Fun family weekend at Spakleberry Fair in Columbia: cool rides, yummy food and exotic petting zoo

Sparkleberry Fair is the best spring festival in the Midlands. It is held every year the last weekend in April near Sandhills Village and Carolina Children’s Garden in northeast Columbia. Parking is $5, rides are $3-$5 (unlimited rides stamp is $25, excludes bungee jumping and water balls), food items are $4-6, while the petting zoo [...]

Old St. David’s Parish, Cheraw’s sentinel and South Carolina’s last state Church

Cheraw is known for the annual SC Jazz Festival honoring its native son, music phenom Dizzy Gillespie. “The prettiest town in Dixie” proudly boasts amazing churches, historic houses, theater and businesses from colonial and Civil War times. Old Saint David’s Church was the last Anglican Parish to be established in South Carolina under King George [...]

New at Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia wild fun thing to do!

I haven’t been to Riverbanks since the “Lights Before Christmas” event. Last Saturday my daughter and I braved the crowds and the heat to see what’s new at the zoo. Newest exhibit: Kangaroo Walkabout Although is hard to replace the feisty sea lions (remember Big Boy?) the kangaroos and wallabies held their own on the [...]

Get Dizzy in Cheraw! SC Jazz Festival is buzzing fine music, arts, bepop parade, food and more…

“Bebop on down to Chee-raw, South Carolina” October 16 -18 weekend at the lively annual SC Jazz Festival. Enjoy world class jazz, a bebop parade, jazz crawls, SC Cotton Trail Artisans’ exhibit, gospel music, and many fun free kids art activities. Single concert tickets are $15 ($25 for both nights) and include Main Stage events. [...]

Experience the fragile, beautiful and passionate web of life at Edventure Blooming Butterflies!

With a flap of its wings a butterfly can change the world. Come to Edventure children museum downtown Columbia to see the incredible life journey of one of the most beloved creature on Earth! The butterfly exhibit is open daily May through October from 9:30AM to 4:30PM (Sundays from 12:30PM). Admission is free for members [...]

Delight your soul with vibrant roses and iris flowers at Edisto and Sumter Swan Lake Gardens

A sea of roses, a swamp of irises. Brilliant colors, sublime aromas and joyfulness in the air. You can’t help but feel happy! Best things in life are free. And yes the incredible Edisto Memorial Rose Gardens in Orangeburg and Swan Lake and Iris Gardens in Sumter are free to attend. This Memorial Day weekend [...]

Easter Bunny Train Ride at SC Railroad Museum

All aboard! Looking for something special to do with kids this coming weekend? Then come Saturday, April 11 from 9:30 AM to 4PM to the SC Railroad Museum in Winnsboro for the second Easter Bunny Eggspress Train day. Fares are $15 first class and $10 for coach ($10 kids 1 – 11 years). SC Railroad [...]

Fun free family time at the Cheraw Spring Festival: arts, music and Civil War demonstrations

Cheraw is Pee Dee’s jewel, a vibrant little city filled with music, arts and magnificent historic houses and churches. Cheraw is famous for the SC Jazz Festival that celebrates her beloved son, Dizzy Gillespie. This weekend the city will open its arms to welcome visitors to the 34th annual Spring Festival. Historic Events • Living [...]

Spring Camp at the Zoo, the most fun thing you can do

If you’re still pondering where to take and what to do with kids this Spring break, look no further than Riverbanks Zoo. Check their website for a monthly events calendar and a varitety of Zooventure family activities. Below is the April 2009 summary of fun packed children programs grouped by age. Riverbanks Zoo Little Kids [...]

Powers of Nature at work! Hit by lightning at the SC State Museum in Columbia

Well just pretend. The make your own lightning interactive stations are very popular with kids. Who wouldn’t? There’s lot more fun things to do and learn at the Powers of Nature exhibit, SC State Museum newest science attraction: • Create your own tornado • Touch the world’s largest hail stone (it’s huge!) • Watch brave [...]