13 things to do this week in Columbia

THURSDAY

CANAL HISTORY TOUR

Join a guided walk with a city park ranger along the historic Columbia Canal and learn how it has been part of Columbia’s growth and innovation for almost 200 years. We’ll discuss the original canal, Columbia’s Waterworks, the earliest hydropower plants, and the S.C. State Penitentiary (CCI) once located there.

AN EVENING WITH MICHEL STONE

In conjunction with National Hispanic Heritage Month, Richland Library is offering a book discussion and signing with South Carolina author Michel Stone. Her debut novel “The Iguana Tree” details the experience of a young Mexican family’s perilous journey to the United States as undocumented immigrants in search of a better life. Stone is a recipient of the South Carolina Fiction Award. The event is part of Richland Library’s Family Ties: A Fall Author Series.

FRIDAY

IRMO OKRA STRUT

Even if you’re not a fan, it’s hard not to love a festival. This long-running event starts Friday, Sept. 23 and continues Saturday, Sept. 24. Atlanta Rhythm Section headlines Friday’s musical entertainment, which also includes The Blue Pickups. Terence Young Experience headlines Saturday. The two-day event includes rides, a kids’ carnival, games, exhibits and, of course, okra. Friday will feature Ride all Night for the cost of a $15 wristband.

Saturday

ART HOUSE THEATER DAY

Head to the Nickelodeon for Art House Theater Day, part of a nationwide event celebrating the cultural and community growth that art house theaters promote. Celebrate independent film with an exclusive poster sale featuring more than 250 lobby case film posters. Plus, there will be a screening of a special 2K restoration of Terry Gilliam’s family-friendly fantasy-adventure “Time Bandits” at noon.

FOR THE LAND

Palmetto Conservation Foundation (PCF), PalmettoPride and Keep The Midlands Beautiful will team up for a trail cleanup in honor of National Public Lands Day (NPLD) along passage number three of the Fort Jackson passage of the Palmetto Trail. The Palmetto Trail expands roughly 350 miles across the state, with nearly 150 miles left to complete through the “Finish the Trail” campaign.

Sunday

RHYTHM ON THE RIVER

The CMC Steel Rhythm on the River Concert Series today features guest performer Donald Merckle and the Blacksmiths. These Sunday concerts, which run through Oct. 16, are a pleasant way to spend a fall afternoon.

‘AWAY’

Michael Gow’s “Away” is the story of three Australian families, each on holiday in Christmas 1967 as a remedy to personal crises, whose stories threads eventually interconnect to form a story about human responses to death, racism, class and relationships. Part of the University of South Carolina’s Center for Performance Experiment season.

Monday

‘BIRTH OF A NATION’ DISCUSSION

The University of South Carolina’s History Center will host writer and journalism professor Dick Lehr for an in-depth look at the controversial 1915 film “Birth of a Nation,” and events surrounding its release and impact. Lehr is a professor at Boston University and former reporter for the Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigative reporting team. Set in South Carolina before and after the Civil War, the propaganda film fueled racial hatred and civil rights protests. Although faded, its shadow on race relations remains today. The event is part of the History Center’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Reconstruction and exploration of race relations.

‘CRITICAL MATERIALITY: THREE SC WOMEN IN CLAY’

The Goodall Gallery at Columbia College kicks off its 2016-17 season with the clay works of Mary Carlisle, Glenda Guion and Ashley Puckett. On display through Sunday, Oct. 16.

Tuesday

‘THE CAROLINA COAST’

American photographer and South Carolina native J. Henry Fair captures images of the Carolina coast in a new exhibit, “Eyes on the Edge: J. Henry Fair Photographs the Carolina Coast.” Fair documents the coastline through 25 dramatic, large-scale photographs that teeter between abstractions and high-resolution imagery of the land.

WET SANDAL WALK

Join a guided tour with a city park ranger to learn more about the Broad River and its abundant resources. Walk beside the river in the floodplain forest, and talk about the historic Columbia Canal and the ecological importance of this special place. Learn a little history, meet some aquatic critters and dip your toes in the river.

Wednesday

LUCKY CHOPS

All brass. All the time. From the New York City subway platform to television screens and international stages, Lucky Chops are finally spreading their infectious music and positive energy to South Carolina for the first time. Join the party where anything is possible, as these talented and riotous friends cover pop favorites and originals, using instruments usually reserved for the high school marching band.

COLAJAZZ ARTISTS SERIES

Each Wednesday through Oct. 12, Main Street Public House will play host to “ColaJazz Artists Series,” launched by local jazz trumpeter Mark Rapp. “We will rotate through our roster of bandleaders involved in the ColaJazz movement,” Rapp said. Tonight’s featured performer is Skipp Pearson.