Crawfish, a celeb chef, and scavenger hunt: Our 10 event picks, week of May 2-8

CELEB CHEF PAULA DEEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Barnes & Noble bookstore, Richland Mall. Celebrity chef and cookbook author Paula Deen will sign copies of her latest cookbook, copies of “Paula Deen Cuts the Fat: 250 Favorite Recipes All Lightened Up.” 3400 Forest Drive. (803) 782-7575

EDVENTURE LADIES’ NIGHT OUT: Thursday, 6:30 p.m. VIP, 7 p.m. general admission at EdVenture Children’s Museum. Gather your girlfriends and reserve your tickets for this high-energy show presenting the latest fashion from Granger Owings Bespoke at EdVenture. Enjoy music, shopping at pop-up boutiques, food by EdVenture Eats and cocktails. $150 VIP, $75 general admission. 211 Gervais St. www.edventure.org

FIRST THURSDAY ON MAIN: 6-9 p.m. Thursday along Main Street. On the first Thursday of each month, businesses in downtown Columbia participate in First Thursday on Main by keeping their doors open late, offering a mix of specials, events, entertainment, and more. Free admission. From the 1200 block with The Whig all the way to the 1700 block with The Gallery at City Hall. www.firstthursdayonmain.com

RHYTHM AND BLOOMS: 6-9 p.m. Thursday at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. This series, held Thursdays in May, offers music in a garden setting. Concessions available for purchase; cash bar. The opening session features Eight Track Parade (classic rock and funk). Free with membership, $5 general public with zoo admission. 500 Wildlife Parkway. www.riverbanks.org

FAMOUSLY HOT SCAVENGER HUNT: 10 a.m. Saturday at Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center Visitor’s Center. What better way to get to know Columbia better than with a citywide scavenger hunt? Get together a four-person team and meet at the visitor’s center to receive your first clue. From there, go to each of the subsequent stops, earning more clues along the way. Teams must take a picture at each location and post it on social media, using the appropriate tags and hashtags to qualify for prizes. Free registration at www.eventbrite.com/e/famously-hot-scavenger-hunt-tickets-9540398589.

11TH ANNUAL BATTLE FOR COLUMBIA: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday in the Sandy Run Community. A re-enactment of the Civil War skirmish at Congaree Creek. Re-enactors’ from the South Carolina Palmetto Battalion, Georgia Volunteer Battalion, and various artillery units will participate. Battle at about 4 p.m. Adults, $8. Students 6-17, $5. Children under 6 admitted free. 1291 Valley Ridge Road, Gaston. http://scscv.com/events/the-battle-for-columbia/

EAST TO WEST WITH SOME JAZZ IN THE MIDDLE: 6 p.m. Saturday at Al-Amir Mediterranean restaurant. Guitar Muse Society presents “From the East to the West with some Jazz in the middle,” an evening of Mediterranean dining and music by nationally and internationally recognized artists. The concert will feature a large variety of multicultural music for guitar, flute, oud (Arabian lute) and violin. Performers are Amos Hoffman, Marina Alexandra, Teri Forsher-Milter, Rod Lewis and Devin Sherman. $30 (includes dinner). No tickets will be available at the door on the night of the show. 1734 Main St. www.GuitarMuseSC.com.

ROSEWOOD CRAWFISH FESTIVAL: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday along Rosewood Drive. Get some Louisiana flavor without leaving Columbia at this favorite annual festival. Among highlights: the Crawdaddy Dash, vendors, four stages of live music – including Cowboy Mouth and Dirty Dozen Brass Band, both from New Orleans – and of course, thousands of pounds of crawfish. $10 in advance, $15 at the gate; admission fee does not cover the cost of crawfish. www.rosewoodcrawfishfest.com

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH: 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Riverbanks Botanical Garden. The zoo’s annual Mother’s Day Brunch features food, live music and other treats. Reserve early. $36.95 for adults, $29.95 for children; kids under 2 eat free. A cash bar also is available. Reservations may be made atwww.riverbanks.org.

SECOND SUNDAY STROLL: JEWISH MERCHANTS, PAST AND PRESENT: 2 p.m. Sunday, meeting at Michael’s on Main. Join Historic Columbia for a second Sunday stroll down Main Street. This guided walking tour will highlight Columbia’s Jewish Heritage and explore how Jewish merchants have shaped the downtown district. Free for Historic Columbia members; non-members, $8 adults and $5 youth. Kids 5 and under are free. 1620 Main St. (803) 252-1770 ext. 23, www.historiccolumbia.org

This story was originally published May 1, 2016 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Crawfish, a celeb chef, and scavenger hunt: Our 10 event picks, week of May 2-8."