Columbia Events

Columbia’s calendar is dominated by the university’s football season and punctuated by one genuinely unusual natural event.

Synchronous fireflies at Congaree — late May and early June

For about two weeks each year, a species of firefly in the old-growth floodplain forest flashes in unison rather than at random, producing waves of light rolling through the trees after dark. Only a handful of places in the world have populations that do this, and Congaree is one of the few where it can be seen on an accessible boardwalk. The park runs the viewing by lottery, with a limited number of vehicle passes issued in advance, red-filtered torches only and no phone screens, because the insects are disrupted by white light. The display lasts a couple of hours after full dark and is silent, which is part of the effect. Dates shift with the weather and are announced only a few weeks ahead.

Gamecock football — September to November

Seven home Saturdays that fill the city, with tailgating from dawn and around 80,000 people in the stadium.

South Carolina State Fair — October

Twelve days at the fairgrounds beside the stadium, with livestock, rides and a great deal of fried food.

Artista Vista and First Thursday — spring and monthly

Gallery crawls in the Vista and on Main Street, free and well attended, which have been central to the downtown revival.

Fort Jackson graduations — most Thursdays

Basic training graduations bring families from across the country and are open to the public.