Sign-Up for Weekly
Sign-up for Fig Datebook and receive weekly content that includes new blogs and features, local events, and happenings in Columbia delivered directly to your inbox.
To subscribe to Fig Columbia in print, please click here.
Subscribe
Get the Print Magazine
Get your own fresh Fig Columbia delivered to your doorstep 4x a year. Be inspired by the latest trends, happenings and thoughts about a Columbia lifestyle.
Suggest an Event
The online Fig calendar is a curated list of community and advertiser events happening in Columbia.
Contact Us
Search
When was the first time you learned about the life cycle of a flower? Maybe it was in grade school or on a field trip with your science class. When we think of what a plant needs to spread its roots in the soil, branch out, and bloom, that phenomenon starts to look like a metaphor for growth right here in Columbia.
We are the roots that keep our community thriving and strong, through the sunshine and the rain. It’s just as important to nurture ourselves as it is our relationships and community as a whole. When we all come together, we can bloom right where we’re planted.

Get Rooted
Each of us play a vital role in making Columbia a unique place to lay down roots. After all, a city wouldn’t be a city without people to call it home! Before we can branch out, we’ve got to give ourselves the care we need not only to survive, but to thrive.
Grow your strength
Let’s get growing, Columbia! For those strong, firm roots to take hold, we have to nourish the vessels we are in. They say that the taller the tree, the deeper the roots. Before we can get up and get active in our community, let’s make sure to take those steps to keep ourselves strong and healthy for years to come.
Here are a few ideas to get you moving:
- Explore the trails of our river systems and use sctrails.net as your guide
- Try a fun new workout class like Goat Yoga at Fit Columbia
- Join a walking club or local sports league like kickball with Columbia Parks and Rec
- Sign up for your first 5k through Strictly Running
Grow your mind
The health of our bodies and our minds are intertwined. As we nourish our minds, beautiful things begin to grow. Thoughts turn to action, dreams are realized, and ideas that were once seedlings can take shape.
Here are a few ideas might spark inspiration:
- Find a new favorite author at a local book store
- Dive into a world of free eBooks, music, movies, and events at Richland Library
- Plant a garden and connect your mind with the soil on your hands
- Enroll in a creative class at the City of Columbia’s Art Center
- Take a nature course through South Carolina Wildlife Federation
- Join a book club locally or online

Branch out and bloom
Grow our community
Now that our own roots are firmly planted, it’s time to branch out! Columbia is a thriving city in the heart of South Carolina and there’s a little something here for everyone. Columbia’s unique charm and long term livability are made possible by its people who grow our sense of community everyday through rich ideas and collaboration.
Wondering how to branch out? We’ve got a few ideas to get you started:
- Register to vote and make sure to take part in local elections
- Get involved with a local non-profit and volunteer with a cause you care for
- Attend free local events like the Soda City Market and First Thursdays on Main
- Volunteer with the Rosewood Orchard, Columbia’s community-based garden
- Support local business owners and shop small as often as you can
- With our own roots firmly planted and branches spreading outward, we’re finally budding and ready to blossom and grow.
Grow our economy
These past few years have been a reminder that supporting the local economy is vital to a flourishing Columbia. Small businesses are the backbone for any city in bloom and contribute to economic strength, job growth, and culture and arts in big ways.
What happens when you shop locally?
- Your dollars spent locally will recirculate 2-4 times more than when spent at a non-local company, according to Civic Economics.
- For every $1 dollar spent at a local business, over two-thirds of that dollar (~$0.68) will remain in the local economy compared to less than half remaining (~$0.43) when spent at a big-box store, according to the 2022 Small Business Economic Impact Study.
- You help make Columbia a thriving destination with a distinct personality and unique flair that no other city has!
- When we come together as a community, there’s nothing we can’t do. Each of us plays a vital role in a thriving city so we can all grow. How will you bloom this year?

When the showers do roll in…
Not every day will be filled with sunshine, but we know that the rain is just as important as the sun in order to help us grow. Whether it’s a gloomy day outside or you find yourself needing a little pick-me-up, we have a few ideas to share when the showers do roll in.
- Grab a friend and go bowling at The Grand
- Treat yourself to a self-care spa day or relaxing massage
- Catch a movie at The Nickelodeon Theatre
- Visit the Columbia Museum of Art or South Carolina State Museum
- Indulge in a sweet treat or cup of coffee at a local coffee or dessert shop