Guide to Getting Away from the Sunnyside Traveler

Fall! Time for cooler weather, Oktoberfests, Fall festivals, and other great outdoor and free activities. This list just covers October and November, I'll be working on another one just for all the holiday events (though some are mentioned in here). Go enjoy the great weather and fun events! Events in bold indicate Columbia-area events. Late September/Early October  - MOJA Arts Festival -  http://www.mojafestival.com/home/ Charleston area a festival for African-American and Caribbean art some events are free, some have a charge October  Early October - Congaree Bluegrass Festival -  http://www.cityofcayce-sc.gov/cbf/  free admission, free parking Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm bluegrass music, historical tours, food vendors, games for kids bring lawn chairs, but no outside food or coolers. Also, bring a canned good to donate to a local food pantry. - Carolina Foothills Heritage Fair -  http://www.carolinafoothillsheritagefair.org/ $5 adults, $3 kids, preschoolers

Well, it's one of my favorite times of the year in Columbia. Football season, fall and...the Greek Festival! If you live in the area and haven't been, you need to make it a point to go. It's a great festival with lots of great food and some real friendly people. Now, disclaimer, it gets crowded! They usually take up one block with booths, games, entertainment stages, and food vendors so every free space there is can be filled with people. I recommend going during one of the off-times. Like take a late lunch or an early dinner. Or even an early lunch. They're open from 10 am - 10 pm Thursday through Saturday. They also have Sunday hours. But while you're there, try and make it a point to tour their church. It was just built in the last couple of years and they are always working on adding new artwork. It's beautiful. You can sit there and study all of the Greek Ikons and learn about the history of each painting. Greek Festivals are great family activities and I