Hello Monday.
April 28 2025
Located on the northern edge of downtown Columbia’s business district, Cottontown is one of our city's first planned suburbs. Established in the late 1890s, the neighborhood is filled with Craftsman style bungalows, and has experienced a boom in recent years.
Tomorrow's Cottontown Art Crawl features 115 artists showing + selling their art on covered front porches and yards throughout the neighborhood. Now in its fourth year, the event showcases the walkability and charm of the historic neighborhood along with the art.
Let’s take a look at what’s new in the neighborhood + what’s coming next.
New to the neighborhood
NOMA Warehouse
- The anchor location of this year’s crawl, NOMA Warehouse is an artist and creator’s space that features a market every Friday from 6-9 p.m.
Gardner’s Outpost
- The popular Devine Street plant shop recently opened a second location next door to The War Mouth. Let me tell you a little secret, there’s a little wine bar inside for you to enjoy a glass of wine surrounded by Monstera deliciosa.
Coming Soon
Cottontown will continue to grow by the numbers, but thanks to its listing in the National Register of Historic Places the architecture of the homes will stay the same.
- The former site of the Jim Moore Cadillac dealership at 2222 Main St., across from Indah Coffee and NOMA Warehouse, will soon transform into two three-story buildings that will include 246 apartments + four "live-work" units.
- Across the road from the Cottontown neighborhood on the north side, a new 56-unit apartment building called Benton Crossing is expected to be built.
Thinking about going to see what's new? Be sure to let us know what you buy this weekend.
Use the buttons below to share this story with your friends who love long walks and local art.
Today
- 56th Annual Carolina Classic Home and Garden Show | Fri., March 11-Sun., March 13 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | SC State Fairgrounds, 1200 Rosewood Dr. | Free | Guests are invited to enjoy live music, a beer tasting, presentations, and to collect free prizes.*
- Peaceful Reflections | Fri., March 11 | 7-9 p.m. | Painting with a Twist | $38+ | Guests must be 18+ to attend. 🎨
Saturday
- Pony Bradshaw, EZ Shakes | Sat., March 12 | 7 p.m. | New Brookland Tavern | $12+ | North Georgia-based songwriter, Pony Bradshaw tells tales with a mix of country, rock, and blues. 🎶
- Doggy Day Orientation | Sat., March 12 | 2 p.m. | Columbia Humane Society, 127 Humane Ln. | If you are interested in taking a dog out that day, please email ahead of time. 🐕
- Ribbit Run | Sat., March 12 | Doko Meadows Park | 7 a.m. | Free | Trophies will be presented to top runners.
Sunday
Plan Ahead
- Art Class: Introduction to Comics and Sequential Art | Mon., March 21-Mon., Mar. 28 | 6-9 p.m. | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St. | $64 for members, $80 for non-members | Learn about the history of comics and then create your own in this two-part class for adults taught by local artist G. Micheal Bagwell.*
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
Weather
- 62º | Showers | 58% chance of rain
Development
- A rooftop view of Five Points? The owner of the former Yesterday’s location, at the corner of Harden + Devine streets, is in the midst of negotiations to add a rooftop bar to the building. As of now, the signing of a new lease by a Greek-theme restaurant is contingent on having rooftop access. Stay tuned for more details. 🌇 (The Post and Courier)
Soda Citizen
- Mayor Rickenmann declared March 9 ‘Susan Boyd Day’ in Columbia and honored her with a framed certificate at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new greenhouse at the Hampton-Preston Mansion. Stop by Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for a free tour of the greenhouse + gardens. 👒
Festival
- Lake Carolina’s annual Shamrock’s & Shenanigans St. Patrick’s Festival, originally scheduled for Saturday, will move to Sun., March 13 from 3-8 p.m., with sunny weather in the forecast. The event will feature 30 vendors spaced out over the streets of Lake Carolina Town Center. 🍀
Arts
Sports
- The University of South Carolina’s “Cock Hockey” squad is headed to Philadelphia to play for the Collegiate Hockey Federation national championship. The tournament will be held March 17-24 with the Gamecocks facing off against the Quinnipiac Braves. 🏒
Watch
- Filmmaker Zach Steinhauser will debut his documentary “Purple Haze: A Conservation Film” Sat., April 23 at the Icehouse Amphitheater in Lexington. The nature film studies the Purple Martin, its nesting habits, and potential threats to the backyard bird. 🪶
Theater
- Cottingham Theater at Columbia College and Workshop Theatre of South Carolina signed an official Memorandum of Understanding this week after working together for four years. The partnership will help serve the community through the art of theater. 🎭
Cause
- Harvest Hope Food Bank is hosting a “Mac Madness” tournament to collect boxes + cups of macaroni and cheese to feed Midlands’ families. Donations can be made at these locations through Tues., April 5. 🧀
Announced
- Yesterday, SC-based nonprofit Serve & Connect announced the development of a community policing portal with funding support from Nephron Pharmaceuticals. Learn more.*
Real Estate
- Located in Carolina Research Park, 7 Technology Cir. is surrounded by corporate neighbors like Staples, Unitrends + Colite International. The campus-like setting features a 15-acre lake, landscaped common areas, and an 18-hole, tournament-quality P.B. Dye golf course. Learn more about leasing office space via Trinity Partners.*
Health
- Meet Amanda Clark, NP, one of the newest providers at MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center. She specializes in preventive medicine, diabetes, weight management, and chronic disease management. 🩺*
Biz
- The Midlands Business Leadership Group (MBLG) is collaborating with EngenuitySC to present and discuss the 2021-22 Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report. The results play a huge role in showing how our community compares to other peer cities + identifying key opportunities in making the Midlands the best place to live.*
*This paid content, brought to you by our advertising partners, helps make this newsletter free.
Friendly competition, anyone? We need your help in determining Columbia’s best brewery.
With the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments just around the corner, we’re joining the fun of bracket competitions with a face-off of our own.
Not a sports fan? No worries. Our bracket will focus on a hot topic among Soda Citizens : breweries.
In order to get our initial lineup of eight contestants, we want to know your favorite brewery around town. Tell us with this survey + stay tuned to learn how to participate in the tournament.
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Editor's pick: Last year my friends hosted a birthday party for their child at Steel Hands Brewing in Cayce. It was my first time visiting the brewery and we spent the afternoon drinking sweet tea, eating cake, listening to live music, and watching the kids play games. Also, the food was delicious. All this to say, you don’t have to drink alcohol to enjoy many of Cola’s breweries.
Missed yesterday's newsletter? Read about art celebrating women in Columbia.
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