FRIDAY, JAN. 3

Wild Lights
The Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (500 Wildlife Pkwy.) invites you and the kids to take a post-holiday spin through their Wild Lights display. From polar bears to flamingos, explore an illuminated wildlife safari featuring more than 60 brand-new larger-than-life lantern displays inspired by nature. Along the way, discover engaging interactive displays and fun photo opportunities. Wild Lights runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is $20.99 for adults ages 13 and up ($10.99 for members) and $15.99 for children ($7.99 for members). Visit riverbanks.org/events/wild-lights for more information.

Friday Night Movie Cruise
Get on board The Spirit of Lake Murray (docked at 216 Shadowood Dr.) for a Friday Night Movie Cruise around the lake. Join us for a Family Movie Night cruise around beautiful Lake Murray! This two-hour cruise departs promptly at 6:30 p.m. and returns at 8:30 p.m. The featured movie will be Frozen 2. Enjoy open seating and a dinner buffet that includes hamburgers with assorted toppings, pasta salad, chips, popcorn and cookies. A full cash bar is available. Tickets for this cruise cost between $30 and $35. Visit spiritoflakemurray.com for more information.

Sip, Savor & Jazz
Chayz Lounge (607 Meeting St.) invites you to ease into the new year with their Sip, Savor & Jazz event. It’s an evening of smooth jazz, delectable small plates and signature cocktails, offering the perfect blend of ambiance and flavor in a relaxed, elegant setting. There is no cover for this event, but registration is required. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event runs until 10 p.m. Dressy attire is required. Visit chayzlounge.com for more information.

Acoustic Jam
Grab your acoustic instrument and head to Bill’s Music Shop & Pickin’ Parlor (710 Meeting St.) for their Friday night Acoustic Bluegrass Jam. Sit in and play or grab some food from the snack bar and enjoy the music. This event runs from 9 p.m. to midnight and is free to join or attend. Visit billsmusicshop.com for more information.

SATURDAY, JAN. 4

David Glymph (concert)
Join Chayz Lounge (607 Meeting St.) and saxophonist David Glymph as they present “The Sounds of Soul Jazz.” Expect to hear hits and classics by David Sanborn, Grover Washington Jr., Boney James, Kirk Whalum and more. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $30. Dressy attire is required. Visit chayzlounge.com for more information.

Hot Pickle Jar
The Barnyard Flea Market (4414 Augusta Rd.) hosts a unique sales event, the Hot Pickle Jar. Discover a variety of handcrafted Indian pickles, where the vibrant flavors of India come alive. This culinary adventure is free to attend and runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit facebook.com/BarnyardFleaMarket for more information.

SUNDAY, JAN. 5

Tatway Tattoos 10th Anniversary Celebration
Tatway Tattoos (1500 W. Main St.) celebrates 10 years with a special event. Line up for a free meet-and-greet, autograph and photo session with the Lizardman Eric Sprague and Matt Gone, and peruse the food trucks, dessert trucks and live entertainment throughout the event. There’s also plenty of free merchandise to give away. The celebration runs from noon to 5 p.m. and is free to attend. Visit facebook.com/Tatwaytattoos for more information.

Brunch Cruise
The Spirit of Lake Murray (docked at 216 Shadowood Dr.) hosts a Sunday afternoon Brunch Cruise around Lake Murray. The boat will open at 11 a.m. and the cruise will depart promptly at noon and return at 2 p.m. Enjoy open seating and a full bar in indoor and outdoor seating (seating is first come, first served). Cruise tickets cost $35 for adults and $30 for children 10 and under. Visit spiritoflakemurray.com for more information.

TUESDAY, JAN. 7

Music Bingo
Hazelwood Brewing (711 E. Main St.) invites you to their weekly Music Bingo night. Here’s how it works: The host plays music, and players mark off songs that appear on their bingo cards. Players can use a pen to mark off songs or put pieces on the fields. The first player to get five songs in a row wins. This event is free to attend and runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visit facebook.com/hazelwoodbeer for more information.

Lego Club
The Gilbert-Summit Branch Library (405 Broad St.) holds their weekly Lego Club meeting. Bring the kids (kindergarten through fifth grade) and watch them tackle an engineering challenge or let their imaginations run wild as they explore what they can build with Lego bricks. This event runs from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to attend. Visit lexcolibrary.com for more information.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8

Tokyo Joe (concert)
O’Hara’s Public House (131 E. Main St.) welcomes popular local rockers Tokyo Joe back to their traditional Wednesday night spot, but with a bit of a twist. This time the band is playing an unplugged acoustic set of favorites, originals and covers. This show runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is free to attend. Visit facebook.com/oharasph for more information.

Across the county line

The SC State Museum (301 Gervais St.) invites you to explore the beauty of the northern lights with their new planetarium experience, “Áróra,” on Friday, Jan. 3. This immersive cinematic journey takes guests across remote Icelandic landscapes and into space to find and understand these mystical, eerie lights. During this award-winning show created by some of Iceland’s best-known scientists, writers, photographers and musicians, you can explore how these stunning displays of colors have also been seen on other planets and moons throughout our galaxy. This event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission costs between $15 and $18. Visit scmuseum.org for more information.

The Jamil Shrine Temple (206 Jamil Rd.) invites you to the 2025 Carolina Comic & Toy Show on Saturday, Jan. 4. More than 150 vendors are on site with vintage toys, games, movies and more. They’ve even got Pokémon cards and crates full of vinyl LPs to explore. The Carolina Comic & Toy Show runs from Friday until Sunday at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 on Saturday, $5 on Sunday and $12 for the entire weekend. Visit facebook.com/columbiacomicexpo for more information.

The Columbia Country Club (135 Columbia Club Dr.) hosts an intriguing whodunit with “The Dinner Detective Comedy Mystery Dinner Show” on Saturday, Jan. 4. America’s largest interactive comedy murder dinner theater show asks you to help solve a hilarious mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. Just beware: The culprit is hiding in plain sight somewhere in the room. The show begins at 7 p.m. and tickets are $61.99. Visit thedinnerdetective.com for more information.

The East Bay Deli (917 State Rd.) adds a delicious twist to their weekly Kids Night on Monday, Jan. 6. They’re breaking out a custom hot chocolate bar and making s’mores, everything you need to feel warm and cozy in January. Bring the kids and enjoy a free kid’s meal and their own hot chocolate creation and classic s’more. This event runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Visit eventvesta.com for more information.

Broadway in Columbia and the Koger Center for the Arts (1051 Greene St.) present Ain’t Too Proud to Beg: The Life and Times of The Temptations on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Temptations have one of the most tumultuous backstories in soul music, and this production follows The Temps’ journey from the street corner to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Showtime on the 7th is 7:30 p.m., and tickets cost between $19.50 and $75. Visit kogercenterforthearts.com for more information.