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!

South Carolina Is The Hot Spot For The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

In a couple short weeks, school will resume around these parts. My middle girl will begin junior year at the University Of South Carolina, the husband will be in grad school working on his MBA, and the littlest one will start fourth grade in his third year being a home schooler. We are all so sad that the summer break is coming to an end. We are planning to have one last hurrah by having an Ismail Party of Five-Total Eclipse Party. Okay, okay, it's not as fancy as I'm making it sound. We will be here at the house waiting in anticipation of viewing the eclipse. It will be the perfect time for the five of us to hang out and witness what will be a historical event.

It turns out that Columbia, South Carolina is one of the top spots in the country where the view is slated to be at 100%! Our local news has estimated over 1 million people will make their way to our state to partake in seeing the eclipse. Hotels are sold out everywhere and they say traffic will be crazy all over. That's a great thing for South Carolina businesses, for sure. If you aren't sure if your area will be able to catch any of the action, you can check here by entering your zip code.

The most important thing we did to prepare for the eclipse was to first purchase eclipse safe glasses, which we did a month ago. Little William was listening to a news report in regards to viewing the eclipse safely and insisted we must have the proper eye-wear. Here are the ones we got. Lucky for us, they came in a pack of 5. Perfect for our family!

Since we purchased them early, they were very inexpensive. I have noticed a big rise in the cost all over. I guess people are recognizing how dangerous it can be to your eyes if you get too much exposure to the direct sun. Let's hope these glasses work because when you put them on, you can't see a thing! Of course William had to be the first to try them on. 

We are so excited to have the opportunity to view the total solar eclipse together. I hope that you live in an area so you can catch a glimpse, too. Now we will keep our fingers crossed that the weather will hold up! Will you be participating in this big event? 

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