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Columbia offers a wide range of recreation; exciting attractions and spectator sports; and top-notch meeting facilities.


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Calendar of Events

Welcome to the Official Columbia Calendar of Events managed by the Columbia Regional Visitors Center. Events are searchable by date, keyword and category, with ongoing events listed on the lower portion of the page. If you would like your event to be considered for a listing on our calendar, please review our calendar criteria and submit the details of your event.

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Showing 1-25 of 594 events
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Wednesday May 16, 2012

"Andrew Lippa's Wild Party"

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: Workshop Theatre
  • Address: 1136 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Workshop Theatre
  • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday


Adapted from a book-length poem written in and about the Roaring Twenties, Andrew Lippa's Wild Party is the story of one wild evening in the Manhattan apartment shared by Queenie and Burrs, a vaudeville dancer and a vaudeville clown. In a relationship marked by vicious behavior and recklessness (mirroring the time in which they live), they decide to throw a party to end all parties.

"Grease"

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: Town Theatre
  • Address: 1012 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Town Theatre
  • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday


The one that you want is back!  Grease will be rockin' at Town Theatre!  Never before seen on our stage, you must take a trip to a simpler time of poodle skirts, drive-ins and T-birds.  "Bad boy" Danny and "the girl next door" Sandy fall in love all over again to the tunes of your favorite songs:  "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightning" and "We Go Together" as well as additional songs from the hit movie: "Grease is the Word,...

2012 Parade of Homes

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: The Park at Woodcreek Farms in Northeast Columbia
  • Address: 301 Club Ridge Drive, Elgin, SC 29045
  • Venue: Northeast Plantation


The Parade of Homes is a single-site showing of new homes that are fully decorated and landscaped. Attendees are able to walk through each home and see the latest in building techniques and technology and enjoy beautiful home décor. More information can be found on their website.

Abstract Art in South Carolina: 1949-2011


Abstract Art in South Carolina: 1949-2011 looks at the evolution and influences of abstract painting and sculpture in South Carolina. The exhibit includes work by pioneering artists such as William Halsey, Corrie McCallum, J. Bardin, Carl Blair and Merton Simpson, and contemporary artists currently working in communities across South Carolina today, such as James Busby, Shaun Cassidy, Enid Williams, Paul Yanko, Katie Walker and Tom Stanley, among many others. In all, work by more than 40 arti...

Blooming Butterflies


Come explore the world of the butterfly! Visit EdVenture's living exhibit, a 2,500 square foot enclosed habitat designed to showcase the lifespan of over 20 species of butterflies. The exhibit is filled with dozens of species of trees and plants that support hundreds of butterflies from more than 20 different species native to the Southeast. Be sure to check out the Bloom Room to observe chrysalises and emerging butterflies. Look, but please don't touch! Although it is tempting to touch these...

Bold Banners: Early Civil War Flags of South Carolina


Rich. Colorful. Bold. Words that may not initially evoke images of Civil War flags but the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum's upcoming exhibit shows that many of the earliest Civil War flags were hand-crafted works of art and not simply "stars and bars." Bold Banners: Early Civil War Flags of South Carolina will be exhibited at the Relic Room from May 6, 2011 through September 29, 2012. The exhibit will display some of the earliest flags representing units fr...

City Art presents Michael Fowler

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: City Art Gallery
  • Address: 1224 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: City Art Gallery

Make Your Move! Strategic Play Through the Centuries

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: EdVenture Children's Museum
  • Address: 211 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: EdVenture Children's Museum
  • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday


This returning exhibit will feature new additions and enhancements you won't want to miss! From simple amusements to complex exercises in strategic thinking, games have been a part of our lives since ancient times. Make Your Move! explores the origins of the world's best-loved games in an exhibit featuring oversized game pieces and play areas that give children a chance to explore the fun of strategic play in a new dimension.

Meet the Designers: Runaway Runway

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: Columbia Museum of Art
  • Address: 1515 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Columbia Museum of Art
  • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday


Get up close and personal with outfits from the 2011 Runaway Runway fashion show and learn about the conceptual and construction process behind each outfit. From a bubble wrap gown to a Mad Hatter spin-off, these creations feature post-consumer materials, range in theme and materials and are wild eco-friendly fashions!  

Music in European Culture II: Romanticism in the 19th-Century from Beethoven to Richard Strauss

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: Columbia Museum of Art
  • Address: 1515 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Columbia Museum of Art


By popular demand, the entertaining and educational Music 101 lecture series resumes for a six-week exploration of music, art and society during the romantic and revolutionary 19th century. Peter Hoyt, the adjunct curator for music, presents an overview of the tumultuous period that begins with Beethoven and encompasses such beloved composers as Schubert, Chopin and Brahms. Through musical examples, visual images and historical accounts, these weekly discussions illuminate the dynamic culture...

Pauly Shore


The Comedy Zone A hot, new comedy club in downtown Columbia, SC PAULY SHORE Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 7:30PM Comedy Zone - Columbia CELEBRITY SHOW, get your tickets now before the show sells out. Live Comedy: Rated R (Strong)

Sit Right Down

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: Columbia Museum of Art
  • Address: 1515 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Columbia Museum of Art


National Art Honors Society students display three dimensional design skills by creating model chairs while students in CMA's One Room School House program use a print making technique to design upholstery fabric. These 3D and 2D works make for an engaging exhibition on furniture design! Different chair designs are available for your sitting pleasure - tell us which one is your favorite with our interactive survey. Design your own chair at our young artist station and have a seat on a toadstool...

The Art of Recovery

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: Columbia Museum of Art
  • Address: 1515 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Columbia Museum of Art
  • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday


Art by clients of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health will be on display in this exhibit, put together from competitions open to people receiving services through the department. The Art of Recovery project showcases the talents of people living with mental illnesses and the role that creative processes like art can play in the recovery process.

The Art of Seating: Two Hundred Years of American Design

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: Columbia Museum of Art
  • Address: 1515 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Columbia Museum of Art


Most chairs encountered throughout the day define themselves fairly simply - a place at the family table, a comfortable spot with a great view of the river, a seat of corporate power. When looking at the 43 chairs selected for The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design, however, there is much more to see than simple pieces of furniture. These works of art have compelling stories to tell about our national history, the evolution of American design and incredible artistry and craftsmanship....

The Civil War in South Carolina: Naval Warfare on the Coast and Failed Attempts to Take Charleston

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: South Carolina State Museum
  • Address: 301 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: South Carolina State Museum


The third installment of the Museum's series of exhibits focusing on the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit

  • May 16, 2012
  • Location: SC State Museum
  • Address: 301 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: South Carolina State Museum
  • Recurrence: Recurring daily


On April 15, 1912, Titanic, the world's largest ship, sank after colliding with an iceberg claiming more than 1,500 lives and subsequently altering the world's confidence in modern technology. One hundred years later, the South Carolina State Museum will pay tribute to the tragedy which continues to resonate through Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, where legendary artifacts conserved from the Ship's debris field are showcased offering visitors a poignant look at this iconic ship and its passen...

W. Gordon Belser Arboretum Weekly Workcrew & Walkers


The W. Gordon Belser Arboretum, totaling 6.5 acres, is located near the University of South Carolina campus, in Columbia, South Carolina. The arboretum was a gift from William Gordon Belser, a neighborhood homeowner and real estate developer. It is a natural area now used for teaching biology. The arboretum is open Wednesdays for workcrew and walkers from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. (Only Bloomwood Road Entrance Open)

Thursday May 17, 2012

"Andrew Lippa's Wild Party"

  • May 17, 2012
  • Location: Workshop Theatre
  • Address: 1136 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Workshop Theatre
  • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday


Adapted from a book-length poem written in and about the Roaring Twenties, Andrew Lippa's Wild Party is the story of one wild evening in the Manhattan apartment shared by Queenie and Burrs, a vaudeville dancer and a vaudeville clown. In a relationship marked by vicious behavior and recklessness (mirroring the time in which they live), they decide to throw a party to end all parties.

"Grease"

  • May 17, 2012
  • Location: Town Theatre
  • Address: 1012 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Town Theatre
  • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday


The one that you want is back!  Grease will be rockin' at Town Theatre!  Never before seen on our stage, you must take a trip to a simpler time of poodle skirts, drive-ins and T-birds.  "Bad boy" Danny and "the girl next door" Sandy fall in love all over again to the tunes of your favorite songs:  "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightning" and "We Go Together" as well as additional songs from the hit movie: "Grease is the Word,...

2012 Parade of Homes

  • May 17, 2012
  • Location: The Park at Woodcreek Farms in Northeast Columbia
  • Address: 301 Club Ridge Drive, Elgin, SC 29045
  • Venue: Northeast Plantation


The Parade of Homes is a single-site showing of new homes that are fully decorated and landscaped. Attendees are able to walk through each home and see the latest in building techniques and technology and enjoy beautiful home décor. More information can be found on their website.

Abstract Art in South Carolina: 1949-2011


Abstract Art in South Carolina: 1949-2011 looks at the evolution and influences of abstract painting and sculpture in South Carolina. The exhibit includes work by pioneering artists such as William Halsey, Corrie McCallum, J. Bardin, Carl Blair and Merton Simpson, and contemporary artists currently working in communities across South Carolina today, such as James Busby, Shaun Cassidy, Enid Williams, Paul Yanko, Katie Walker and Tom Stanley, among many others. In all, work by more than 40 arti...

Art Show to celebrate Chapin's Spring Open House

  • May 17, 2012
  • Location: Palmetto Arts
  • Address: 107 Virginia Street, Chapin, SC 29036
  • Venue: Palmetto Fine Arts & Custom Frame Gallery
  • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday


We're celebrating Chapin's Spring Open House and Mother's Day with a local Artist Art show featuring Three local Stand Out Artist: Nick Davenport of Newberry, Ingrid Carson of Irmo, and Ron Weathers of Chapin. Opening Reception Thursday, May 10 from 6-9pm with heavy refreshments.

Back Porch 7 Days a Week

  • May 17, 2012
  • Address: 1616 Gervais St., Columbia, SC 29201
  • Venue: Back Porch on Gervais
  • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Thursday


Every Thursday night the back Porch is hosting the Mad Men and Women Young Professional's night. Join us and let the madness of the 9-5 grind wash away with whiskey, wine, and great music.

Blooming Butterflies


Come explore the world of the butterfly! Visit EdVenture's living exhibit, a 2,500 square foot enclosed habitat designed to showcase the lifespan of over 20 species of butterflies. The exhibit is filled with dozens of species of trees and plants that support hundreds of butterflies from more than 20 different species native to the Southeast. Be sure to check out the Bloom Room to observe chrysalises and emerging butterflies. Look, but please don't touch! Although it is tempting to touch these...

Bold Banners: Early Civil War Flags of South Carolina


Rich. Colorful. Bold. Words that may not initially evoke images of Civil War flags but the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum's upcoming exhibit shows that many of the earliest Civil War flags were hand-crafted works of art and not simply "stars and bars." Bold Banners: Early Civil War Flags of South Carolina will be exhibited at the Relic Room from May 6, 2011 through September 29, 2012. The exhibit will display some of the earliest flags representing units fr...

Showing 1-25 of 594 events