DOGust 1st: Sponsor a Birthday Pup Cup for a Shelter Dog! Fundraiser
2025-08-01 | SC
A donation of $2 will provide a pup cup for a shelter dog on August 1st, which is considered to be the universal birthday for rescue dogs. All proceeds directly benefit our life-saving programs. Sponsored by Animal Mission of the Midlands. Donation window closes at 11:59 P.M. on August 1st. DONATION LINK: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/dogust-1st-sponsor-a-birthday-pup-cup-for-a-shelter-dog

Food Truck Friday!
2025-08-01 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-08-08 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-08-15 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-08-22 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-08-29 11:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | 2300 Bull Street (REI Co-op parking lot at BullStreet, corner of Bull and Colonial), 2300 Bull Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
August 1

Brown Bag Deli
Ducey’s BBQ & Thingz
Manjal’s Filipino
Snacks & Things
King one Ice Cream

August 8

Calabash Caribbean Grill
La Dolce Vita Pizza
Mamas Taste of the World
WISE SQUEEZED LEMONADE

August 15

King Kone Ice Cream
Right Way Wings & Things
Fishers of Men (P-Nuts)
Smoke It Up
Spicy Voo-Doo

August 22

Lobster Dogs
Lunch Box
Maurice’s BBQ
Smok’in Pot

August 29

Granny’s Caribbean Cuisine & Catering
Right Way Wings & Things
Kurt’s Kitchen
Bessie’s Bites

The Center for Architecture Grand Opening
2025-08-01 16:00 - 19:00 | The Center for Architecture, 1530 Main Street, Suite C, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Who: Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, Councilman Peter Brown, City of Columbia Economic Development, Main Street District President and CEO Matt Kennell and Center for Architecture staff
What: The City of Columbia, Main Street District, The American Institute of Architects South Carolina Chapter (AIASC) and the South Carolina Architectural Foundation (SCAF) proudly announce the grand opening of The Center for Architecture on Friday, August 1, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The newly renovated Center for Architecture space located at 1530 Main Street, Suite C, Columbia, SC 29201, will serve as South Carolina’s premier collaboration dedicated to advancing architectural excellence, design education, and multi-disciplinary engagement focused on the built environment.
The schedule is as follows:
4:00 p.m.- The grand opening will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from the City of Columbia and Main Street District representatives.
5:00 p.m.- A celebration will follow with light refreshments, mingling, and remarks from AIA South Carolina and South Carolina Architectural Foundation representatives, and special acknowledgement of the founding donors of the capital campaign. The evening will include a special recognition of retiring Executive Director, Adrienne Montare, FAIA, whose leadership has been instrumental in advancing architectural excellence in Columbia.
6:00 p.m. – Guest speaker presentation: “Enhancing Urbanism in Columbia”. John Wofford, Partner with Astral Development, will discuss their design-driven mixed-use projects supporting urbanism and sustainable growth in Columbia and the region, from micro to macro viewpoints.

Jake's on Devine: Pups & Pints Adoption Event and Donation Drive
2025-08-03 12:00 - 15:00 | Jake’s of Columbia, 2112 Devine Street, Columbia, SC, 29205, United States
*Free adoptions- please bring a leash and collar if you are considering adoption.

Popcorn & Lemonade Fundraiser to Support Mayor's Campaign Against Breast Cancer
2025-08-08 12:00 - 14:00, 2025-08-29 12:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-05 12:00 - 14:00 | City of Columbia Payment Center, 3000 Harden Street, Columbia, SC, 29203, United States
Join us and support the Mayor’s Campaign Against Breast Cancer by purchasing popcorn and pink (or regular) lemonade. Popcorn and lemonade will start at $2.00.
For over 20 years, the Mayor’s Campaign against Breast Cancer has raised awareness about the fight against breast cancer and provided support to patients, families, and survivors in our community. This year’s proceeds will fund equipment on Prisma Health’s Richland campus to further increase access to diagnostic mammography patients. This includes two ultrasound units, two ultrasound exam tables, and one 3D mammography unit.
WHEN:

Friday, August 8, 2025
Friday, August 29, 2025
Friday, September 5, 2025

Mastering Social Media for Business Growth
2025-08-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Busby Community Center, 1735 Busby St, Columbia, 29203, United States
The City of Columbia Office of Business Opportunities Presents:
Mastering Social Media for Business Growth Workshop
Speaker: Ken Walker, Social Media Expert
This is a hybrid workshop (in person and on-line), but space is limited and spots are filling quickly! Online participants will require Zoom to virtually attend the workshop.
Register for the Workshop HERE!
This dynamic, hands-on workshop is designed for small and medium-sized businesses that want to strengthen their online presence, create impactful content, and understand how to use data to drive results.
At the end of this workshop, attendees will learn:

How to plan a month of content in one day
Camera etiquette & how to film yourself
How to grow on social media
How to use analytics to drive results

For more information, contact Kalenna Ginyard, OBO Program Compliance Specialist at (803) 545-3950 or email our office at OBO@columbiasc.gov

ACEs Workshop
2025-08-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Gable Oaks Apartments, 901 Colleton Street, Columbia, SC, United States
The City of Columbia Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement is partnering with United Way of the Midlands to host a Community Conversation about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
Please join us for a conversation about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), their potential health impacts and the actions we can take as a community to be more resilient to address these outcomes. The conversation will be facilitated by United Way of the Midlands’ staff Tiffany Johnson, MSW, Senior Manager of Youth and Resiliency, and Brantli Senn, MRC Operations Director.
RSVP: Space is limited to 25 participants. To register, scan the QR code on the flyer or go to uway.org/events.

Mays Park Ribbon Cutting
2025-08-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Mays Park, 1521 Deans Lane, Columbia, SC, 29205, United States
The City of Columbia Parks & Recreation Department is pleased to hold a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. for the official re-opening of the newly renovated Mays Park at 1521 Deans Lane, near the intersection of Trenholm Road and Beltline Boulevard.
Revitalization features for Mays Park include a new splash pad, new pickleball courts, tennis courts, a basketball tree, playgrounds, a rain garden, green spaces and site furnishings.

Food Truck Friday & The Blood Connection Blood Drive
2025-09-05 10:00 - 15:00 | 2300 Bull Street (REI Co-op parking lot at BullStreet, corner of Bull and Colonial), 2300 Bull Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Get lunch & give blood!
The Blood Connection Mobile Drive Unit will be set up alongside the Food Trucks in the REI parking lot.
September 5

Tacos Oink Oink
Bessie’s Bites & Sweet Delights
Wise’s Fresh Squeezes Lemonade
King Kone Ice Cream
Snacks & Things

Hug a Homie
2025-09-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Camp Cole, 1571 Crossing Creek Rd, Eastover, SC, 29044, United States
Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement Director Trevon Fordham will be a part of a heartfelt session called “Hug a Homie”, focused on one of the most transformational topics we can explore: forgiveness. This event will have real conversations, raw honesty, and a room full of boys learning to release, to heal, and to embrace one another—literally. The session will wrap up with all 30 boys sharing a hug, reminding each other they are not alone.

Street Outreach - ONSE
2025-09-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Bojangles on Elmwood, 930 Elmwood Ave, Columbia, SC, 29212, United States
The ONSE team will attend the monthly onsite outreach event to provide supportive services to unsheltered individuals.

Mayor's Town Hall Tour: Districts 1 & 2
2025-09-08 17:30 - 19:30 | Earlewood Park, 1113 Recreation Drive, Columbia, SC, 29203, United States
Mayor Rickenmann invites the community to join him for the third annual Town Hall Tour across the City of Columbia, where he will share the State of the City. Alongside City Council members, the Mayor will provide updates on various initiatives and developments throughout the City over the past year. These town hall sessions are open to the public, offering citizens the opportunity to ask questions.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann
Councilwoman Tina Herbert (District I)
Councilman Edward McDowell, Jr. (District II)
Councilwoman Aditi Bussells (At-Large)

Mayor's Town Hall Tour: Districts 3 & 4
2025-09-09 17:30 - 19:30 | Woodland Park, 6500 Olde Knight Parkway, Columbia, SC, 29209, United States
Mayor Rickenmann invites the community to join him for the third annual Town Hall Tour across the City of Columbia, where he will share the State of the City. Alongside City Council members, the Mayor will provide updates on various initiatives and developments throughout the City over the past year. These town hall sessions are open to the public, offering citizens the opportunity to ask questions.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann
Councilman Will Brennan (District III)
Councilman Peter Brown (District IV)
Councilman Tyler Bailey (At-Large)

Mayor's Town Hall Tour: Business Community with Columbia Chamber
2025-09-10 07:30 - 09:30 | Segra Park, 1640 Freed Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
*Registration is required for the Business Community tour stop.

As part of the Chamber’s monthly breakfast briefing series, Mayor Rickenmann will give a state of the city update. The business community, alongside chamber members, are invited to attend this collaborative event. All guests can register here.

Food Truck Friday!
2025-09-12 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-09-19 11:00 - 15:00 | 2300 Bull Street (REI Co-op parking lot at BullStreet, corner of Bull and Colonial), 2300 Bull Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
September 12

Granny’s Caribbean Cuisine & Catering
Relaxin Heifer, LLC (Ice Cream)
Purposely Made Sweets
Manjal’s Filipino
Spicy Voodoo

September 19

Cindy’s Cake & Catering
Relaxin Heifer, LLC (Ice Cream)
Lobster Dogs
Lunch Box
Smoke IT UP

September 26

Brown Bag Deli
Duce’s BBQ & Thingz
King Kone Ice Cream
La Dolce Vita Pizza
The Haute’ Dog Lady

Sistercare Saturday
2025-09-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Boyd Plaza, 1515 Main Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Join us at Boyd Plaza from 10am – 12pm to participate in Sistercare Saturday!
Help us support Sistercare, an organization dedicated to Sistercare, an organization dedicated to reducing the occurrence and impact of domestic violence through direct services, prevention, and empowerment.
We will be raising funds for Sistercare through raffles, games, and a dunk tank! Stay tuned to find out who will be participating in this year’s dunk tank.
Sistercare Saturdays are a part of the Mayor’s Campaign Against Domestic Violence. This year’s campaign will culminate in the 2025 Mayor’s Walk Against Domestic Violence, taking place on October 25 at Page Ellington Park. Visit here for more information: https://publicrelations.columbiasc.gov/mayors-walk-against-domestic-violence-2025/

Pups & Pints Adoption Event and Donation Drive
2025-09-13 12:00 - 15:00 | Steel Hands Brewing, 2350 Foreman Street, Cayce
Pups & Pints Adoption Event and Donation Drive at Steel Hands Brewing. Please being a collar and leash if planning to adopt!

Belmont Neighborhood Association Monthly Meeting
2025-09-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Gable Oaks Apartments, 901 Colleton Street, Columbia, SC, United States
The ONSE team will attend the monthly community meeting to gain feedback from residents as well as provide an update.

Housing & Financial Symposium
2025-09-18 17:30 - 19:00 | Richland Library Main, 1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Join us for a FREE event designed to empower individuals & families with practical knowledge & resources to achieve financial stability and explore affordable pathways to homeownership.
Expert-Led Panel Discussions Offering Insights On:

Setting realistic homeownership goals (affordable housing)
How to find the right realtor & set expectations
How to prepare for conversations with your bank: understanding credit scores & repairs
Homeowners Associations (HOW): How to research and know your rights

10th Annual PARK(ing) Day
2025-09-19 10:00 - 15:00 | Main Street
PARK(ing) Day is an annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform on-street parking spaces into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public places. The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat…at least until the meter runs out!
We are excited to announce that the City of Columbia, in partnership with the South Carolina Chapter of the American Society for Landscape Architects and One Columbia for Arts and Culture, is again helping to facilitate PARK(ing) Day, a national event that takes place on Friday, September 19, 2025. This event is about reclaiming on-street parking spaces as public space for people, for one day out of the year (10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.). Participants design and install temporary elements that can include seating, art, games, plants, etc. to encourage people to interact in the public right-of-way.
This is our tenth year temporarily transforming Downtown Columbia.
This year, the PARK(ing) Day theme builds on the recent Downtown Columbia Strategic Plan and Guidelines and we’re asking you to think more about how you’d like to plan your public realm to create more engaging and attractive public spaces in Columbia. You can use the plan’s big ideas for inspiration, or design your own perfect daydream for Columbia. The creativity is up to you!

What is the public realm? It’s that part of our urban fabric that is made up of publicly owned places and spaces that belong to and are accessible by everyone; our streets, plazas, sidewalks, trails, parks, open spaces, and more. The pedestrian realm, which encompasses the open space between a building’s face and the curb, is host to any number of streetscape elements that help contribute to a pleasant, walkable city. How would you populate the pedestrian realm? The possibilities are endless.
We want you to BRING it.
Can you believe it’s been a decade since our first PARK(ing) Day in Downtown Columbia? We are so excited to celebrate with you and to see how you build on the many creative parks we’ve seen these past nine inspiring years of tactical urbanism!
PARK(ing) Day is all about collaborative creativity.
PARK(ing) Day is about designing open space that not only attracts but also engages the community through the physical design of the space itself. Your park can be a nice place to sit and read. It can be a place for a sculpture. It can be an outdoor art gallery. It can be a botanical garden. It can foster community dialogue. It can be a picnic area. It just takes a bit of imagination and an application.
How to Par(k)ticipate:

Find out more, and get the application at columbiacompass.org/parklets
Plan your park and remember this year’s theme is a broad one. We’re asking you to think about how you’d Plan Your Public Realm as part of your design!
Get the necessary insurance, or if you are an artist or with an arts organization, contact One Columbia (info@onecolumbiasc.com or 803-254-5008) for support
Reserve your space(s) – parking space reservations are first come, first served! https://bit.ly/2025Meters

Submit the full application by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 29, 2025 (you’ll receive a link to submit the full application after you reserve your spaces)
There WILL be prizes.
This year, we’re holding our fifth annual PARK(ing) Day Design Contest, and up for grabs are a People’s Choice Award and a juried Best Design Award. Winners get bragging rights, as well as some fun, locally-sourced, prizes. It’s our tenth year of PARK(ing) Day and we know the competition will be steep, so we’re working to pull together some extra special prizes this year, too!
To learn more about PARK(ing) Day in Columbia, visit https://columbiacompass.org/parklets. If you have questions regarding PARK(ing) Day, contact Planning and Development Services Department at 803-545-3222 or via email at parkingday@columbiasc.gov. For information on the international PARK(ing) Day movement and to access resources, check out https://www.asla.org/parkingday2024.aspx .

Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea Ribbon Cutting
2025-09-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Sweetwater Coffee & Tea, 1002 Park Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Join us for the ribbon cutting for Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea!
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea isn’t just a coffeehouse—it’s a destination. Here, guests can enjoy the comfort of classic café favorites while exploring a world of globally inspired premium coffees and teas. Every visit is an invitation to savor bold flavors, connect with friends, and relax in an atmosphere that’s as timeless as it is welcoming. Open seven days a week, Sweetwaters also tempts guests with fresh-made sandwiches, irresistible pastries, and decadent desserts—making it the ultimate destination for any time of day. Catering is available for your meetings and special events.
As a proud minority and local owner, Edwin brings a vision deeply rooted in culture, connection, and giving back to the community. A longtime Columbia resident, seasoned restaurant veteran, and devoted husband and father of two young children, Edwin believes in the simple yet powerful ability of a great cup of coffee to unite people.
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea is thrilled to call the heart of Columbia’s Vista district home—just steps from the Koger Arts Center, Colonial Life Arena, and the South Carolina State House. More than just a café, Sweetwaters is a vibrant gathering place where students, professionals, families, and visitors can come together. With exciting plans to host social events, community gatherings, and cultural experiences, Sweetwaters is set to become a hub of connection and creativity for the University of South Carolina, local businesses, and residents across the Midlands and beyond.

North Columbia 411 Community Resource Fair
2025-09-20 10:00 - 14:00 | Northminster Prespyterian Church, 6717 David Street, Columbia, SC, 29203, United States
The Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement team will setup a table to provide resources on neighborhood safety, violence prevention, and other relevant topics. .

BizArts
2025-09-21 16:00 - 19:00 | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
7Sunday, in partnership with the City of Columbia Office of Business Opportunities, is proud to launch BizArts, a bold new monthly series highlighting community, culture, and creativity.

A fireside chat and screening of the documentary Did You Know? Columbia’s Black Wall Street
A special exhibition from the USC Center for Civil Rights History & Research and Columbia SC 63
Live music, artistic expression, light hors d’oeuvres, and networking opportunities

One attending small business owner will also be awarded 10 free classes in the FastTrac Growth Venture program, a unique opportunity to accelerate business growth and success.
