.
Mansion Monday
This 8,561 sqft Wales Garden estate has historic charm with modern luxury. Features include original millwork, 5 en-suite bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen, a wine cellar, an elevator, a koi pond, and is only minutes from downtown and Five Points.
Drink
Cold brew, but make it sparkle. This fizzy, refreshing twist on your favorite pick-me-up is the perfect sip for hot days and slow mornings. Get the recipe + refresh your day.*
Knowledge Perk Coffee on Gervais Street is a great spot to sip and work outdoors from its wrap-around porch.| Photo by COLAtoday
The Capital City has no shortage of masterful baristas, aromatic roasts, and foamy lattes. If you’re having trouble deciding on a spot, gather some brews clues with our guide to some of the best coffee shops in Cola. Piecewise Coffee Co., Cayce + Devine District | This coffee shop is a popular spot to set up with your laptop and grab one of its coffees made with Methodical Coffee beans.
Nibl Dessert & Cafe, Main Street | Located in MOA Korean BBQ & Bar, Nibl offers ethically sourced specialty drinks (like a Shakerato — a double shot espresso with sugar, iced and shaken) and desserts, made fresh daily.
Knowledge Perk, Gervais Street + Gateway 737 | Knowledge Perk opened its first location in the W.B. Smith Whaley House and recently opened a new spot on the ground floor of Gateway 737 near Colonial Life Arena.
Curiosity Coffee Bar, North Main + Richland Library Main | Roasting its coffee in-house, this local favorite serves specialty espresso drinks, pour-overs, and breakfast and lunch bites.
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.
Gather COLA dropped a chicken-and-waffles hint on Instagram about the next tenant in BullStreet’s upcoming food hall. Commenters suspect it’s Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles, a local soul food favorite.
‡‡Finance “investment method” disclaimer: This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the Nasdaq is subject to approvals. Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only and should not imply similar success. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.
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