This challenge is perfect for anyone eager to explore new genres. | Photo by COLAtoday
Richland Library’s Bookshelf Reading Challenge is back, inviting you to expand your horizons with 14 creative reading prompts. This year, you can track your progress online. Read a book about nature, novels set in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia, or a book suggested by a library staff member.
How to participate
Discover | Explore books across print, eBooks, or audiobooks. Staff-curated lists and personalized recommendations are available to guide your selections.
Track | Log your progress online, in your library account, or with a printable sheet.
Win | Complete all prompts by December 31, 2026, to earn a tote bag, a pin, and a chance at an eReader.
Need some help getting started? Check out the staff-curated recommendations for each prompt, or try the personalized book suggestion service.
Disc Golf Course Grand Opening | 11 a.m. | Northwest Family YMCA, 1501 Kennerly Road , Irmo | Free | A new nine-hole Disc Golf Course is coming to the Midlands — head to this free grand opening with demos, giveaways, and more (all ages welcome).
From newsroom to new rooms — Landmark Properties is turning the former State newspaper site into The Walk, an 825-bed student townhome village on Shop Road. The new complex is expected to open for the 2027-28 school year. (The State)
Transit
A $15 million revitalization project is underway in West Columbia’s Mill Village + Alexander Road area along the Congaree River. The 15-month plan includes new water lines, stormwater upgrades, resurfaced roads, added on-street parking, and improved walkability.
Today Is
National Coffee Break Day, a reminder to partake in one of the country’s favorite pastimes — stepping away from your desk to grab a cup of joe. Fortunately, the Capital City has no shortage of choice.
Sports
Columbia Fireflies manager David Noworyta is back for the 2026 season after leading the team to a playoff berth in 2025. He’ll return with much of last year’s coaching staff as the team gears up for its 10th anniversary season, with the home opener on Tuesday, April 7 vs. Myrtle Beach.
Halls Chophouse is serving up fire, foam + foie at its Winter Cocktail Dinner on Monday, Jan. 26 from 6 to 10 p.m. The eight-course, $350 experience includes pairings like wagyu with “Frozen Bloom” and oysters with a sour cream + onion martini.
Featured Deal
Looking for a pilates, yoga, or fitness studio that gets you moving in 2026? Get one month free of ClassPass and build your perfect workout routine — balance weight lifting with meditation, or HIIT with hot yoga, all under one membership. Hurry, offer available for a limited time only.*
City Guide
A night day at the museum
Browse the Columbia Museum of Art. | Photo by @colamuseum
Museums are the cultural hubs of Columbia. Whether you’re looking to learn something new about the Midlands or plotting a way to spend your Saturday afternoon, here are 15 museums to visit in our city. Cayce Historical Museum, 1800 12th St., Cayce | Free admission
The Cayce Historical Museum chronicles the history of the first European settlement in the Midlands, then known as “the backcountry.”
This 110-acre outdoor museum includes historical homes, nature trails, and the Colonial Village. It serves as a gateway to understanding SC’s role in the Revolutionary War. EdVenture Children’s Museum, 211 Gervais St. | $13
EdVenture is an educational museum dedicated to creating new generations of lifelong learners through museum experiences, afterschool programming, and camps. SC State Museum, 301 Gervais St. | $13
The State Museum is the one-stop for all museum needs.
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Last week, I attended my first Contellation Concert at the SC State Museum, and it’s one of the coolest concerts I’ve been to in Columbia. They had a few telescopes set up outside so you could get a look at Jupiter and Saturn, rings and all, and after the concert, you could look through the big telescope. The next one is coming up on Thursday, Feb. 26 with Brittany Turnipseed.
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