Things to do across the Midlands: Explore the Northern Lights, plan to visit Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights and see 'The Nutcracker' and 'Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'
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SUMTER COUNTY
The Sumter County Museum's 26th Annual Carolina Backcountry Oyster Roast, presented by Prisma Health, is the perfect chance to have all-you-can-eat oysters, barbecue, chili, collards and more while enjoying time with others. The museum's largest annual fundraiser will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at the museum, 122 N. Washington St. A wide selection of beverages including beer, wine and soft drinks will be available. Music will be provided by HeyBo. Cost is $50 for members and $75 for non-members. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/34jznw97.
Don't miss out on South Carolina's largest free Christmas lights display beginning with the opening-night ceremony of the annual Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, at the Visitors Center, 822 W. Liberty St. (in the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held at the Heath Pavilion, 165 Garden St.). Through Dec. 31, visitors to Swan Lake Iris Gardens can see the gardens come alive with more than 1 million lights. The light display will be open Sunday-Thursday until 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m. The event is designed as a drive-through, but visitors are allowed to park to take photos. Access to the walking trails is closed after dusk. Lights are displayed along the main parking lot area to the gardens, along Liberty Street and along Garden Street (enter at Liberty Street and exit onto Oakland Avenue). No parking is allowed along Garden Street; however, parking will be available in the lot across from the Heath Pavilion. Santa's Village, located in the Heath Pavilion, is a part of the holiday celebration. Children can write letters to Santa and take photos with the big guy (bring your own camera). Enjoy a variety of holiday music and entertainment each night. Food, hot cocoa and other holiday treats will be available for sale on site. Santa's Village will be open from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6; Saturday, Dec. 7; Friday, Dec. 13; Saturday, Dec. 14; Friday, Dec. 20; and Saturday, Dec. 21. Admission to both Fantasy of Lights and Santa's Village is free. For more info, call the Visitors Center at (803) 426-2640.
The Holiday Tour on the 240th birthday of The Ruins in Stateburg on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers a visit throughout the main floor of The Ruins, with docents on hand to point out architectural embellishments and the many beautiful and intriguing pieces of original furniture. The inside and outside of the house will be decorated with natural arrangements and greenery that would have been used in the 1800s. The grounds will showcase many exhibits from various periods, including Revolutionary-era weapons with periodic mortar firing, a museum of 19th-century tools and household items, a few beautiful Model A cars, Native American dancing by the Sumter Cheraw Tribe, the surprising history of Stateburg and its homes and history exhibits by Sumter County Museum and Temple Sinai. The Ruins is one of the few remaining historic homes in the Stateburg area of Sumter. The land was purchased from Thomas Sumter, a hero of the Revolutionary War. The original 40'x45' house was built in 1784 by John Mayrant, a sea-faring hero who served with John Paul Jones in the same war. It was expanded several times with the final and most lavish one by Videau Marion Singleton and her husband, Robert Marion DeVeaux, in 1838. The address for The Holiday Tour at The Ruins is 1257 Barnwell Drive, Sumter. There is no admission fee for the event.
Join Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St., for a special Tea with Jackie themed book event celebrating the release of Dawn Tripp's new historical fiction novel "Jackie" and honoring the life of Jackie Kennedy Onassis at noon Thursday, Dec. 5, at the museum, 122 N. Washington St. According to the museum's website, "'Jackie' is the story of a woman who forged a legacy out of grief and shaped history even as she was living it - a deeply private person with a nuanced, formidable intellect. It is the story of a love affair, a complicated marriage and the fracturing of identity that comes in the wake of unthinkable violence." Ticket options: event only, $10 members, $15, public; and event and book, $30 members; $35 public. All tickets include admittance to event and refreshments. Books can be signed at event. Additional books will be available for purchase. To purchase tickets, visit https://tinyurl.com/3n7n263z.
CLARENDON COUNTY
Look for Christmas gifts, holiday crafts and more at the sixth-annual Clarendon Club Bargain Hunt on Sunday, Nov. 17, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Santa will also be there for the kids. There will also be giveaways, live local entertainment, local vendors and artisans, food trucks and more at 1219 Dingle Pond Road, Summerton. Parking is $5. For more information, call (803) 478-2010 or email ccweddingsandevents@outlook.com.
The Ladies' Encounter 2024 will be held at Clarendon Baptist Church in Alcolu, 1780 Main St. All ladies and young ladies will be welcome, and Jenn Kish will be the speaker. Invite your friends, decorate a table and enjoy worshipping, a message, a catered meal and a night with the gals on either Tuesday, Nov. 19, or Thursday, Nov. 21, at 5:30 p.m. Call Elizabeth Briley at (803) 225-2282 or Sara Thompson at (803) 460-3859 to purchase tickets or to reserve a table.
Get some delicious barbecue and support pets in need of a new home at the same time during Smokin Fur A Cause. Buy barbecue by the pound and barbecue sandwiches. Shagging DJ Dan Spivey will be there, and there will also be a children's corner, BBQ samples and local entertainment. The S.C. BBQ Association Grillers Fundraiser will benefit A Second Chance Animal Shelter on Friday, Nov. 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 16, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Backyard grillers are welcome. It will be held at the City of Manning municipal parking lot on Church Street.
COLUMBIA
Join the Riverbanks Zoo for its all-new Wild Lights experience starting Nov. 15. Walk through the zoo from 5 to 9 p.m. and discover nearly 60 larger-than-life handcrafted lanterns inspired by nature, from pollinators and plants to endangered (and even extinct) animals. Enjoy interactive activities, fun photo ops and seasonal favorites including nightly snowfall and visits with Santa (through Dec. 23). Select nights begin Nov. 15. Tickets go on sale Nov. 1. Advance reservations are required for all members and guests. Visit www.riverbanks.org/events/wild-lights.
Fireflies Holiday Lights at Segra Park will brighten the holiday with even more lights, more activities and the return of the Fireflies Express presented by Thermal Technologies. The park will open from 6 to 9 p.m. (with last entry into the park at 8:45 p.m.) Friday, Nov. 15, through Saturday, Jan. 4, at 1640 Freed St., Columbia. Lights will be closed Nov. 18-21 as well as Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day. The lights will operate under different hours on Dec. 31, with special New Years Eve hours of 5 to 8 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 per person in November and $12 per person in December. Children 2 and under get in free and do not require a ticket. Military members will receive $2 off their tickets with proof of valid military ID. All tickets are general admission and get you access to the view of more than one million LED Christmas lights with themed areas, numerous vendors and visits with Santa Claus. We encourage fans to purchase their tickets online, but you can purchase tickets by calling the Dukes Investigations Fireflies Ticket Office at (803) 726-4487 extension 1, or by visiting the ticket office during the week (Monday-Friday) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office will also remain open from 6 to 8:45 p.m. during Fireflies Holiday Lights event days to assist those who did not purchase tickets in advance. To purchase group tickets for Fireflies Holiday Lights, contact the Fireflies sales team at sales@columbiafireflies.com or call (803) 726-4487, extension 2. Food and drink choices will be available, as well as holiday-themed drinks and concessions throughout the concourse. Visit www.firefliesholidaylights.com.
Koger Center for the Arts brings "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" to the stage Nov. 19-21. The musical features the hit songs "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" and "Welcome Christmas" from the original animated special. Max the Dog will narrate as the Grinch, whose heart is "two sizes too small," and the Grinch decides to steal Christmas away from the holiday-loving Whos. Purchase tickets online at www.kogercenterforthearts.com/box-office.
Explore the Northern Lights in the digital dome planetarium of the South Carolina Museum, 302 Gervais St., Columbia, through Feb. 28, 2025. "During this award-winning show created by some of Iceland's best-known scientists, writers, photographers and musicians, you will not only witness the beauty of the aurora above Earth, but also explore how these stunning displays of colors have also been seen on other planets and moons throughout our galaxy," according to the museum's website. To learn more and plan your visit, go to https://scmuseum.org/explore/astronomy/planetarium/arora.
A Taste of Ireland - The Irish Music & Dance Sensation presents "A Celtic Christmas," at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, at Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St., Columbia. Be entertained by some of the world's finest Irish dancers and musicians bringing Christmas to life. Featuring former World Irish dance champions and stars from Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, A Celtic Christmas is packed with "Irish wit, traditional tunes and heartfelt ballads, alongside all your favorite carols." Purchase your tickets at https://tinyurl.com/45jaxcpx.
The Columbia Classical Ballet Company's "The Nutcracker" returns to Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Green St., Dec. 6-8. A Christmas tradition since 1892, "The Nutcracker" is the story of Clara, a little girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. To learn more about this classic, visit www.kogercenterforthearts.com/event/the-nutcracker-2.
FLORENCE
Get into the holiday spirit and purchase unique gifts at the Jingle Bell Market set for Friday-Sunday, Nov. 15-17, at the Florence Convention Center. Times are Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
ORANGEBURG
The City of Orangeburg invites the public to its free Children's Garden Christmas and Kids' Walk from Sunday, Nov. 24, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. The Children's Garden Christmas, a drive-through display in Edisto Memorial Gardens, 218 Riverside Drive SW, Orangeburg, boasts thousands of lights including still and animated displays such as Old Man Winter, a river boat, Santa and his elves, a nativity scene and more than 60 lighted cherry trees. Kids' Walk features interactive displays including a hopping bunny, a squirrel running up a tree and colorful Christmas trees. Be sure to visit the Twelve Days of Christmas display. The holiday event is open seven days a week. Children's Garden Christmas is open from 5 to 10 p.m., and the Kids' Walk from 5 to 9 p.m. For additional information, call (803) 533-6020.