Thursday, December 19, 2013

New Year's Eve in Columbia South Carolina

Celebrate New Year's Eve in Columbia South Carolina with fireworks, concerts and delicious food at South Carolina's premier New Year's Eve Celebration!


Ring in the New Year at the Famously Hot New Year Celebration in Columbia, SC! ZZ Ward, Kool & The Gang and Weaving the Fate will be on the 2013 Famously Hot stage and an incredible fireworks show will light up the sky at midnight! Celebrating New Year's Eve in Columbia SC with the kids? Check out Columbia's only ball drop for kids at EdVenture Children's Museum! Columbia, South Carolina is getting ready to celebrate New Year's Eve bigger and better than we ever have before. Join us in Columbia to join in on the excitement!

Featured New Year's Eve Event:


Famously Hot New Year Celebration in Columbia SC
December 31, 2013 - January 1, 2014
Ring in the New Year at Columbia, South Carolina's premiere New Year's Eve event! Tens of thousands of people will celebrate the New Year right in the middle of downtown Columbia. ZZ Ward, Kool & The Gang and Weaving the Fate will hit the Famously Hot stage this year! This incredible street festival is going to be bigger and better than ever with food from Columbia's street vendors, a concert and a spectacular fireworks display that will light up the sky behind the State House. Join people from all over the country and across the world to ring in 2014 at this exciting Columbia event!

Famously Hot New Year's Eve Hotel Packages:
The Staybridge Suites Downtown, located just blocks away from the Famously Hot New Year's Celebration, is offering special New Year's Eve hotel packages starting as low as $109 per night. The Staybridge New Year's package includes champagne, chocolates, hot breakfast, parking and a late check out! Call the Staybridge Suites today at 866-406-4650 and ask for the New Year's Special! The Wingate Harbison, located in Columbia's largest shopping district is also offering a New Year's Package. Call the Wingate today at 800-826-5570 and ask for the New Year's Special! The Wingate New Year's package includes a bottle of champagne, free parking and a complimentary hot breakfast buffet!

Additional New Year's Eve Events:


New Year's Eve at Noon
December 31, 2013
Get ready for Columbia's only ball drop for kids! Doors open at 9AM with activities celebrating New Year's Eve around the world! As the countdown to noon begins, a giant illuminated ball descends and lands at the foot of EDDIE, kicking off the biggest mid-day celebration in town. Free with museum admission!

New Year's Eve at Social Bar and Lounge
December 31, 2013 from 8PM - 2AM
Celebrate the New Year with BORGEOUS at Social Bar and Lounge! What better way to bring in the New Year than with your Social Family and Borgeous?

Ruth's Chris Steak House
924-A Senate Street, Columbia, SC | 803-212-6666
Ruth's Chris Steak House will be open from 11AM - Midnight on December 31, 2013. Celebrate this exciting holiday with family and friends at one of Columbia's finest restaurants! Give them a call today to reserve your table!

Happy New Year!

Danielle Snyder
Columbia SC Events

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Columbia SC 2013 Holiday Events

Columbia SC holiday events include Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo, Snowville at EdVenture Museum, Bill Gaither at the Colonial Life Arena, the Famously Hot New Year Celebration and more!


Columbia South Carolina Christmas events and holiday celebrations feature light displays, fireworks, ice skating, holiday music and more! Enjoy almost one million holiday lights at Riverbanks Zoo's Lights Before Christmas event, ice skate at Boyd Plaza, eat breakfast with Santa at Richland Mall and sing along to holiday favorites at the SC Philharmonic Holiday Pops concert! When the holiday season comes to an end, ring in the New Year at the Famously Hot New Year's Eve Celebration - the Southeast's Premiere New Year's event! Mark your calendar today so that you can enjoy all of Columbia's holiday festivities.

Visiting from out of town to experience Christmas in Columbia? Contact our Columbia hotel partners today to enjoy comfortable accommodations, free hot breakfast and more!

2013 Columbia SC Holiday Events:


Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo
Now - December 30, 2013
Closed November 28, December 24 & 25, 2013
Riverbanks Zoo presents Lights Before Christmas - Columbia's longest running holiday tradition! Enjoy nearly one million twinkling lights, countless animated images, dazzling Music In Motion Lights Spectacular, nightly visits with Santa and a Jingle Bell Bonfire! Delicious festive foods including hot cocoa, marshmallows and other festive foods will be available for purchase. Call 803-779-8717 for more details.

Snowville at EdVenture
Now - February 23, 2014
Dive into a winter world where children and the young at heart can experience a fantastical place where every day is a snow day! Climb Mount EdVerest, explore an ice cave or get the chills in a blizzard simulator. Tube down Sled Hill, a 25 foot long ride down a slippery hill giving visitors a wintry experience not normally found in the South. Join a team in the ice hockey rink or test your aim with the snowball blaster. This event is FREE with EdVenture museum admission. Click here for additional information.

Saluda Shoals presents Holiday Lights
November 27 - December 31, 2013
Saluda Shoals Park will come alive in a blaze of more than a million sparkling lights. Holiday Lights on the River features over 400 themed, animated light displays on a two-mile loop of the Park. Enjoy the Dazzling Dancing Forest, the Wetland Wonderland Walking Trail, the Winter Wonder Ride and more. Plus, enjoy delicious holiday treats at the concession stands including s'mores, hot chocolate and hot cider. Click here for additional information.

The Nutcracker in Columbia SC
November 27 - December 1, 2013 at Township Auditorium
December 6 - 8, 2013 at Koger Center for the Arts
Carolina Ballet invites you to enjoy a fantastic production of 'The Nutcracker' over Thanksgiving Weekend. Purchase tickets today to join audiences from all over the country at Township Auditorium for this exciting Columbia event!
December 6 - 8, 2013, Columbia Classical Ballet will feature this wonderful classic, performed to Tchaikovsky's memorable score. Purchase The Nutcracker tickets today to make wonderful holiday memories with family and friends.

Main Street Ice
November 28, 2013 - January 20, 2014
That's right! You can ice skate on a spectacular ice skating rink, right here in Columbia, South Carolina. Celebrate the holiday season with family and friends ice skating at Boyd Plaza! The Main Street Ice at Boyd Plaza will be open seven days a week. Hours will vary daily. Contact the City of Columbia Parks and Recreation at 803-545-3100 for more information.

Christmas in Cayce
December 5, 2013 - Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
December 5 - 31, 2013 - Lights of Cayce
December 6, 2013 - Carols Along the Riverwalk
December 7, 2013 - War Between the States Lantern Tours
December 7, 2013 - Cayce Historical Museum Holiday Open House
Celebrate Christmas in Cayce at these spectacular, FREE holiday events! Kick off the Christmas in Cayce Celebrations at the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. Enjoy the magic of thousands of twinkling lights and dazzling holiday displays at Cayce City Hall's 'Lights of Cayce' event running til the end of December. Listen to Carols Along the Riverwalk, watch scenes from the great American war come to life at the War Between the States Lantern Tours and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Christmas at the 24th Annual Holiday Open House. Christmas in Cayce events feature something for people of all ages and interests this December 2013! Call 803-550-9520 for more information.

Bill Gaither Christmas Homecoming
December 6, 2013 at 7PM
Celebrate the holidays with a full evening of entertainment and meaningful music brought to you by the best-loved voices in gospel music. This musical event at the Colonial Life Arena hosted by Bill Gaither and featuring the Homecoming friends is a must-see Columbia celebration! It will leave you encouraged, grateful and most certainly smiling. Call 803-576-9200 for ticket information.

Breakfast With Santa
December 7, 2013 at Richland Mall
December 21, 2013 at the Hampton-Preston Mansion
Join Columbia Children's Theatre at the Richland Mall Food Court on December 7, 2013 at 9:00AM for holiday activities, breakfast and photos with Santa himself! At 10AM, guests can head upstairs for the 10:30 performance of "Ho! Ho! Ho!". Tickets for breakfast and the show are only $12! Interested in meeting a Victorian Santa Claus? Historic Columbia invites you to a continental breakfast in the cozy Carriage House at the Hampton-Preston Mansion on December 21, 2013. Listen to seasonal music, enjoy a delicious meal, view the decorated hall of the Hampton-Preston Mansion, see a Victorian Christmas tree, make a holiday craft and take your picture with their Victorian Santa Claus! Tickets are $12 for adults, $3 for youth (4-12) and FREE for children 3 and under. Call 803-252-1770 to purchase tickets today!

Harborside Lights
December 13, 2013 from 6PM - 9PM
Experience the holiday magic at Lake Carolina's 11th Annual Harborside Lights. See the Village Green and Town Center glow with thousands of twinkling lights and luminaries. Enjoy musical entertainment, horse-drawn carriage rides, photos with Santa, holiday treats, millions of twinkling lights, over sixteen hundred luminaries and many decorated trees! Call 803-736-5253 for more information about this FREE Columbia event.

SC Philharmonic perform Holiday Pops
December 15, 2013 at 2PM
With sleigh bells and sing-a-longs, the Holiday Pops returns! Enjoy timeless holiday favorites performed by The South Carolina Philharmonic, under the musical direction of the magnetic Morihiko Nakahara. The orchestra will play classic songs of the season and scores from popular holiday movies, Christmas Carols and more. Call 803-407-5011 for more details.

Famously Hot New Year Celebration
December 31, 2013
Celebrate the start of a brand new year at the Southeast's Premiere New Year's Eve Celebration! Enjoy everything that you would expect to find at a first-class New Year's party, right in the middle of downtown Columbia. ZZ Ward, Kool & The Gang and Weaving the Fate will perform LIVE on the 2013 Famously Hot Stage!

Visiting from out of town for the Famously Hot New Year's Celebration? Contact the Staybridge Suites Columbia Downtown at 866-406-4650 or the Wingate Harbison at 800-826-5570 to book their New Year's Special!

Danielle Snyder
Columbia SC Events

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Thanksgiving 2013 in Columbia South Carolina

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2013 in Columbia, South Carolina with holiday festivities, delicious Thanksgiving Dinners and the Carolina Clemson football game!


Race against family and friends in the Turkey Day 5k, skate on real ice at Boyd Plaza and cheer on the Gamecocks while they challenge Clemson at Williams-Brice Stadium! Plus, Columbia SC restaurants are serving delicious Thanksgiving Dinners for all to enjoy. Celebrate this special November holiday with the people you love most - right here in Columbia, South Carolina!

Visiting Columbia from out of town for the holidays? Take advantage of incredible discount rates from our local hotel partners!

Thanksgiving Events in Columbia SC:


Turkey Day 5K & Family Fun Run
November 28, 2013 at 8:45AM
The Turkey Day 5k is held on Thanksgiving Day, every year in Columbia, SC. Now in its ninth year, is a 3.1 mile run through downtown Columbia that begins and ends at the Colonial Life Arena. Turkey Day 5K proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands through scholarship contributions and program supplies. Call 803-231-3300 for more information.

Main Street Ice at Boyd Plaza
November 28, 2013 - January 2014
Kick off your winter season by going ice skating at Boyd Plaza! The City of Columbia and Magic Ice USA invite you to the big opening of Main Street Ice at Boyd Plaza on Thanksgiving Day! The rink will be open seven days a week through January 20, 2014. (Closed on Christmas Day) Skating costs $10 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under. Head to the skating rink to celebrate this wonderful holiday season!

Carolina vs. Clemson - A Thanksgiving Tradition!
November 30, 2013
Thanksgiving weekend is an exciting time of year in Gamecock Country! Visit Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, November 30, 2013 to cheer on the South Carolina Gamecocks football team as they challenge their big rival Clemson. Arrive early to tailgate with family and friends in the South Carolina State Fairgrounds before heading into the stadium to watch the game! Click here for additional information about the 2013 South Carolina Gamecock Football season.

Thanksgiving Day Dinners in Columbia SC:


Garibaldi Cafe 
2013 Greene Street, Columbia, SC | 803-771-8888
Serving Thanksgiving Dinner from 12PM - 8PM

Ruth's Chris
924-A Senate Street, Columbia, SC | 803-212-6666
Serving Thanksgiving Dinner from 11AM - 10PM

Harper's
700 Harden Street, Columbia, SC | 803-252-2222

Danielle Snyder
Columbia SC Events

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

November 2013 Events in Columbia SC

Columbia SC presents Veterans Day events, University of South Carolina Football games, festivals, races, shows and more!


Cheer on the Gamecocks football team at Williams-Brice Stadium, listen to FREE live music at the 19th Annual Blues Festival, enjoy delicious food at the Chili Cook Off in Five Points and honor those who have served in the military at Columbia's Veterans Day Parade this November 2013! This is just a glimpse of the fun and excitement coming up in Columbia, SC. Check out the November 2013 events list below and mark your calendar today so that you can enjoy these spectacular Columbia events!

Visiting from out of town? Our Columbia hotel partners provide comfortable accommodations, unique amenities and excellent discount rates. Contact these Columbia hotels today to make your hotel reservations!

November 2013 Columbia SC Events:


USC Football Home Games
November 2, 2013 vs Mississippi State
November 16, 2013 vs. Florida
November 23, 2013 vs. Coastal Carolina
November 30, 2013 vs. Clemson

The South Carolina Gamecocks will challenge four opponents at home this November 2013! Put on your garnet and black and head to Williams-Brice Stadium to cheer on the Gamecocks! Arrive early to tailgate with family and friends in the South Carolina State Fairgrounds before kick off! Keep an eye out for Cocky the mascot while you are in Gamecock Country! Click here for the full schedule, game day details and nearby hotels.

19th Annual Blues Festival
November 9, 2013 from Noon - 10PM
Columbia's 19th Annual Blues Festival will be held at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park on November 9, 2013! Nineteen years and counting, The Columbia Blues Festival keeps on rocking! Make plans to attend this FREE concert to enjoy the spunky, grassroots spirit that keeps this festival going! Bring the kinds, a blanket and some folding chairs to kick back and enjoy the music! Call 803-708-4500 for more informatoin!

Governor's Cup Road Race
November 9, 2013
Launched in 1973, the Lexington Medical Center Governor’s Cup Road Race is one of the oldest, continuously conducted road race events in the Southeast.  The 2013 event will take place on November 9, and it will feature half-marathon, 8 kilometer, 4-mile walk and kids’ cup races.  Many enhancements will be added this year! Sign up today to participate in this awesome Columbia event! Call 803-731-2100 for more information.

Chili Cook-Off in Five Points
November 9, 2013 from 11AM - 6PM

Chili enthusiasts – mark your calendars for Saturday, November 9th!  The 27th Annual Chili Cook Off will be on the 2100 block of Greene Street and we guarantee you aren’t going to want to be anywhere else that day!  As always, the event is FREE and all proceeds go to the HOPE Center and Camp Kemo.  Join us for a fun-filled, family friendly day of great music, chili and beverages!  We will have over 50 varieties that day, with all the fixins’ too! Call 803-748-7373 for more information!

Veterans Day at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
November 11, 2013 from 9AM - 5PM
Celebrate Veterans Day at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden this November 2013. All active duty and retired military personnel with a military ID card receive free admission in honor of Veterans Day. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is home to more than 2,000 magnificent animals from around the world and one of the nation's most beautiful and inspiring botanical gardens. Call 803-779-8717 for more information about Riverbanks Zoo!

35th Annual Veterans Day Parade
November 11, 2013 at 11AM
Mark your calendar so that you can attend the 2013 Veteran's Day Parade! Columbia's parade is one of the largest parades on the Southeast coast to honor service men and women for their service and commitment to the nation. The parade includes Ft. Jackson, SC National Guard, high school and military marching bands, floats, military vehicles, color guards, motorcycle clubs and more. Enjoy this FREE event with family and friends this November 2013! Call 803-543-3117 for more information.

Ignite! 2013 Celebration
November 20, 2013 from 5:15PM - 8:30PM
EngenuitySC presents the region’s annual knowledge economy celebration, co-hosted by Steve Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, S.C., and Dr. Harris Pastides, President of USC. EngenuitySC brings together top brass executives, civic leaders, new media mavens, technology wizards, creatives and entrepreneurs for an evening of short, keynote talks by local thought leaders, open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres and networking, as well as live audience voting for the $5000 Ignite! 2013 Ideas contest. To reserve a table, sponsorships are available. Click here for speaker bios and more!

2013 Oxygen Ball - Midlands Dancing with the Stars
November 22, 2013 from 7PM - 11:30PM
Experience an exhilarating night unlike any other event in the Midlands of South Carolina. Enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres, live and silent auctions, open bar and entertainment provided by professional dancers at Vista Ballroom and the Unbound Dance Company. Watch the stunning Midlands Dancing with the Stars competition as local celebrities and their professional dancing partners dazzle the audience. Call 803-779-5864 for more information.

Carolina Gem & Mineral Show
November 22-24, 2013
The 46th Annual Carolina Gem and Mineral Show will be held at Jamil Temple November 22-24, 2013! The Grand Prize will be a Tournmaline Topaz Specimen donated by PAK Designs. Adult event tickets are $5, children 16 and under are free with an adult! Plus, all military and dependents get in free! Click here for a $1 off coupon for this exciting Columbia event.

Runway Run 5K
November 23, 2013 at 10AM
The annual Runway Run first celebrated the re-opening of the main runway at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in 2010 after completing a seven-month reconstruction process. In its fourth year, there is still excitement among participants to tread on highly secured tarmac where more than 85,000 passengers take off and land each month. The 2013 Runway Run event will include a 5K (3.1 miles) and a Kids' Fun Run! Call 803-600-1800 for more information.

Jamil Shriners Craft Show

November 30, 2013 from 9AM - 5PM
December 1, 2013 from 1PM - 5PM

Mark your calendar today for the 2013 Jamil Shriners Craft Show scheduled to kick off on November 30, 2013! Visitors will find jewelry, Christmas ornaments, gift baskets, Christmas decorations, florals, candles, handpainted items, handmade soap, picture frames, holiday lights, woodcrafts, and more at this Columbia event! Admission is only $1.00 per adult!

Danielle Snyder
Columbia SC Events

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Live Music in Columbia SC October 2013

The South Carolina State Fair, Columbia music venues and local restaurants present a month full of live music and entertainment in Columbia, South Carolina this October 2013!


Find live music and entertainment at the South Carolina State Fair and Columbia SC bars, restaurants and music venues this October 2013! The SC State Fair, Wild Wings Cafe, New Brookland Tavern and more will welcome your favorite local artists and incredible musicians from across the country this October 2013. Take a glance at the October 2013 calendar below and plan ahead with family and friends so that you can attend these LIVE performances in Columbia, SC.

Visiting Columbia to attend concerts at the SC State Fair and popular Columbia venues? Contact our local hotel partners today for excellent hotel rates and accommodations.

October 2013 Live Music Events in Columbia South Carolina:


October 15, 2013
The Protomen - New Brookland Tavern | 122 State Street | 803-791-4413

October 18, 2013
NEEDTOBREATHE - SC State Fairgrounds - Pepsi Grandstand
The AJ Ghent Band - Wild Wings Vista | 729 Lady Street | 803-252-9464
Jet Lag Jones - Wild Wings Harbison | 1150 Bower Parkway | 803-749-9464
Cover of Afternoon - New Brookland Tavern | 122 State Street | 803-791-4413
Dr. Roundhouse - Utopia Food & Spirits - 3830 Rosewood Drive | 803-782-8522

October 19, 2013
The Temptations - SC State Fairgrounds - Pepsi Grandstand
Catching Fire - Wild Wings Vista | 729 Lady Street | 803-252-9464
76 and Sunny - Tin Roof | 1022 Senate Street | 803-771-1558

October 20, 2013
England In 1819 - New Brookland Tavern | 122 State Street | 803-791-4413

October 21, 2013
Nemesisters - New Brookland Tavern | 122 State Street | 803-791-4413

October 22, 2013
Pretty Lights Concert - Township Auditorium
Shai Hulud - New Brookland Tavern | 122 State Street | 803-791-4413

October 23, 2013
Vince McKinley - Utopia Food & Spirits - 3830 Rosewood Drive | 803-782-8522

October 25, 2013
Peace and Love - Wild Wings Vista | 729 Lady Street | 803-252-9464
Dave Love - Wild Wings Harbison | 1150 Bower Parkway | 803-749-9464
Stagbriar - New Brookland Tavern | 122 State Street | 803-791-4413
Jared Gray - Tin Roof | 1022 Senate Street | 803-771-1558
Lundymusic - Utopia Food & Spirits - 3830 Rosewood Drive | 803-782-8522

October 26, 2013
Tokyo Joe - Wild Wings Vista | 729 Lady Street | 803-252-9464
Sid & Nancy's 2nd Annual Halloween Explosion - New Brookland Tavern | 803-791-4413
76 and Sunny - Tin Roof | 1022 Senate Street | 803-771-1558

October 27, 2013
Behold the Brave - New Brookland Tavern | 122 State Street | 803-791-4413

October 31, 2013
Weaving the Fate - Wild Wings Vista | 729 Lady Street | 803-252-9464
Burnt Books - New Brookland Tavern | 122 State Street | 803-791-4413

Danielle Snyder
Columbia SC Events