When it comes to scenic locations to picnic, the Soda City’s got them. From historic gardens and riverfront spots, to convenient options for a quick bite to eat, it can be easy to plan an outdoor meal with friends + family. |
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Picnic Pop-Up SC can handle your full outdoor setup. | Photo by @picnicpopupsc |
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🥪 Build your menu with local charcuterie boards -
Abundant Graze | Choose from a variety of prebuilt boxes that include cheeses, pickles, nuts, and crackers. Try this: Order a dessert box of sweets for a balance of salty + sweet snacks.
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The Art of Charcuterie | Options range from Tuscan pizza to individual boxes filled with fresh fruits and veggies.
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Salt and Oak | Fill out the online form and choose the box that fits your needs filled with artisan ingredients and a seasonal arrangement.
💐 Pick out the decor - Set the scene at your picnic with a colorful bloom of flowers from Fern or choose from the summer bouquets at Blossom Shop.
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What’s a picnic without a vintage basket? Stop by Old Mill Antique Mall and choose from the selection of baskets, or pick up a vintage blanket or quilt.
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Mast General Store on Main Street has you covered with picnic-related items ranging from sweets + spreads to blankets and a wide selection of outdoor items.
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Enjoy the shade of a live oak tree on UofSC's historic Horseshoe. | Photo by COLAtoday |
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🌳 Choose the perfect spot - Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park, 312 Laurel St. | It’s just a short walk to the riverfront where you’ll find a field next to the river to unfurl a blanket and soak up some sun.
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Page Ellington Park, 2220 Gregg St. | Bring your dog and let them play in the dog park while you set your spread under one of Bull Street’s old oak trees.
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Robert Mils Historic District, Seibels House, Robert Mills, Hampton-Preston | Choose a scenic spot in the gardens among the heirloom plantings of native plants. Pro tip: Each location has different hours and days when the gardens are open to the public, so be sure to check before you go.
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UofSC Horseshoe | Bring a book and a snack to enjoy the historic Horseshoe shaded by 26 varieties of trees.
🍿 Picnic hacks - Picnic Popup SC | The perfect option for picnic parties, Picnic Popup SC will set up a private outdoor experience for you complete with food + activities.
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Gourmet Shop Charcuterie Box | When you preorder your custom cheese + charcuterie trays and pick up a pound of the renowned chicken salad, you’re halfway to your outdoor dining experience.
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Cromer’s | Peanuts, popcorn, hot dogs — Cromer’s has you covered if you want to grab some picnic snacks on the way to the park.
Bonus: Don't forget to grab sunscreen, bug spray, and a camera to capture the memories (you'll thank us later). Remember to use #COLAtoday when you post your picnic pictures. |
Share this story with your BFFs, that special someone, or anyone who needs a relaxing afternoon outdoors. |
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Click Here to have your event featured |
Today - Into It Over It with Pool Kids | Mon., June 27 | 6-11 p.m. | New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St. | $20 | Enjoy live music from emo bands from Chicago and Tallahassee. 🎸
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A Midsummer Night’s Swing | Mon., June 27 | 5 p.m. | Koger Center for the Arts | $18 | Sip on a glass of wine or beer while listening to swing music by the Carolina Jazz Society.
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Drag Bingo | Mon., June 27 | 8-10 p.m. | Tin Roof, 1022 Senate St. | $25 | Admission includes one drink ticket + everything you need to play 🎲
Tuesday -
Purple Martin Tour | Tues., June 28 | 6:30-9 p.m. | Wingard’s Market, 1403 N Lake Dr. | $50 | This intimate, six-passenger cruise to Bomb Island in Lake Murray will take you to see hundreds of thousands of purple martins fly. 🦤
Wednesday - Wine Wednesday + Terrarium in a Bottle | Wed., June 15 | 6:30-8 p.m. | PlantHouse Columbia, 702 Cross Hill Rd. | $35 | The PlantHouse crew will be there to guide you through the terrarium building process and give an overview of plant care.
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Coffee and Canvas | Wed., June 29 | 12-2 p.m. | Painting With A Twist, 275 Harbison Blvd. | $34 | Ages 15+ are invited to attend this Calm Beach painting class
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Palette Knife Painting Class | Wed., June 29 | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | NoMa Warehouse, 2222 Sumter St. | $65 | A three-hour step-by-step demonstration led by local artist Rob Shaw 🎨
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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. | |
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Weather -
94º | Partly Cloudy | 24% chance of rain
Civic -
Runoff voting takes place tomorrow to determine State House District 40 in Lexington and County Council District 11 in Richland County. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. + voters should bring a photo ID. Check here for more information. 🗳️
Community -
The case of the funny-tasting water has been resolved. If you didn’t know, the unusual flavor in the city’s water is from geosmin, a product of algae. Within a week, the level of geosmin dropped from 1,303 to 28 thanks to an activated carbon + copper sulfate treatment. 🚰 (Cola Daily)
- The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) announced that it will suspend Route 97 beginning July 1, which provides service to Batesburg-Leesville in Lexington County. The decision was made due to low ridership on the route. 🚌
Older Adults -
FirstLight Home Care of Columbia, a local in-house caretaker company, is expanding its services to help more Cola citizens. North Columbia residents who are senior citizens, veterans, or have disabilities + injuries can receive in-house, non-medical care. (Cola Daily)
Listen -
On the latest episode of Around Town with @ColaMayor, Mayor Rickenmann chats with Robin Waites and Kim Crafton from Historic Columbia. The three talk about Historic Columbia’s impact on the city + what improvements they’d like to see around Cola in the future. 🎤
Talk -
Richland Library’s Main location will host a father and son’s conversation on race with Bakari and Cleveland Sellers tomorrow at 6 p.m. Bakari is a CNN contributor and author of the 2020 New York Times Bestseller “My Vanishing Country: A Memoir.” The event is free, but registration is required. 📘
Try This -
Do you think you’re the top karaoke singer in the Midlands? The Columbia Fireflies are hosting Karaoke Night at Segra Park on Sun., July 10, and are looking for singers to compete in an in-game karaoke competition judged by the fans. Submit a video here by July 3 to become a contestant.
Eat -
Do you have a favorite ice cream spot in the Midlands? The State Newspaper is taking nominations to find the area’s best local ice cream spot in its 2022 Ice Cream Poll. Nominations are open through Thurs., June 30. 🍨
Health
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Cast your vote: Palmetto Primary Care Physicians has been nominated the Best Family Physician in the Free Times’ 2022 Best of Columbia readers choice contest. Vote for Palmetto (and see who else is nominated) before Thurs., June 30.*
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Content marked with a * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free. |
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Last week, Dawn Staley and Ray Tanner unveiled a road sign honoring both Gamecock Women's Basketball national championships. 15 signs will be placed around the state, with several being in the Columbia area. The sign honors both the 2017 and 2022 national championships, but we think they should have added 2020 for good measure. The Gamecocks finished the 2020 season with a 32–1 overall record and a 16–0 record in conference play before the NCAA tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
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Editor's pick: Walking the historic gardens in the Robert Mills District is one of my favorite Cola activities. Sometime's I'll grab lunch from Hampton Place Cafe or No Name Deli and snag a spot on a bench near the Hampton-Preston fountain. I imagine people have enjoyed eating lunch there for many decades.
Missed Friday's newsletter? Read our Q+A with real estate professional Allen Robertson. |
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