Celebrate New Year's Eve in Columbia!

We are witnessing an amazing time in Columbia's history. We are growing and have more opportunity than ever. And the good news is there is more to come in 2012! We are proud to announce the Famously Hot New Year celebration taking place on South Carolina's Main Street...and the best part is it's FREE! This event will have plenty of fun activities and an opportunity for all to come ring in the new year.

The Grey Goose Crescent Lounge is the official VIP event within the celebration. It will feature a bar provided by Grey Goose and the Ben Arnold Beverage Company, light hors d'oeuvres, exclusive concert viewing and private restrooms. Purchase your tickets today!
The ESPN Zone will be an area for attendees who don't want to miss any of the college bowl games!

WIS News 10 will broadcast the event so you don't miss out on the festivities!

The Palmetto Tree & Crescent Moon Drop (it's a secret, you'll have to come watch the historic drop!)

To help ring in the new year, we are proud to announce George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic will headline the celebration! The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will headline an array of talented, exciting local and regional performers taking the stage for the event.

It's no secret Famously Hot Columbia is becoming the premier place to live, work, and play! We encourage you to visit www.FamouslyHotNewYear.com to find out more about the event. Come out at 7:30pm on December 31st on South Carolina's Main Street to witness the beginning of a historic tradition that will be the biggest party in the Southeast!

Mingle and Jingle is coming soon! December 1st!

Some of the highlights you can expect at Mingle and Jingle this year:

-Columbia Fire Department will be here with a truck and doing roasted marshmallows for the crowd.
-A singing Santa Claus will be in Boyd Plaza
-Hand bell choirs will be in key locations
-Alternacirque will be back in the Free Times space with Anastasia (and they may some extra surprises in store)
-The Nick will be screening some Christmas classics on the façade of the old Fox/new Nick.
-The Art Shows will be running full blast (as usual)
-The 1500 and 1600 blocks will be closed w Taylor St remaining open

Family Fall Festival at the end of this month!

Vote Captiol Places for Free Times's Best of Columbia!

Greetings! It is that time of year again, and we would like to ask each of you to vote for Capitol Places for The Best Apartment Complex! It only takes a bit of time!

To vote, visit this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3SWJM55.

It is number 17 on page 3 for those of you who are not interested in voting in all the categories.

Thanks so very much!

Playing After Dark presents "Not of the Ordinary"

Join Pocket Productions for an eclectic evening “Not of the Ordinary,” part of their Playing After Dark series, in downtown Columbia on Friday, June 24. Like past Playing After Dark galas, “Not of the Ordinary” will introduce the audience to unique, unsuspecting art forms beginning with the culinary genius of local legend Chef Malcolm Hudson.

A beautiful four-course meal prepared by Chef Hudson will be served as audience members discover the hidden artists harbored in the thick, sticky air of a Carolina summer night. The meal will begin at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments and horederves in the upstairs reception area of 701 Whaley St, where audience members can mingle surrounded by the evocative works of metal sculptor Mike Pope.

Dinner will be served promptly at 7 p.m. by the stage where DayClean, comprised of Marcus Thomas, on acoustic guitar and vocals and Idris Chandler, on cello, will carry audience members to another dimension with their enchanting, soulful melodies. Software engineer David Hamiter will pick the audience up from their DayClean induced trance and take them into new worlds with his one-of-a-kind digital creations.
Come redefine the audience with us.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at www.playingafterdark.net. Tickets include admission, four-course meal and two glasses of wine. The event will be held at 701 Whaley Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Guests are invited to mingle in the lobby and enjoy horederves until dinner is served at 7 p.m. This event is open to the public.

The Columbia Marionette Theatre presents: The Little Mermaid

Check out this unique theatre experience on 401 Laurel Street!

"This modern twist on the classic Hans Christian Anderson follows our heroine to the surface of the sea on her quest to find love. Using wide-ranging scales of marionettes and shadow puppets, our 30 foot stage becomes a vast ocean, and the perfect setting for our story. Vibrantly colored marionettes float suspended above the stage, as if gliding beneath the ocean’s surface." - The Columbia Marionette Theatre

Performances every Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., and the third Monday of every month at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are $5 each and are available online or at the door.

Mast General Store Opens in Columbia!

Mast General Store has just opened its Columbia location this morning with a special ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:45 am. Hundreds of excited shoppers eagerly made their way into the new store, which offers everything from outdoor goods and clothing to accessories, gifts, and candy. Today marks a new turning point for retail on Main Street and we are very excited to have Mast General here! Go check it out!

While you are in the store, take a sneak peek through the back courtyard at our new apartments opening up in August, called Lofts at Lourie's.

Mast General Store is located at 1601 Main Street, right in between Taylor and Assembly streets.