7 Festivals In The Columbia Area This September That You Won't Want To Miss

There are so many events going on in the Midlands for the upcoming fall and I want to share some of the happenings going on this September.

DOKO FEST 2017

September 16, 2017
Presented By: Blythewood Lions Club
Location: Doko Meadows Park
Address: 171 Langford Road, Blythewood, SC 29016
Phone: (803) 315-0236
Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Price: Free admission

39TH ANNUAL JUBILEE: FESTIVAL OF BLACK HISTORY & CULTURE

September 16, 2017
Location: Mann-Simons Site
Address: 1403 Richland St., Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803-252-1770 x 23
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Price: Free & Open to the public

44TH ANNUAL IRMO OKRA STRUT FESTIVAL

September 29, 2017
Recurrence: 0
Address: 7507 Eastview Dr, Irmo, SC 29063
Phone: 803-781-7050
Time: All Day
Price: Free admission

COLUMBIA'S GREEK FESTIVAL

September 14, 2017 - September 17, 2017
Recurrence: Recurring daily
Location: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Address: 1931 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 461-0248
Time: Thursday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM | Sunday: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Price: Free admission

SODA CITY OKTOBERFEST

September 30, 2017
Location: Soda City Market
Address: 1400 & 1500 block of Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Price: Free admission

CITY ROOTS FALL KICK OFF FARMER'S MARKET!

September 14, 2017
Presented By: City Roots - Your In-Town Sustainable Farm
Location: City Roots - Your In-Town Sustainable Farm
Address: 1005 Airport Boulevard, Columbia, SC 29205
Phone: (803) 254-2302
Time: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Price: Free admission

RIVER RAT OKTOBERFEST

September 9, 2017
Location: River Rat Brewery
Address: 1231 Shop Road, Columbia, SC 29201
Time: 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM

I hope if you live in the Columbia area that you can make it out to some of these events!

The Fresh Market celebrates 35 delicious years with anniversary sampling events this April

Specialty grocer is ripe with delicious, fresh flavors for guests to taste and explore.

WHO: Founded in 1982, The Fresh Market is a specialty grocery retailer focused on providing fresh, delicious food with friendly service in a warm and inviting atmosphere. From seasonally fresh produce to exceptional quality meat and seafood, signature baked goods and thousands of organic options, The Fresh Market is dedicated to offering guests the most delicious ingredients and inspiring meal solutions.

WHAT/WHEN: 35th anniversary sampling events and specials at The Fresh Market:

In honor of providing an abundance of deliciously fresh food and inspiring ideas for 35 years, The Fresh Market will host scrumptious sampling events this April at its 178 store locations. The specialty grocer will also thank guests for their continued support with irresistible anniversary specials, including in-store chuck ground daily and hand-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breast for $2.99 per pound every day throughout April. Additionally, The Fresh Market will offer its premium roses at a special price of $7.99 per dozen, each carrying a freshness guarantee of at least five days.

On Saturday, April 8 and Sunday, April 9, The Fresh Market will commemorate this milestone anniversary with a sampling event featuring its signature items. From 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., guests can experience a taste of The Fresh Market’s heritage with samples of Premium Choice New York Strip Steaks with signature spice rubs, roasted chicken salad on French rounds, blackberry cupcakes and more!

Among The Fresh Market’s assortment of hand-picked specialty items is a diverse selection of oils from around the world. On Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23, The Fresh Market will feature samples of select oils and share tasting notes, pairing recommendations and more expert tips with guests. From 1-5 p.m. each day, guests can also taste from a flight of premium olive oils with store-baked bread and sample specialty nut oils tossed with salad greens.

As if the month couldn’t get any sweeter, The Fresh Market will highlight its selection of fresh berries picked at the peak of ripeness during The Fresh Pick event from April 5 – May 9. Throughout the month, guests will have the opportunity to taste premium-picked strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, as well as sample berry-inspired treats, such as berry cheesecake and blueberry pound cake. The Fresh Pick event is a celebration of what’s in season now and guests will discover the specialty grocer’s favorite ways to serve berries, from farm fresh produce tables to bakery and grocery aisles.

WHERE: The Fresh Market’s 178 store locations nationwide

For local store information, please visit: thefreshmarket.com/your-market-store-locator.

ROBIN THICKE SET TO PERFORM ON JUNE 7 AS PART OF UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT’S 2014 MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION

The excitement of Mardi Gras now continues through June 7 at Universal Orlando Resort, with a live performance by GRAMMY nominated musician Robin Thicke (performance rescheduled from Feb. 22). The summer of 2013 marked the debut of Thicke's highly anticipated new studio album, Blurred Lines. The release quickly took the music world by storm and landed at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 while, “Blurred Lines,” the single, set records around the world. It went to No. 1 in more than 100 countries and had a record-setting 12-week reign in the US at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Robin continues to receive accolades for the album and single, including three GRAMMY Award nominations and four NAACP Image Award nominations.                                          
Along with the live concert, guests can experience the spirit of the legendary Bayou bash during the dazzling Mardi Gras parade, featuring 12 vibrant floats, including three new additions celebrating Jules Verne’s novel, “Around the World in 80 Days.” Guests can also visit Universal Studios Florida’s very own French Quarter Courtyard to enjoy delectable Cajun cuisine and see performances by bands pulled straight from Bourbon Street.

The excitement of Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration is included with admission to Universal Studios Florida. For more information, visit www.universalorlando.com/mardigras.

2014 Mardi Gras Talent Line-Up
Mardi Gras Event Dates	Headliners (performing in the Music Plaza)
March 14	Cody Simpson
March 15	Foreigner
March 21	A Great Big World
March 22	Gavin DeGraw
March 28	Kelly Rowland
March 29	Weezer
April 5	Skillet
April 12	Lynyrd Skynyrd
April 19	Kool & the Gang
May 3	Nelly
May 10	The Wanted
May 17	The Roots
May 24	Cher Lloyd
May 31	Huey Lewis and the News
June 7	Robin Thicke

Robin Thicke – Saturday, June 7, 2014

                        4:00 p.m. – French Quarter Courtyard Opens

                        8:15 p.m. – Mardi Gras Parade Starts

                        9:00 p.m. – Concert Begins

It's never too early to start looking for prom dresses {Promgirl.net dress review}

It's still so hard to believe that this is my oldest daughter's senior year of high school. There are so many things going on all the time that range from studying and college applications, to sporting events and social gatherings. In the next few months my daughter will be going to her high school prom. We have discussed it over the years but now it is officially creeping up on us! My daughter is one of the hardest people I know to shop for when it comes to dresses. I received the Clarisse Short Dress 9031 to review from Promgirl.net. I wasn't sure what to expect since it was being ordered online. Is it going to look like it does in the photo? What is the quality going to be like?

When the dress arrived, it came packaged in a large box. When I opened it up, the dress was hanging on a hanger in a plastic garment bag and neatly folded. When I took the first look at it I was instantly all smiles. It was a lot sturdier and fuller than I was expecting. When my daughter got home she completely freaked out and fell in love with it. She loved everything about it, especially the color. The one thing that photographs don't pick up well is the sparkle that is throughout the skirt part of the dress. It has multiple layers of tulle so it had a fuller appearance. When my daughter tried it on I thought I was going to cry. It was the perfect color and length on her. Her little brother said it best when he screamed out, "Oh wow, you are a princess!". 

It is a well made dress and it has optional straps. My daughter will wear it with the straps and we will have to get it taken in slightly in the bust area since she is really tiny. I will note that she got a size 0 and it was still a little loose in the bust which means if you have a little more on top, this might work well for you. We really love the sparkle of this dress and the bow on the back jazzes it up a little more. I think with this dress, she will not need to many accessories. I think some chunky bracelets, sparkly shoes and dramatic hair and make-up will be perfect.

This is the photo of the Clarisse Short Dress 9031 in gold. It also comes in blue and is available in sizes 0-10. 

I highly recommend checking out the amazing selection of dresses on Promgirl.net. There are so many colors, lengths, price ranges and styles to choose from. As a matter of fact, they have more than just dresses for prom. They offer dresses for many occasions like Homecoming, Military ball, Graduation, Sweet Sixteen, cocktail, formal and more! I feel like ordering a dress online gives a less likely chance of seeing another girl wearing "your dress". I will definitely be going back to Promgirl.net for my younger daughter in the next two years. I forgot to mention, they ship very fast. If you have a teenage daughter in need of a dress, I urge you to check them out!