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Where the Wild Things Are in Columbia, SC Today

Treat Mom to a Famously Hot Mother's Day

Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 13, 2012 -- and Mom will be expecting a day as wonderful as she is. Whether it’s with a delicious brunch, a relaxing massage, or shopping at area boutiques, Columbia has plenty of 'famously hot' options your mom will love.

Mothers Day Brunch

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town This Week

Whether you're a Columbia native or newbie, National Tourism Week gives both locals and travelers the chance to experience Columbia at its finest. Through May 13, you can "Be A Tourist in Your Own Town" and explore Columbia with special offers, discounts, and free things to do and events.

Throughout the week, stop by the Visitors Center for ideas and ways to explore Columbia as we theme each day to spotlight the various things to do throughout the region.

Tuesday, May 8: #TravelTuesday


Wednesday, May 9
Spotlight: Visual Arts
Visit some of the public art throughout the region or visit art museums and galleries.

Thursday, May 10
Spotlight: Military History
Visit one of our many military museums in the area to celebrate Columbia's rich military history. Make your way to Fort Jackson where some of our Visitors Center staff will be representing Columbia at the Fort Jackson Graduation.

Friday, May 11
Spotlight: Performing Arts and Theatre
Browse a list of performing arts events throughout the week.

If you aren't sure where to start in exploring Columbia, get more information at the Columbia Regional Visitors Center and pick up a "Top Free Things to Do" flier and see what free things you can do with the upcoming weekend. Plus, check in at the Visitors Center on Foursquare to get $5 off a Famously Hot t-shirt! What better way to show your support for Columbia? Don't forget to shop around a little, as well. You never know what Columbia-made treasure you'll find! 


Keep up with more Columbia happenings with Twitter and Facebook, or contact the Columbia Regional Visitors Center with any questions

EdVenture Presents: EdStravaGanza! An Adult-only Premier Charity Event

What's Hot this Weekend in Columbia, SC | April 27-29, 2012

If you were in Columbia, SC last weekend -- you know that if you were bored -- it took a conscious effort. Seriously, did you read the run down in The State of the weekend's festivities? Expect no less this weekend!

Here are some of the weekend's highlights taking place April 27-29, 2012:

FRIDAY, APRIL 27

"A Behanding in Spokane" at Trustus Black Box Theatre

Artista Vista in the Congaree Vista

Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour at Colonial Life Arena

Indie Grits Festival at Nickelodeon Theatre (ConvergeSE at IT-oLogy)

Snow White at Village Square Theatre

Sparkleberry Country Fair at Sandhill Research & Education Center


SATURDAY, APRIL 28

"A Behanding in Spokane" at Trustus Black Box Theatre

An Evening with Alison Kraus & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas at the Township Auditorium

Artista Vista in the Congaree Vista

Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour at Colonial Life Arena

Congaree Art Festival at South Carolina State Museum

Crafty Feast at Indie Grits at Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center

Indie Grits Festival at Nickelodeon Theatre (ConvergeSE at IT-oLogy)

Kid's Day of Lexington at Virginia Hylton Park

Mayor Benjamin's Famously Hot Bike Tour & Councilwoman Gergel's Suprisingly Cool Trike Ride at Seibels House and Garden

Olympia FEST at Olympia & Granby Mills

Rhythm on the River at West Columbia Riverwalk Amphitheatre

SC Philharmonic presents Masterworks 7: Ode to Joy at Koger Center for the Arts

South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Baseball at Carolina Stadium

Snow White at Village Square Theatre

Sparkleberry Country Fair at Sandhill Research & Education Center

Spring Offroad Festival at Men @ Work Festival Field

Spring on the River with Get Your Gear On

Sweet Potato Festival at Hopkins Adult Activity Center

The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design opens at Columbia Museum of Art

The Wizard of Oz at Columbia Marionette Theatre

Quarry Crusher Run at OlympiaFest


SUNDAY, APRIL 29

Historic Marker Unveiling at Sidney Park Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

Indie Grits Festival at Nickelodeon Theatre

Our Time, Our Place: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts last day at Columbia Museum of Art

Snow White at Village Square Theatre

Spring on the River with Get Your Gear On

For a full list of events, visit columbiacvb.com/calendar. Plan your trip and book a hotel room at columbiacvb.com. Have questions? Drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter. Once you're here, find out what's hot nearby on our mobile site at experiencecolumbia.mobi.

Historic Olympia Hosts Family Festival

Celebrating its sixth year on Saturday, April 28, Olympia Fest promises to delight festival goers with history, family fun activities, arts, crafts, live music and a brand new Quarry Crusher Run. The event will be held from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

History
Tours of the Historic Olympia area, (including the Vulcan Materials’ Olympia Quarry), narrated by local notables sharing stories of truth and possibly a little fiction, will be available all day. Period docents will also be traveling through the festival sharing stories of the neighborhood’s mill history. Tours of the historic Olympia & Granby Mills, which have been converted into contemporary apartment homes, will also be available.

Music
Bring a lawn chair and relax on the green to listen to great local music including Daniel Howle + Firework Show with special guest Bret Mosley, The Reggie Sullivan Band, Tom Hall & the Plowboys, Brittani Gladden, Bob Benjamin, The Agents, and Next Door Drummers.

Quarry Crusher Run
Starting at 10:00, up to 200 runners will run the 3.72 mile challenging terrain through a landscape of granite and stone cliffs to the depths of the Vulcan Quarry in the first ever Quarry Crusher Run.  The real test of Columbia’s most challenging foot race is the climb back out from the depths, a grueling 1.5 mile climb at a 10% grade. Find out if spots still remain to sign up at QuarryCrusherRun.com.

Olympia Fest will be held in the green space in front of Olympia & Granby Mills Apartments, and entry is free. Quarry bus tours are $5.  For more information on parking and other logistics, visit OlympiaFest.com.

Stay up to date with Olympia Fest on Facebook and Twitter.

6 Days Left to Make a Scene at Indie Grits

Did you spend your weekend kicking off Indie Grits? We did. It's only day five of the 11 day festival, and we're looking forward to the remaining six days of the 2012 Indie Grits Festival.

The kickoff party was the place to be on Thursday, and our president and CEO, Ric Luber, raved about the Indie Grits films he attended over the weekend. Check out our photos from 701 CCA Columbia Open Studios & Indie Grits Kickoff Party, and read what Ric had to say about the films:

"From pig head soup for the vegetarian to exorcising demons, the Sunday night presentation of the Dark Side Shorts, including Wiggle Room and 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse, was entertaining and thought provoking. For a layman that has no creative ability, you have to marvel at the talent that was put forward in the films. More to come throughout the week- don’t miss your chance to enjoy the experience."

Now in its sixth year, Indie Grits has grown to span 11 days of film coupled with several official festival partner events that present an array of cultural events that showcase progressive cultural life unmatched in the Southeast in South Carolina's capital city. Check out the abundance of events partnering with Indie Grits this year - such as Cinemovements by the South Carolina Philharmonic, craft. bar. happy. hour. at Columbia Museum of Art, cooking classes with chefs from Motor Supply Company and Rosso Trattoria, Crafty Feast at Indie Grits at Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, and even more Indie Grits events.

For more information about other films, shorts and documentaries playing and a full list of partnering events, visit IndieGrits.com.

Stay up to date with Indie Grits on Facebook and Twitter, and follow 701 Center for Contemporary Art on Facebook and Twitter, too.

Celebrate All Things Creole, Cajun & Community at Rosewood Crawfish Festival

The Greater Rosewood Merchant Association is gearing up to bring infamous Creole cuisine, great music, and family fun to the Midlands on Saturday, May 5 at the 7th Annual Rosewood Crawfish Festival!

From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., lovers of all things Creole, crawfish and Cajun are invited to join their neighbors and friends on Rosewood Drive and take part in one of the city’s favorite celebrations, featuring over 6,000 pounds of fresh Louisiana grown crawfish. Don't worry, if crawfish aren’t your thing, a large assortment of other options will be available for your dining pleasure.

To kick off the festival, there will be the Crawdaddy Dash, a 5k run. The 5k begins at 9:00am and participating runners will be the first to enter the gates of the festival. More details about registration and the schedule can be found on their website.

The Rosewood crawfish festival aims to be a fun time for the entire family. Bring the little crawdaddies to the kid's area for an afternoon of fun, face painting, crawfish races, pony rides, inflatables, a petting zoo and much more. Walk down the Arts and Crafts alley to peruse beautiful designs of more than twenty-five local artisans.

There will live music set up at multiple stages and running throughout the day. This year’s musical line-up includes Gin Blossoms, John Wesley Satterfield & His Damn Fine Band, Bam Jazz (Zydeco!), Simplified, American Aquarium, DB Bryant and many more.

Tickets are on sale now for $9.00 at a variety of locations or online. Tickets can be found at 5th Avenue Deli, Dano's Pizza, Graph-itti Screen Printing and Embroidery, Rockaway’s Athletic Club, Brian Dressler Photography, Ole Timey Meat Market, Rosewood Market, and Greater Rosewood Merchant’s Association office.

Ticket prices will raise to $12.00 on the day of the event and children under 12 will be admitted for free. Rosewood Community believes that giving back is important and that’s why a majority of festival proceeds go to improve Rosewood Community parks, recreational sites and greenways. A portion of the funds collected will also be donated to local charities.(LivingSocial Special! Now through April 26 tickets to the Crawfish festival are buy one get one free with this LivingSocial deal. Don't miss this opportunity!)

More information on parking and shuttling to the festival can be found on their website.

Make sure to stay updated with the Rosewood Crawfish Festival via their website, facebook and twitter.

Celebrate Jewish History this Weekend with Two Festivals

This weekend, experience and celebrate the Jewish culture's rich heritage with two festivals - "A Week of Remembrance: A Celebration of Jewish Culture" and The Big Nosh.

A Week of Remembrance - Brundibár
A part of A Week of Remembrance: A Celebration of Jewish Culture, Opera-tunity Foundation, the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust, and The Columbia Holocaust Education Committee present the children’s opera Brundibár on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20. Brundibár, composed in 1938 by Czech composer Hans Krása with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister, was first performed in 1942 in a Jewish orphanage, then performed 55 times in 1943 by the inmates of the Terezín concentration camp to portray the camp in a positive light when the Red Cross visited.

Holocaust survivor and the original "Cat" in the Terezin performances of Brundibár, Ela Weissberger will speak and perform the performances. Ela was requested to be a part of the show in 1943. The first performance took place in September and was repeated each week. As time went on, cast members continually needed to be replaced as children were transported out of Terezín, most often to their death in Auschwitz. Ela, however, was permitted to stay with her mother and sister, playing the role of the “cat” in all 55 of the Brundibár performances. After years of watching many of her friends transported out of Terezín to their death, Ela and her sister were finally freed on May 5, 1945.

Today, she lives in New York and works as an interior designer. She has dedicated her life to traveling across the United States and abroad to tell her story and honor the victims of the Holocaust. She is the focus of the book, The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezín by Susan Goldman Rubin.

The "Week of Remembrance: A Celebration of Jewish Culture" honors the different mediums of orchestral, voice, art, film, choral and symphonic that both came from the Terezin concentration camp and from the Jewish heritage. View a full list of events on our calendar.

The Brundibár performances are free to attend, but seats are limited. Reserve your seat at the Friday and Saturday performances by contacting Janet Hopkins at OperatunitySC@gmail.com or (803)777-0772.

The Big Nosh
This Sunday, April 22, celebrate “everything Jewish” including food, entertainment and education from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm with The Big Nosh at the Tree of Life Congregation on North Trenholm Road.

Enjoy live Israeli music, Russian piano melodies, American Jewish song classics, Jewish film and comedy clips. Dig into mouth-watering Jewish foods to eat in or take out ranging from bagels, deli offerings, chicken soup, stuffed cabbage, brisket, baked goods and other highly sought after delectable delights to nosh on. Children will be captivated by an array of activities including rock climbing wall, face painting, hover ball toss, balloon creations, obstacle courses, jumping sets, Israeli craft making and lots of good old fashioned fun. Find out how to make a challah, the art of matzah ball design and what is a shofar and how to blow it. Plus, celebrate Israel’s birthday, and tour the Temple Sanctuary with hands on activities and discussion groups.

Admission is free. Find out more about The Big Nosh our calendar of events or at bignosh.org.

Historic Columbia Foundation: April Events

Hot Spots to Brunch + Lunch on Easter Sunday

If you're from the South, you know this. If not - you'll learn it with one visit to Columbia... Holidays are all celebrated with eating, and celebrating with good food is a way of life down here. This Sunday, many area restaurants serving Easter specials to celebrate. We've compiled a list of a few to make your search for the perfect spot a little easier.

The first hot spot for brunch is Momo's Bistro on Devine Street. Momo's is known for its elegance and fine dining atmosphere. Their special on Sunday includes a special Easter menu in addition to their regular brunch menu. Make your reservation today  by emailing reservations@momos-bistro.com or calling (803) 252-2700. View details

Columbo's at the DoubleTree on Bush River Road is offering a brunch special of their own. From 11:00am - 2:00pm Columbo's will serve a wide array of food in a buffet style. From a market fresh omelet bar to honey glazed ham to potato salad to a dessert table, you're sure to find something to please everyone in your party. Prices range from $17.00 to $34.00. View details

If you'd rather skip brunch and just look at a lunch menu, there are some options for you as well.

The Bone-In Artisan BBQ Food Truck will be stationed at the Corley Mill House & Garden on Sunday from 11:30am - 2:00pm. Bone-in will offer much more than BBQ on Sunday with menu items such as fried chicken, cherry & root beer glazed ham, fried green tomatoes, braised collards, and banana upside down cake. Stroll through the beautiful Corley Mill Gardens and enjoy this buffet-style lunch this Sunday afternoon. Adults are $25.00 and children aged 3-10 are $12.00. Reservations only, call (803) 957-1818 to reserve your place. View details

The Clarion Hotel Downtown's Easter Lunch buffet is open from 11:00am - 3:00pm. Yet another diverse menu offers delicacies such as a leg of lamb in mint jelly, baked cod in sauteed leeks, smoked scallops, and much more. Prices range from $17.95 to $31.95. Reservations recommended. Call (803)771-8711 ext. 7770 to reserve your table. View details

Did we miss any local Brunch specials? Comment below on this post and let us know if we left off your favorite Easter brunch special!

For more Easter events, visit our calendar of events, and book a hotel room to make a culinary excursion of your weekend!

Win the VIP Indie Weekend in Columbia at Indie Grits

The Indie Grits Festival, created and presented by the Nickelodeon Theatre (South Carolina's only non-profit art-house theatre), was named one of the world’s 20 coolest film festivals by Movie Maker magazine in 2010. Now in its sixth year, The Indie Grits Festival has expanded dramatically and will be held all over the Columbia region April 19 through 29, 2012. The festival will span 11 days of film while the festival umbrella covers a killer array of arts and culture partners in Columbia, including Cinemovements with Morihiko and the South Carolina Philharmonic, the ConvergeSE interactive conference, 701 Center for Contemporary Art's Columbia Open Studios tour, the Spork in Hand Puppet Slam, Crafty Feast Indie Craft Fair, and Columbia's top farm-to-table chefs and restaurants at Slow Food Columbia.

This year - in partnership with Indie Grits, the Nickelodeon Theatre and 701 Center for Contemporary Art - we're offering you the opportunity to win a trip to join in on the Indie Grits fun in its opening weekend, April 20-22, with A VIP Indie Weekend!

You could win a weekend stay for you and one other at the Sheraton Columbia Downtown Hotel, tickets to Indie Grits film screenings, The Olivia Tremor Control show at New Brookland Tavern, Spork in Hand Puppet Slam, Slow Food Columbia, a personal concierge service for 701 CCA Columbia Open Studios, $100 to Motor Supply Co. Bistro, $50 to The Whig Pub, 1-year memberships to The Nickelodeon and 701 Center for Contemporary Art, Famously Hot t-shirts. View the full sweepstakes details and enter to win on Facebook, Twitter or online.

For more information about the exciting, jam-packed 11 days of the Indie Grits Festival, visit the official Indie Grits website or view the 701 CCA Open Studios guide or map of the participating artists. Sold on the idea already? Go ahead and purchase tickets, and book your hotel at the Indie Grits host hotel, Columbia Marriott Hotel with a special Indie Grits rate code.

Stay up to date with Indie Grits on Facebook and Twitter.

Commissioner's Cup BBQ Cook Off & Festival

Lake Carolina's St. Patty's Day Bash!

Ralphie May: Too Big to Ignore - Coming to the Koger Center!

This weekend: Behind-the-Scenes tours with Historic Columbia Foundation

In honor of its 50th Anniversary, Historic Columbia Foundation is offering two exclusive behind-the-scenes tours through Columbia's most intriguing historic sites on Sunday - the Tour of the Curtiss-Wright Hangar and Hangar Lofts and Second Sunday Stroll of Old Shandon.

Tour of the Curtiss-Wright Hangar and Hangar Lofts

Win the Best Seats in the House at Professional Bull Riders

Professional Bull Riders are heading back to Colonial Life Arena here in Columbia, SC this month - March 24, 2012 at 7:30 pm. We're giving away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sit in the best seat in the house, with tickets for four to sit in the shark cage (pictured above) in the center of all the action on the dirt floor with bull bucking around them! We'll loan the winner with a Flip video camera to document their experience and provide them a night at the DoubleTree by Hilton, dinner at Carolina Ale House and two famously hot t-shirts.

The PBR's Touring Pro Division is the new 2011 minor-league tour of the PBR, replacing the Challenger, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Discovery Tours. As with the previous minor-league tours, it offers up-and-coming bull riders and riders not competing on the elite Built Ford Tough Series the opportunity to compete in PBR-sanctioned events while earning money to qualify them for the BFTS and the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.

Tickets are available online at LMCtix.com, in person at the Lexington Medical Center box office at Colonial Life Arena, Columbia Play It Again Sports, or charge by phone 1.855.4.LMC.TIX (1.855.456.2849). For individual suite rentals, please call 803.576.9078 or 803.576.9077. Make a weekend of your concert experience and book a hotel room.

Other upcoming events at Colonial Life Arena include Zac Brown Band with Special Guest Trombone Shorty on March 23, 2012, Red Hot Chili Peppers: I'm With You World Tour on April 7, 2012, Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3 April 12-15, 2012, and Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour this April 27 - 28, 2012, New Edition on May 6, 2012, Black Expo on May 19, 2012, and WWE Smackdown on June 5, 2012.

Purchase PBR tickets or view sweepstakes details and enter to win on Facebook, Twitter or online.

Loading Dock Live! Free Outdoor Concerts at The Township

This Thursday, March 8, 2012 the Township Auditorium kicks off the first event in their new Loading Dock Live free outdoor concert series. The series will feature Columbia's food trucks and live music performances in the loading dock area on Blanding Street from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on March 8 and April 10.  

Columbia Food Trucks:
2 Fat 2 Fly
Alfresco Mobilista
Pawleys Front Porch

Thursday, March 8:
The Finesse Band

Tuesday, April 10:
Drink Small with The Mobros

Keep up with the Township Auditorium on Facebook for a chance to win free tickets!

#FamouslyHot: Win Tickets to "La Traviata" Saturday, March 3!

The Palmetto Opera presents the internationally acclaimed opera company, Teatro Lirico D'Europa, with their rendition of La Traviata at the Koger Center of the Arts this weekend. One lucky group could win 4 tickets to see La Traviata this Saturday, March 3 at 7:00 pm, plus 4 Famously Hot t-shirts.

The Palmetto Opera returns Teatro Lirico D’Europa to Columbia for what is certain to be another spell-binding performance. On March 3rd, the internationally acclaimed opera company will grace the stage of the Capital City’s Koger Center with Verdi’s La Traviata. Today, La Traviata is considered one of the most popular operas in the world.  To promote the spirit of opera, the Palmetto Opera is presenting this experience for the enrichment of all Columbia audiences.

Purchase tickets or tweet @columbiasc with the hashtag #LaTraviata to enter to win four tickets to the show on Saturday.
 

2012 St. Pat's in Five Points Kicks Off

A season o' celebration begins this week for one of the largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the Southeast! Five Points commences its annual St. Pat's in Five Points celebration with the Official Kickoff, including the notorious fountain dying, this afternoon.

If you're wondering what the excitement that draws over 40,000 people to the Five Points area is all about, here's a run-down of the full festivities:

Today, Friday, March 2, 2012 join little leprechauns and their much taller chaperones at the Official Kick-off to St. Pat's in Five Points & Fountain Dying at 5:00 pm to welcome St. Patrick's Day to the Five Points village with lively Rince N'ah Eireann Irish Dancers, the Gaelic Palmetto Pipes and Drums, Logan the Leprechaun, fabulous face painters, and much more. Then, don't miss the Battle for St. Pat's from 7:00-10:00 pm where six bands will vie for the spot to play on the big stage at the festival on March 17.

(Update: In light of inclement weather, tonight's Battle of the Bands has been moved indoors to 5 Points Pub (2020 Devine Street) from 7 to 10. The Official Kick-Off will still take place at the fountain from 5-7.)

On March 10, the loveliest ladies in the land will compete for the crown to represent Five Points all year long at the 2nd Annual St. Pat's Beauty Pageant.

Then rock out on St. Patrick's Day, Saturday, March 17, at the 30th Annual St. Pat’s in Five Points festival. Join 40,000 of your closest friends and enjoy live music from Hinder, Lee Brice, Trevor Hall, Crossfade, The Devil Makes Three, Blackberry Smoke, The Movement, Weaving the Fate, and more! The festival begins bright and early with Get to the Green, a 5k race at 8:00 am, followed by the annual St. Pat's in Five Points Parade at 10:00 a.m. sponsored by TD Bank. If you're not too busy Shaggin' on Santee or enjoying the Children's Carnival, make time to search for Logan on the year-round scavenger hunt, The Great Five Points Leprechaun Hunt.

Sounds great, right? Purchase tickets to the festival in advance - or spring for the VIP passes, including a VIP party with complimentary food and drinks at Village Idiot Pizza and Pub all day during the festival! Make a weekend of your celebration, and book a room at a discounted rate at The Inn at Claussen's, Clarion Hotel Downtown, Columbia Marriott Hotel, Hampton Inn Downtown Historic District, Hilton Columbia Center, or Inn at USC.

How would you like to win a famously hot and surprisingly Irish weekend for two?! Enter to win a VIP experience at the festival, two nights at The Inn at Claussen's, famously hot t-shirts and more on Facebook, Twitter or online!

Stay up to date with St. Pat's in Five Points on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit stpats5points.com.

First Thursdays on Main: March 1, 2012

On the first Thursday of each month, businesses in downtown Columbia's Main Street keep their doors open late, offering a mix of specials, events, entertainment and more with First Thursday on Main!


Here's a list of famously hot happenings for March's First Thursday:

March FOM Series Presents In Like A Lion
Frame of Mind
1520 Main Street
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
The March FOM Series kicks off with Intersections, an exhibit by Whitney LeJeune, which depicts brief moments of wonder in life that profoundly focuses, directs, or redirects our minds and which eternally change us and the world around us. She focuses on “moments where world meets wonder.” Whitney is a full-time, working painter influenced by her early childhood home of Austin TX, the southern elegance she finds in her family’s SC roots, and a desire to constantly push herself in her approach to her subjects.

TRANCE: Devon Jeremy and Beth LaRose
S & S Art Supply
1633 Main Street
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
S & S Art Supply is proud to host this two-woman exhibition for March's First Thursday on Main event. These two talented ladies both find inspiration from what surrounds them - nature, love, and harmony. Both artists are not only good friends, but have many shared feelings about the artistic process. Devon finds drawing a "process of free association...luring her into self-hypnosis, dictating what goes down next."

Painted Violins
Anastasia & Friends
1534 Main Street
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
During the month of March at Anastasia & Friends, a crowd- pleasing juxtaposition of visual and performance art returns to Columbia when the South Carolina Philharmonic and Anastasia and Friends Gallery present the fifth Painted Violins event.

Eighteen artists, both returning favorites and new, have been challenged to transform violins into unique works of art. The violins will be a gallery exhibit at the Anastasia and Friends Gallery from March 1-31, during which time bids will be accepted through a silent auction.

The exhibition of the 2012 Painted Violins begins with an opening reception in conjunction with the First Thursday and runs through a closing reception Thursday, March 29. Both receptions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until March 30, and by appointment after hours.

Tapp’s Arts Center’s March First Thursday Lineup
Tapp's Art Center
1644 Main Street
5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

THE FOUNTAIN ROOM:
First Thursday attendees are invited to check out the space and speak with owner Frederick Hogsett about plans for the Fountain Room. The Fountain Room will open for lunch in early April. Public and former employees (or their friends and family) of Tapp’s department store and The Fountain Room are invited  to bring any photos they have of the Fountain Room and their memories of the lunch counter. The Fountain Room plans to document the memories for use in the reinvented Fountain Room, and several photographers will be on hand to snap photos of the former employees.

MAIN GALLERY SPACE:
Tapp’s will show art by local students, from elementary to high school beginning Thursday, March 1. Tapp’s invites the public to mingle with the student artists and see their work, which will cover 300 linear feet of wall space in the gallery at Tapp’s. The student show will hang through the month of March.

BACK ROOM:
5:45: Antidrive, band
7:00: Barefoot in the Park, by Brookland Cayce High School
7:30: Passing Strange preview, by Trustus Theatre
8:00: Chris Compton, singer/songwriter

Happy Hour for First Thursday
Fancy That! Bistro and Catering
1212 Hampton St.
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
For First Thursday, come enjoy free chips and salsa with a purchase of an alcoholic beverage with Happy Hour prices at Fancy That! located on 1212 Hampton St. $2 domestic beer, $3 imported beer, and $3 glasses of wine.

Grand Opening
Paradise Ice
1627 Main Street
Main Street excitedly welcomes our newest neighbors, Paradise Ice!  They will be open and ready to go when you arrive at First Thursday in March.  Come by and celebrate with them.  Owners, Jessica and Joe, wanted you to know that they feature Italian ice and organic frozen custard, as well as locally roasted award-winning Turtle Creek Coffee. You will enjoy hand-scooped varieties of traditional as well as creative flavors that are made daily on-site.  Using only the best ingredients, they focus on staying natural and pure to flavor.  So you know, Turtle Creek Coffee is freshly ground and brewed throughout the day and available by the cup or by the bag to take home and enjoy.

Tish Lowe - Artist of the Month
Wine Down on Main
1520 Main Street
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Wine Down is excited to feature an exhibition by classical realist artist, Tish Lowe, during the month of March. Stop in for a glass of wine at  the cosy new wine bar on Main Street, and check out the exhibit of Lowe's drawings and paintings as Wine Down's featured artist for the month of March.


For more information, visit firstthursdaysonmain.wordpress.com. Stay up to date with City Center Partnership on Facebook and Twitter.

Lake Carolina's 8th Annual Oyster Roast This Weekend

Columbia Classical Ballet concludes 20th season with "Le Corsaire"

Columbia Classical Ballet sets sail on Friday, March 2, 2012 with “Le Corsaire,” a swashbuckling ballet masterwork filled with handsome pirates and beautiful women that takes many thrilling twists and turns through exotic places. Join the crew for this fanciful final offering of the Classical Ballet’s 20th anniversary season.

“This great work of the classical repertoire will be special in many ways,” said Radenko Pavlovich, artistic director of the Columbia Classical Ballet. “Columbia has never seen anything like it.” The rousing story and dynamic dancing are only part of what makes “Le Corsaire” (also called “The Pirate”) a must-see show at the Koger Center for the Arts.

While the ballerinas are usually at center stage, “Le Corsaire” showcases the power of the men. Featured will be guest artist Brooklyn Mack, a member of the Washington Ballet who received his initial training from Pavlovich. Company members Christopher Miro, Oleksandr Vykhrest and Ivan Popov take leading roles. “This ballet is about the guys and they really shine in it,” said Pavlovich. Visually, this will be a stunning production with sets and costumes used by the Washington Ballet and other companies around the globe.

Mack, named one of “25 to watch in 2012” by Dance magazine in January, will dance the role of Ali. A Washington Post review of his performance as Ali with the Washington Ballet called him “a human missile.” “It is like the role was made for him,” Pavlovich said.


Miro, a native of Cuba and former member of The National Ballet of Cuba, dances the role of pirate leader Conrad. Vykhrest fills the role of Birbanto, Conrad’s friend and betrayer. Vykhrest has been a member of the Classical Ballet of Kiev, Donetsk Ballet Company and the Sarasota Ballet. Popov, as the slave trader Lankedem, has been soloist at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, the Vienna State Opera and principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet and the Hungarian National Ballet. The role of Medora is being danced by Tamako Miyazaki, a native of Japan completing a stellar first year with the company, and Lauren Frere, who joined the company in 2008 and has been principal dancer since 2010, will dance the role of Gulnara.

Sets are by Simon Pastukh who has designed over 200 opera, ballet and theatrical productions for the Bolshoi, Mariinsky and Sovremennik theaters in Russia, NHK in Japan, the National Theatre of Norway and others. From 1980 to 1991 he was a resident designer at Michailovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre in St. Petersburg. Galina Solovyeva, designer for the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg for 15 years, created the costumes. Her career includes over 100 designs for ballet, opera, and theatre among them “Othello,” “Eugene Onegin,” “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Firebird,” and “Swan Lake” for groups including the New York City Ballet and the Japan Ballet.

“Le Corsaire” was created in the late 19th century by choreographer Marius Petipa (the man behind “The Sleeping Beauty,” “The Nutcracker,” “Swan Lake”) for the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg. The original score is by Adolphe Adam (composer of “Giselle” too) with additions by Cesare Pugni, history’s most prolific ballet music composer, and several other composers.

The ballet has enough twists and turns to be a tale told by Shakespeare. A pirate ship manned by Conrad, his friend Birbanto and Ali sails into a harbor town where they visit a bazaar where slaves are being sold by Lankedem. When Conrad sees the slave girl Medora it is love at first sight. He and his crew steal her and the other girls, including Medora’s friend Gulnara. Medora asks Conrad to free all the girls and he agrees, but Birbanto incites a mutiny. The mutiny fails, but Birbanto convinces Conrad he is blameless - then steals Medora and sells her to a Pasha. Disguised as pilgrims, Conrad leads the pirates on a raid to free Medora. The reunited lovers sail away, but are overtaken by a raging storm. The ship sinks. The ballet ends as the rising moon reveals Conrad and Medora safely reaching shore.

“We’re happy to finish our 20th season with this amazing production,” Pavlovich said. “It’s a fitting end to this important year.”

“Le Corsaire” performances will be at 10:00 am and 7:30 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012 at the Koger Center, located on the corner of Assembly and Greene streets in Columbia, SC. Evening performance tickets are $6 - $32 and may be purchased at capitoltickets.com or by calling 803.251.2222. Morning tickets are available by contacting the Classical Ballet at .803.252.9112.

Keep up with the latest Columbia Classical Ballet performances and information on Facebook.

Dig into Spring at Riverbanks Botanical Garden

Riverbanks’ horticulture staff and Master Gardeners from Clemson Extension will be on hand to answer questions and offer some simple tricks of the trade to help keep your backyards in bloom. There will also be how-to sessions and demonstrations on topics ranging from small space vegetable gardening, composting and growing bamboo to managing those pesky seasonal pests.

“You don’t have to be an expert on gardening to enjoy Springtime at the Garden,” said Andy Cabe, botanical garden director at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. “The festival offers something for everyone and gives us an opportunity to share our knowledge in the hopes of making any gardening experience a positive one.”

More than 40 vendors will be on-site with a wide variety of products available for purchase. Guests can shop around for garden art, gardening tools, handmade soap and bath items, books, baskets, crafts and of course, live plants and flowers—including perennials, succulents, citrus and shade plants,
maples and more!

In addition to garden-related activities, acoustic bluegrass favorite “Slap Wore Out” will entertain the crowd throughout the day. Performance times are 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm and 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm at the Botanical Garden Amphitheater.

The family-friendly event also provides plenty of entertainment for the kids. Hula hoop with the Hoop Hounds from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, have fun with Zephyr the Fairy from 10:30 am - 1:30 pm and enjoy clown magic from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm (includes a 20 minute magic show in the amphitheater at 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm). Kids will also enjoy a temporary tattoo station and hands-on arts and crafts.

Springtime at the Garden will take place—rain or shine—from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. The event is free with paid admission to Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.

Keep up with Riverbanks Zoo and Garden on Facebook and Twitter.

Dance Theatre of Harlem Comes to Columbia, SC

Palmetto Health Foundation and the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties have collaborated to bring the renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem to Columbia's Township Auditorium on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 7:00 pm. The performance will be one of the last this season in the Southeastern United States.

Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim whose mission is to maintain a world-class school that trains young people in classical ballet and the allied arts, provide arts education, community outreach programs and positive role models for all, and present a ballet company of African-American and other racially diverse artists who perform the most demanding repertory at the highest level of quality.

Each component of Dance Theatre of Harlem carries a solid commitment towards enriching the lives of young people and adults around the world through the arts.

Doors open at 6:00 pm and all seats are reserved. Ticket prices are $25 for orchestra seating, $20 for first balcony seating, $15 for gallery seating and all student or military tickets are $5 except for orchestra. Student and military tickets are only available at The Township Box office.

Tickets may be purchased at the Township Auditorium Box Office, ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets (including most Publix) or charged by phone at 800.745.3000. For more information, please contact Katherine Davis at 803.434.2826 or visit palmettohealthfoundation.org.

Dance Theatre of Harlem Reviews