Friday, Oct. 09, 2009

Center Stage: What's Hot in the Midlands

"Walking With Dinosaurs," the production that brings the pre-historic animals back to life, continues at the Colonial Life Arena through Sunday. Museums have fossils of the mammoth animals, but at this show, you can see them move.

There are 17 dinosaurs in the show, including a plateosaurus, a stegosaurus, an allosaurus, a brachiosaurus, an ornithocheirus, an ankylosaurus, a torosaurus, a Tyrannosaurus rex, a baby T-rex, utahraptors and a liliensternus. The largest is the adult brachiosaurus, which is 36 feet tall and 56 feet long. The Tyrannosaurus rex is 23 feet tall and 42 feet long.

The show lasts 96 minutes, including an intermission. There is no violence, but there are simulated earthquakes, volcanoes and comets hitting the earth.

Don't forget the loud roar of dinosaurs.

The arena is at 801 Lincoln St. $19.50 to $59.50; (866) 472-8499 or www.coloniallifearena.com

SATURDAY, Oct. 10-SUNDAY, Oct. 11

Air Ground Expo '09 will be the first air show at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in 10 years. The last show was scheduled for fall 2001, but then 9/11 changed everything for military servicemen and woman - and the world.

The two-day expo, a demonstration of the capabilities of the South Carolina Air and Army National Guard, will feature air and ground combat exercises. The U.S. Army Golden Knights will parachute through the sky.

And the air will roar with acrobatic twists, turns and tumbles by the East Coast F-16 Vipers, the F-22 Raptors and tactical moves by the S.C. National Guard AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

"It's going to be a cool event," said Army Lt. Col. Les Carroll. "It's going to be more cool because it's been so long since we've done it."

There will also be more than 100 ground displays of military equipment.

"This is to tell the citizens of South Carolina and those who come from outside the state thank you for all their support over the years," Carroll said. "And to be quite frank, it's a huge recruiting tool."

Grab your flags and salute.

The gates open at 9 a.m., and the demonstrations begin at 11 a.m. The base is at 1325 South Carolina Road, Eastover. Free; (803) 806-4486

SATURDAY, Oct. 10

The Fall Heritage Festival & Pickin' Party will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the State Museum. There will be folk art and traditional handicrafts, Southern barbecue, bluegrass bands, cloggers, an antique tractor parade, pumpkin painting and a children's scavenger hunt. The museum is at 301 Gervais St. Free; (803) 898-4921

Books will come to life at EdVenture Children's Museum. "Tales for Tots" will be held 2 to 3 p.m. in the museum's Imaginarium Theater. The featured book is "Winnie the Pooh," so after the book is read to the children, a character will make an appearance.

EdVenture is at 211 Gervais St. Free with museum admission, $6.95 to $8.95; (803) 779 3100

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14

"Tulsa" opens at the Columbia Museum of Art. Larry Clark's photography investigated the 1970s youth subculture of the Midwest. The images are graphic, as Clark captures obsessions with drugs, sex and guns. Tulsa runs through Feb. 7.

The museum is at Main and Hampton streets. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. $5 to $10 and free on Sundays; (803) 799-2810 or www.columbiamuseum.org

The State Fair opens at 3 p.m. Admission is $1 - for everyone. What isn't there to do at the fair? The food, rides and exhibits will keep you busy. And then there's the grandstand concerts. This year's performers include "American Idol" David Cook, Charlie Daniels, Montgomery Gentry, Eric Benet and, for the kids and tweens, Nat and Alex Wolff of the Naked Brothers Band. OMG! Grandstand tickets must be purchased in addition to fair admission.

Tickets cost $2 to $8 for admission. There are eight pay-one-price days, where you pay $20 before the fair and $23 during and then ride as many rides as you want without having to buy vouchers. The pay-one-price days are Oct. 14 to 16 and Oct. 19 to 23. Tickets cost $20 before Tuesday and $23 during the fair.

The fair ends Oct. 25. For more information, visit scstatefair.org.

- Otis R. Taylor Jr.

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