NCAA March Madness draws die-hard fans and rookies alike to the Vista

It doesn’t matter that the University of North Carolina isn’t playing in Columbia, S.C.

Ann and Robert Fondren haven’t missed the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in the last 30 years, and they’re not about to start now.

The couple, from Fredericksburg, Va., were two of the 25,000 people expected to flock to South Carolina’s capital city for the biggest sports event the city has held in 50 years.

“We always cheer for the ACC, even when it’s not UNC,” Ann Fondren said. “We always try to get tickets to regionals.”

The couple had never been to Columbia before, and for what it’s worth, they enjoyed the local beer scene, Ann said. The couple, decked out in UNC Tar Heels attire, finished their flight of beer Friday morning at Twisted Spur Brewing in the Vista.

But not everyone attending the NCAA tournament was a long-time fan.

For Ed Nemergut, an anesthesiology professor at the University of Virginia, and his 14-year-old son, Josh, the NCAA tournament was a new experience.

“This is both of our first games, so we’re excited,” Ed Nemergut said. “(Columbia is) nice. It’s got a nice kind of downtown area.”

For others, this was just another opportunity to catch some basketball and represent their favorite team.

Jason Rohde stopped around noon at a beer tent outside Colonial Life Arena to grab a drink at a with some friends from out of town. Rohde, a Columbia resident who said he has been to more than a dozen NCAA March Madness first- or second-round games, wore a University of South Carolina Gamecocks polo. He dressed his 7-year-old son, Gus, in a Gamecocks shirt.

“We’re representing the Gamecocks even though they’re not in the tournament,” Rohde said. “This worked out perfectly, and I’m very excited.”

“None of this would have been possible if they hadn’t taken down the Confederate flag,” from the S.C. State House, Rohde said.

Janie Westenfelder, a Charleston resident who stopped for a beer with Rohde, said as of a few weeks ago she had never been to Columbia. But between the recent Elton John concert and the NCAA tournament, she has been here twice in two weeks.

“I love this city,” Westenfelder said. “I will be back.”

With all of this excitement, restaurant and bar owners in the Vista are hoping the deluge of people is good for business. At noon Friday, there was still parking available in the Vista, and traffic was moderate (no more than one would see on a Friday night).

“It’s been all right so far. (It’s) just getting started,” said Cliff Waltz, a chef at the Pawley’s Front Porch food truck that was parked outside Colonial Life Arena.

For Twisted Spur Brewing, signs of a swelling crowd are already there, but it’s still early, owner and brewer Chris Baldwin said in between checking on his sour beer brew and pouring an amber-colored beer from the tap.

“It’s going to be interesting when 25,000 people are out here in the street,” Baldwin said. “It’s just getting started. We hope it’s going to be super busy.”