November 30 is Giving Tuesday, and the Central Carolina Community Foundation is marking the occasion with the launch of 12 Days of Giving.

Officials from the South Carolina State Museum will be celebrating the holiday season Thursday, Dec. 2, with extended hours, free hot chocolate and more.

Loneliness can be challenging for many to endure during the holiday season, and when you are single and ready to mingle, finding your future mate all comes down to location. So, where does the Midlands fall on the love list?

An idea put forth in 2012 has grown to a movement that produced $2.47 billion in charitable donations last year in the U.S. alone, and good causes locally are hoping the Columbia community will join in.

Many Thanksgiving dinners will feature pies handmade by University of South Carolina students this year thanks to a Gamecock tradition.

Nonprofit organizations and other groups seeking to protect and preserve Richland County land and historic places will soon be able to apply for grants.

Officials from The Honor Project, a Columbia-based non-profit, gathered Monday night at J's Corner on Rosewood Drive to present two local charities with a donation of more than $10,000 each.

The Tiger Burn returned Monday evening to the University of South Carolina after a one year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We absolutely love it. It’s beautiful, the weather is beautiful, the food is good, the people are gorgeous, and we are just happy to be here,” said Cindy McCullen. She and hundreds of seafood lovers from around the city came out in droves Saturday to enjoy the 24th annual South Carolina Oys…

The holiday season in South Carolina is officially underway after the 55th annual Governor’s Carolighting Sunday night at the State House.

It’s beginning to look a lot like peak shopping season, everywhere you go. And opinions on whether pre-Thanksgiving is too soon for holiday activity aside, experts say starting early this year in particular could make all the difference in getting everything on your list.

Hundreds of Midlands residents were ready to get into the holiday spirit Thursday night for the annual Vista Lights celebration.

Columbia filmmaker and actor JB Brown is currently showing his new project 'Forbidden Love'' at the Spotlight Cinemas in Columbia, until Nov. 26. The film premiered Saturday afternoon.

Hundreds of people, mostly kids, came to the University of South Carolina’s Blatt Field to learn about science, technology, engineering and math on Saturday, thanks to hosts who found ways to make learning fun.

One beloved arts and crafts show has returned after a hiatus in 2020 due to COVID. The annual Craftsmen's Christmas Classic began Friday at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds.

The City of Columbia and Prisma Health are working together to improve and connect three of Columbia’s greenways.

More than 60 entries walked, drove, and marched down Sumter Street in Columbia Thursday for the 43rd annual Veterans Day Parade, honoring those who have served.

Families can step into a good book together starting Friday when visiting Richland Library's new StoryWalk at Riverfront Park's South Entrance (312 Laurel St., Columbia). The installation provides an opportunity for children to celebrate a love of reading, keep moving and enjoy a local park …

"COVID was the Grinch who stole Christmas in 2020. But thankfully things will be returning to normal," South Carolina's First Lady Peggy McMaster said Monday during the arrival of the official 2021 South Carolina Christmas Tree at the State House North Lawn, in preparation for the 55th annua…

The South Carolina Underground Film Festival returned to the Midlands to celebrate the art of independent films with a weekend-long event.

The Nickelodeon Theatre hosted the seventh-annual film festival, where filmmakers from all over the globe competed for the honors of taking home a SCUFFY trophy.

South Carolina Underground Film Festival Awards

Jury Award:

Nuts! The Musical

Director Benjamin Dean Wilson took home the honors of best overall project (the Jury Award). The twisted musical is laced with satire and garnered Wilson with his first award, at his first-ever festival. Wilson stated that the musical took a lot of inspiration from cult-classic Monty Python and Emmy-winning show South Park.

Nuts! The Musical is a dark-musical comedy that follows two brothers, who have to manage their dying father’s pest control company. The two stumble into a crazy conspiracy, which causes the demand for their newly invented pest control chemical to skyrocket.

Best Feature:

Bad Girls

Christopher Bickel’s film Bad Girls was accredited with the ‘Best Feature’ award at SCUFF. Bickel highlighted the film festival’s communication as the reason it’s one of his favorites.

“[SCUFF]’s communication is some of the best communication I’ve experienced. As far as him just reaching, making sure that everybody knows when and where they're supposed to be, everybody gets a chance to do a Q&A after the movies,” said Bickel.

Bad Girls follows the story of three desperate teenage girls who robbed a strip club. The girls are then locked into a cross-country pursuit, featuring a misogynistic federal agent and a crew of kidnappers.

Best Documentary:

Giant: The World of Filmmaker Jeff Leroy

This documentary short follows the story of one-of-a-kind filmmaker Jeff Leroy, witnesses a giant woman and a monster get into a huge kaiju fight. The fight takes place in a miniature city made from discarded trash.

Best South Carolina Filmmaker:

Brittany Brock

Brock is a local filmmaker who directed a horror short titled Womb. Womb follows a soon-to-be mother in her third trimester, who is forced to face her anxiety and fears in her own personal hot pink hellscape. Brock has been participating in SCUFF for the last three years and appreciates the festival for being so risky with the films they show.

“I don’t have a lot of opportunities as a horror filmmaker to screen at traditional film festivals, outside of a horror block, so [SCUFF] really caters to me,” Brock said. “You get the most genuine reactions and as a filmmaker that’s exactly what you want.”

Best Short:

The Fuzzies

The Fuzzies is a horror short where a man wakes up in a strange bathroom and is terrified to find out that there is something lurking behind the walls.

Best South Carolina Film:

Unblocked

Unblocked is a comedy short that depicts two aliens bargaining with a human after a malfunction in their cloaking devices.

Best Foreign Film:

Can’t Go Home Again

Temporal Enforcement Agent Elliot Young breaks protocol and returns to her own past.

Best Animation Short:

The Dark Odyssey

Best Un-produced Screenplay – Feature:

​Geneva

Best Un-produced Screenplay – Short:

The Big Break

Zach Van Fleet, the screenwriter of The Big Break, opened up about why he decided to not only submit his project but to drive down from Chattanooga to experience the film festival.

“The first thing I noticed was how great the Nickelodeon Theatre is and how dedicated they seem to be to the enjoyment of movies. I think that that spirit extends into the festival,” Van Fleet stated.

Aside from marketing and showcasing some of the best independent films across the world, SCUFF makes sure to promote local filmmaking within the state.

The film festival was created with the idea that the event is about the creators; Founder Tom Faircloth said he strives to put the spotlight on the filmmakers and directors.

The SC Underground Film Festival looks to continue to grow as a respected independent film festival, Faircloth alluded to a more extensive festival in years to come.

“As we grow, it would be nice to be able to have more workshops and even extend the fest to include more films,” he said.

Additional information about The South Carolina Underground Film Festival can be found on the organization's website and Facebook page.

Some ran. Some walked. Some rucked (the military term for walking/running with a loaded backpack). Some stood alongside and cheered. All were there to honor U.S. veterans, and all were helping raise money to provide accommodations for the loved ones of veterans receiving hospital care.

The road has been a bumpy one for Autumn Faire, but it keeps on going, all in the name of ars gratia artis.

Holiday lighting and decorations will be going up soon all around the Midlands, and Saluda Shoals is preparing to add to the festivities. Holiday Lights on the River will be returning Nov. 24.

The South Carolina Underground Film Festival is returning to the Midlands to celebrate the art of independent films.

South Carolina State Museum officials announced their newest exhibition, Bindings, and Betweens: South Carolina Quilts, opening Saturday, Nov. 13.

One University of South Carolina class will be bringing back a student-run evening of entertainment for its second year in a row.