Stay Here, Play Play Here: Lexington County events for the week of Feb. 3

Friday – February 3rd

“Matilda Jr.” (play)
Visit the Village Square Theater (105 Caughman Rd.) for a performance of Matilda, Jr.: “Matilda is a little girl of amazing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. Unloved by her cruel parents, she impresses her teacher, the extremely lovable Miss Honey. However, Matilda’s school life doesn’t go entirely smoothly – the school’s mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and loves to invent new punishments for those who don’t follow her rules. But Matilda has guts and wits in equal measure and could be the students’ salvation.” Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, military, students and youth. Visit villagesquaretheatre.com for more information.

Festival of Lights (dance)
Alegria Dance Studio (1125 B Ave. in West Columbia) and the Columbia Ecstatic Dance Collective say they will “celebrate the midpoint between the solstices and equinoxes…a holiday celebrated as St. Brigid’s Day, Candlemas, Chinese New Year, Imbolc and is known as Groundhog Day [that] celebrated by many as we emerge from hibernation in anticipation of earth regeneration, new beginnings, and brighter days [with] 1.5 hours of meditative movement/ecstatic dancing. The event will take place from 6:30pm to 8:30pm and the cost is a minimum donation of $5. Visit facebook.com/alegria.dance for more information.

David Glymph (concert)
Chayz Lounge (607 Meeting St. in West Columbia) and saxophonist David Glymph present “A Night of Sax & Soulful Grooves”. Enjoy hits and classics from Tevin Campbell, Stevie Wonder, Grover Washington, Jr., Boney James, Marvin Gaye, Toni Braxton, Everette Harp and more. Showtime is 8 p.m., and tickets are $25. Smart attire is required. Visit chayzlounge.com for more information.

Acoustic Jam (concert)
Grab your acoustic instrument and head to Bill’s Music Shop & Pickin’ Parlor (710 Meeting St. in West Columbia) for their Acoustic Jam Night. Join the musicians or just sit and enjoy the tunes. The jam starts at 9 p.m. and admission is $10. Visit billsmusicshop.com for more information.

Saturday – February 4th

Visit to the colonial forts
Meet at the Cayce Tennis Center (1120 Fort Congaree Trail) to begin a 2-hour walking tour of the Colonial Forts. Walk to the site of Fort Congaree and hear its fascinating stories, immerse yourself in the struggles of the deerskin economy, then travel in time to Fort Congaree and Fort Granby. This tour is free to join and starts at 1:00 PM. Visit cayce12000years.com for more information.

“Build a Man” (Acting)
The Harbison Theater at Midlands Technical College (7300 College St.) is hosting a performance of Build A Man. Written by Miss Monique of 100.1 The Beat, Build a Man is a dramedy about hope, patience, trust and love that must be accessible from within. There are two performances, one at 3:00 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $37. Visit harbisontheatre.org for more information.
Sam & Illia, Wild Craft

TiffanyJ (concert)
Join Chayz Lounge and singer TiffanyJ for “Soulful Melodies”. TiffanyJ will perform her own songs along with hits and classics from Whitney Houston, Deniece Williams, Brandy, Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, Nancy Wilson, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. Showtime is 8 p.m., and tickets are $25. Smart attire is required. Visit chayzlounge.com for more information.

Ryan Trotti (concert)
Singer-songwriter Ryan Trotti performs at the Skyline Club (100 Lee St. in West Columbia). Trotti will perform a mix of covers and original tracks from 9pm. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and admission is $5. Visit facebook.com/skylineclub803 for more information.

Changed Forever, Mercy’s Well (concert)
The Midlands Gospel Singing Center (705 Martin Smith Rd. in Gilbert) is home to two great gospel groups, Forever Changed and Mercy’s Well. Showtime is 6 pm, and the event is free to attend. Visit midgsc.com for more information.

Sunday – February 5th

NBT market
The New Brookland Tavern (122 State St. in West Columbia) houses their NBT Market. The market includes handcrafted jewellery, one-of-a-kind art, handcrafted soaps and wax, personalized items, handcrafted leatherwork, crystals and gemstones, candles, vintage clothing and much more. Participation in the market is free and takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visit facebook.com/NBTavern for more information.

Jeff Lucero and Bart Ballington (concert)
Local singer-songwriter Jeff Lucero performs a duo concert with Bart Ballington at Savage Craft Ale Works (430 Center St. in West Columbia). The event will take place from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Visit facebook.com/savagecraftaleworks for more information.

Kingsmen Quartet (concert)
Enjoy a morning of gospel music with a performance by the Kingsmen Quartet at the Convent Baptist Church (787 Convent Church Rd. in Leesville). The veteran NC group performs from 10:30am and admission is free, but gifts of love are welcome. Visit conventbaptistchurch.org for more information.

Over the county line

Soul II Soul (concert)
’90s R&B group Soul II Soul performs at Colonial Life Arena (801 Lincoln St. in Columbia) on February 3rd. The group will perform hits like “Back 2 Life” and “Keep On Movin'” and more. The show, which opens at Musiq Soulchild, starts at 8 p.m. and tickets range from $62 to $253. Visit www.coloniallifearena.com for more information.

Mat & Savanna Show (concert)
The Newberry Opera House (1201 McKibben St.) is hosting the Mat & Savanna Show on February 3rd. Mat and Savanna Shaw are a father-daughter duo from Utah who have risen to prominence during the COVID-19 quarantine. Kelly Clarkson called her “incredibly talented,” and Good Morning America said, “The music of this father-daughter duo brings hope.” Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets range from $35 to $50. Visit newberryoperahouse.com for more information.

scratch resistant
On February 4th, visit the Ritz Theater in Newberry (1511 Main St.) to celebrate the Ritz Fest, which aims to raise at least $3,000 for suicide prevention. This event will be headlined by Chris Reed and the Bad Kids, who will be joined by nine other artists. In addition to live music from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., there are door prices and food trucks on site. Doors open at 11 a.m. and admission costs between $10 and $15. Visit theritzonline.com for more information.

“Romeo & Juliet” (Ballet)
The Koger Center for the Arts (1051 Greene St.) and the Columbia City Ballet are hosting a performance of Prokofiev’s classical ballet Romeo & Juliet on February 4th. The Columbia City Ballet is accompanied by the SC Philharmonic conducted by Morihiko Nakahara. There are two shows, one at 3:00 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m., and tickets range from $35 to $60. Visit kogercenterforthearts.com for more information.

first sunday
Bring the family to the SC State Museum (301 Gervais St.) for their monthly event on the first Sunday of February 5th. General admission is only $1, and 4D movies and planetarium shows are $5 each. The museum is open on Sundays from 12pm to 5pm. Visit scmuseum.org for more information.