How We Go Columbia: Soda City Saturdays
About the time the sunlight starts filling my Main Street bedroom window on Saturday mornings, so do the sounds and smells of the dozens of Soda City Market vendors setting up shop right below me.
Since moving to Main Street a few years ago, Soda City at 1500 Main has exploded in popularity and variety. The weekly, year-round market stretches one, and sometimes two, blocks and features some five dozen rotating vendors.
With handbags and jewelry, kettle corn and wursts, strawberries and peonies, wall art and pottery – Soda City has more to offer than Wal-Mart, I swear. And the best part is it’s all locally owned and produced. Every dime you spend goes right back to your South Carolina neighbors, who could all use a few more dimes, am I right?
Some of my Soda City faves:
▪ Double Trouble Donuts – I wake up most Saturdays with the thought of these doughnuts already in my head. The handmade pastries come in flavors such as lemon lavender, coffee cake, chocolate with sprinkles and – my favorite –strawberry shortcake.
▪ Breakfast sandwiches from Capitol Cafe and Bakery – Eggs and cheese and bacon and ciabatta. I mean, have you ever wanted anything more in a sandwich? Trust me, you haven’t.
▪ Handbags from Uniquely MC – I love my one-of-a-kind, handmade cross-body bag, and I love telling people where they can find their own. MC made it! You can also meet MC and check out her creations on First Thursdays, another awesome Main Street event, at her Tapp’s studio.
▪ Craft sodas from Cannonborough Beverage Company – These small-batch, Charleston “brewed” sodas – in flavors such as honey basil, lemon laurel, grapefruit elderflower, or a variety of others depending on the season and, I guess, the brewers’ moods – deserve a lot of love. You can also find them on the cocktail menus at several local restaurants. A personal bonus: The Cannonborough guys are super good-looking and friendly. So, happy Saturday to you.
Follow Soda City on Twitter and Instagram @SodaCitySC and like them on Facebook for updates on Soda City news and who’s selling at the market each week.
Staff writer Sarah Ellis eats a lot of doughnuts, among other Soda City treats. But she works off most of the calories by frequently exploring downtown, both on her own time and on the job as a metro reporter for The State, covering everything from local government to schools to development to personalities.
This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 4:20 PM with the headline "How We Go Columbia: Soda City Saturdays."