education events

Heritage Christian Academy Open House: Dec. 6, 8:30 am; Jan. 31, 8:30 am; Feb. 28, 8:30 am. Visit Heritage Christian Academy at 649 Barr Rd, Lexington in the Heritage Chapel. Learn more about the only classical, Christian school serving Lexington. Visit classrooms, meet teachers, and learn more. RSVP to Admissions Director Mrs. Blair Robinson at 803-951-3901. Learn more about the school at http://heritagechristiansc.com/ .

Heritage Christian Academy Kindergarten Screening: Dec. 9, 8:30 am; Feb. 6, 8:30 am; Mar. 5, 8:30 am. Visit Heritage Christian Academy at 649 Barr Rd, Lexington. Rising Kindergarten students are invited to assess readiness and appropriate class placement with loving and well-qualified teachers. Heritage has 2 levels of Kindergarten. Spaces fill quickly, so please RSVP. Call 803-951-3901. Learn more about the school at http://heritagechristiansc.com/ .

EVENTS

Good Samaritan Clinic Chapin: 2nd & 4th Thurs. each month, at 1808 Chapin Rd, Chapin in former We Care building. Patient registration open 4-6 pm. Fully staffed, volunteer primary medical care clinic for the uninsured and under-insured. No form of payment accepted. To volunteer, contact clinic director Susan Boland at kdsboland@bellsouth.net or 803-528-6365. For more info visit https://goodsamaritansc.org .

Food and fun

FREE DINNER & A MOVIE: Dec. 6, 6 pm, Grace United Methodist Church, 410 Harbison Blvd, Columbia. Free hot dog supper with chili, kielbasa, German kraut, ice cream, cake, and cookies under the stars, followed by the movie “Breakthrough” with popcorn.

Lunch & Learn: Dec. 10, 12-1 pm at Shiloh United Methodist Church, 1000 Springhill Rd, Gilbert in the Fellowship Hall. December’s topic - Holiday safety/ getting around to it. $10 for catered lunch. RSVP by Dec. 5 to 803-359-7586.

Holiday Events

A Christmas Story: Dec. 6, 7 & 13-14 at 7:30 pm, Dec. 8 & 15 at 3 pm, at Village Square Theatre, 105 Caughman Rd, Lexington. $18 for adults. $16 for seniors, military, students. $14 for 12 and under. Play based on the motion picture. For more info call 803-359-1436.

Breakfast with Santa: Dec. 7, 7-11 am, Pelion Community Center, 951 Pine St. $5 admission covers breakfast, coloring, a stocking, toy, and Santa photo.

Cayce Holiday Market: Nov. 29-Dec. 14 at 1803 State St, Cayce. The Cayce Arts Guild hosting the second holiday market featuring a selection of items to purchase such as paintings, photography, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, cards, fiber, etc. For more info visit www.cayceartsguild.org .

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS BOAT PARADE: Dec. 7, 6 pm, Lake Murray. Viewable from homes on shore and Lexington Park site at the dam. Visit www.LakeMurrayCountry.com for info/registration.

Christmas Traditions Open House: Dec. 7, 6-9 pm at Cayce Historical Museum. The free holiday open house will feature beautifully decorated trees and other Christmas decorations in every room and docents dressed in period attire. Expect delicious homemade refreshments and live entertainment. As darkness falls, scenes from American military conflicts come to life with lantern tours.

Evergreen Holiday Art Show: All of December at Old Mill Brew Pub, Lexington. 30 or so artworks on display, all varying by medium and style and available for purchase. Show features work by numerous local artists. Event organized and curated by Candace Thibeault.

Holiday Concert: Dec. 8, 3 pm at Lexington 1 Performing Arts Center at Lexington High School. This concert by the Lexington Community Band is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Holiday Parade of Lights: Dec. 14, 6 pm. The parade, hosted by the Greater Cayce West Columbia Chamber of Commerce, begins in front of the Cayce Municipal Complex at 1800 12th St and will proceed down 12th St to the corner of 12th and Highway 1 in West Columbia. Crowds of over 20,000 have been estimated, so arrive early to grab your spot!

Living Christmas Story: Drive-through Nativity pageant Dec. 6-8. 6:30-9 pm each night at Union United Methodist Church, 7582 Woodrow St., Irmo. Visitors may drive own cars or their vehicle across the street from the church near the shopping center sign and ride one of the church vans.

Nativity Exhibition: Dec. 14-15 from 2-6 pm each day at Calvary United Methodist Church, 1130 Calvary Church Rd, Swansea. Admission is free. Over 300 nativities from around the world will be on display. Santa’s Gift Shop will be open for holiday shopping. Hot cocoa and coffee will be available. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more info call 803-568-9712.

Pet Photos with santa: Dec. 7, 11 am-4 pm at White Knoll Pet Resort, 516 Kyzer Rd, Lexington. Get a photo of your pet with Santa and Mrs. Claus 4”x 6” print $8, session CD $20. No appointment necessary, last seating at 3:45 pm. This fundraising event is for Make a Friend in Animals. For more info call 803-606-1136 or email mafiapets@outlook.com .

Sandy Run Christmas Parade: Dec. 21,10 am, Old Sandy Run Rd. (Hwy. 31), in the Town of Sandy Run. To participate, call 803-939-4856 or email sandyrunparade@gmail.com .

SC Philharmonic: Dec. 15, 3:30 pm at Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College. Do you hear what we hear? Morihiko Nakahara and the S.C. Philharmonic musicians return for another year with 2 performances of this wildly popular show. Tickets available online at www.HarbisonTheatre.org or by calling the box office at 803-407-5011.

THE NUTCRACKER: Columbia City Ballet will perform this classic 6 times Dec. 14 through 22 at the Koger Center, Columbia. Features magnificent costumes, sets and scenery. Tickets can be purchased at www.kogercenterforthearts.comor calling (803)-251-2222.

Tree Lighting Cayce: Dec. 5, 6 pm at Cayce City Hall grounds. This annual tradition includes greetings from city officials, musical performances from local schools, and a visit from Santa Claus. The Woman’s Club of Cayce will host a non-perishable/canned food drive to assist God’s Helping Hands. The tree gets lit at 6, so come early! Will be broadcast on WLTX.

Tree Lighting West Columbia: Dec. 6, 6:30 pm at West Columbia City Hall, 200 N. 12th St, West Columbia. The program will include Christmas carols, greetings, the lighting of the West Columbia Christmas tree and elementary school winners of the “What Christmas Means To Me” contest will be recognized and read their essay/ poem. At the conclusion a reception will be held in the New Brookland Room of City Hall.

VFW Holiday Shopping Spree: Dec. 14, 10 am-2 pm at VFW Post 8738, 424 Cedarcrest Dr, Lexington. Visit tons of your favorite vendors, food trucks, and meet Santa from 12-1. Come have fun!

WINTER’S HOPE: A Christmas concert by the Dutch Fork Choral Society, Dec. 12, 7:30 pm, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 170 St. Andrews Rd., Irmo. Includes Vivaldi’s  Magnificat and “Winter”  from his Four Seasons, and the well-loved Seven Joys of Christmas.  Free. Donations accepted. Info: Call Jim Buck, (803) 318-0488 or (803) 414-2222 or visit www.dutchforkchoralsociety.com .

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA: Dec. 14, noon, 11th annual wreath-laying ceremony at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, 4107 Percival Rd., Columbia. Parking will be at the Blue Cross Blue Shield parking lot at 4101 Percival Rd., across from the cemetery and you will be shuttled into the cemetery. Shuttles start at 10:30 am for general public and 9 am for volunteers. No parking in the cemetery on Saturday, but limited handicapped parking on a first come first serve basis with proper identification. To volunteer contact Carol Davis, waaftjackson@gmail.com or call 803-467-4482. To raise funds visit www.weathsacrossamerica.org/ .

lessons/training

GAL Training: Free 30-hour volunteer Guardian ad Litem training teaches about the family court system, how to recognize abuse and neglect and how to communicate with children, foster parents and every party involved in the case. For more info and how to become a GAL volunteer, visit http://gal.sc.gov or call 803-957-6484.

meeting

Home League: Every Thursday at noon, women age 16 and up are welcome to meet at the Salvation Army at 7532 Irmo Dr., Irmo. Enjoy fellowship, education, worship and service as part of the Salvation Army Church of Irmo women’s fellowship club. For more info call or text Captain Amy Rockwell at 803-466-1071.

Parkinson’s Support Group: 2nd Friday of each month at 2 pm at Deepwood Estates, at 203 Old Chapin Road, Lexington, SC 29072 inside Deepwood Estates Retirement Community in the activities room. Open to all those impacted by Parkinson’s. Patients, loved ones, and caregivers are welcome to learn and share.

Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group: Meets every month 3rd Tuesday at 2 pm at Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church, Lexington. For more information, call Carolyn Brooks 803-960-9949.

SMART Recovery: Tuesday nights at 7 pm, at LRADAC Richland County’s campus at 2711 Colonial Dr, Columbia, in Room 604. The meeting offers Self-Management And Recovery Training for all ages. For more info on this or other programs by the Courage Center visit www.couragecentersc.org .

Young Adult Wellness Meeting: Wednesday nights at 7 pm, young adults 19-26 are invited to meet at The Courage Center at 860 Park Rd, Lexington. They’re invited to focus on improving health and wellness, living a self-directed positive life, and reaching their full potential. For more info on this or other programs by the Courage Center visit www.couragecentersc.org .

Youth Recovery TRIBE: Thursday nights at 6:30 pm, youth of all ages in recovery are invited to visit The Courage Center at 860 Park Rd, Lexington. TRIBE stands for Tapping Resources of Imagination, Belonging, and Education. The program is designed to create a positive, engaging, and fun community for young people in recovery. For more info on this or other programs by the Courage Center visit www.couragecentersc.org .

Music/theater

Dixieland Jazz: Dec. 8, 2:30-5 pm at the Lourie Center, 1650 Park Circle, Maxcy Gregg Park, Columbia. Bring a snack and soda for yourself or bring munchies for the hospitality table as you enjoy ragtime, jazz, and swing. $10 adults, free to 18 and younger. For info visit www.carolinajazzsociety.com or contact Red Smith at 803-432-1504.

GOSPEL SINGING: Dec. 7, 6 pm, The Midland Gospel Singing Center, 705 Martin Smith Rd.,Gilbert. Guests will be Glory-land and the Chordsmen Quartet. Free admission. A love offering will be accepted and refreshments will be served.

Party at the Hall: Dec. 12, 6 pm at The Hall at Senate’s End, 320 Senate St, Columbia. Dine and dance to the music by Heart ‘n Soul at The Hall at Senate’s End. $30 per person, cash bar. For reservations email dupre@302artisans.com or call 803-351-1786.

outdoor fun

Artisan Market: Every Sat. from 10 am - 2 pm til Dec.

21. Meeting Street Artisan Market will be held under the pavillion at 425 Meeting Street, West Columbia in the Interactive Art Park. Vendors selling original art, crafts, foods, and produce to attend. Vendors will change weekly. For more info contact Colleen Otte, Parks Assistant and Venue Rentals at 803-936-6279.