The Southern Guitar Festival and Competition opens Friday at Columbia College, where all its weekend concerts are held, but it hits full swing tonight when The Maharajah Trio takes the stage. Its performance last year was the highlight of the festival, and there’s no reason to expect any different this year. Led by killer flamenco guitarist Silviu Ciulei, the trio rips through traditional flamenco tunes and its own top-flight originals.
Columbia Style Week wrapped up its week of high fashion with this Finale Showcase at the Richland Fashion Mall. Along with the standard runway fair, electro-pop band Death of Paris rocked the crowd and local vendors sold their stylish fashions. Photography by Thomas Hammond.
Downtown Columbia is a veritable milkshake mecca, where people in oppressive business suits clearly need plenty of icy cold liquid refreshment. At a restaurant on Sumter Street that advertised shakes on the door, I was advised to cross the road to Higher Grounds Books & Beans, a cafe in the First Baptist Church — an unlikely spot for shaken milk, but praise Jesus, they have an entire milkshake menu that boasts over 80 flavors including holy good concoctions like Toasted Marshmallow White Mocha. The shakes are made with 80 percent real ice cream and are flavored with frozen concentrate.
Book Dispensary: Best Place for Used Books
Granby and Olympia Mills: Best Apartment Community
Vista Smiles: Best Dentist
Artizan: Best Gift Store, Best Jewelry Store
Immaculate: Best Piercing Studio
Tin Roof: Best Bar or Club
Hampton Inn Columbia Downtown Historic District: Best Hotel, Best Place to Work
2nd Wind Heating and Air: Best Heating and Air