Disclosure :: Our Red Carpet Event would not have been possible without our amazing team of community sponsors :: Columbia Children’s Theatre | Eleventh Hour Goods | Balloonopolis | Chick-fil-A on Decker | Spotted Salamander | Sweet Carolina Cakes | Southern Sweet Cookies | Snip-its | My Gym | Charley Mae Designs | Ernest Lee “The Chicken Man”
On September 18, Columbia SC Moms Blog joined Columbia Children’s Theatre for a special, family-friendly red carpet event for the opening of the highly anticipated performance of Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type. Families of all ages from Columbia, Lexington and the surrounding areas came together for a special evening of festive food, top-notch entertainment from Columbia’s finest, giveaways from local favorites and red carpet fun! It was truly a night to remember!
The night kicked off with families walking the red carpet while having the “paparazzi” from Eleventh Hour Goods, one of Columbia’s best photographers, snap endless photographs. Children and parents alike adorned the red carpet in their finest attire or barnyard best to match the cast. It was so much fun to see the creativity and excitement behind each person’s costume. And a special guest, the cow from Chick-fil-A on Decker, was present to add to fun of the evening, happily posing with attendees for photo opportunities.
As everyone waited for their moment in the spotlight, the professionals from Balloonopolis thrilled and entertained guests with their incredibility talented balloon artistry. The theatre was filled with replicas of every animal imaginable, as well as mermaids, princesses and even the occasional life-like spiderman! The children were thrilled and a perm-a-grin stayed on their faces the entire evening as they held on to their newfound treasures!
After stepping off the red carpet, guests dined on delicious samplings from the Spotted Salamander. Known for their inventive southern cuisine, everything on their menu is made from scratch using the freshest, highest quality, local ingredients available. Specialty items such as cornbread topped with pimento cheese and bacon, marinated veggies, barbecue meatballs and edamame hummus filled the tables (and each person’s plate!). In one word — AMAZING. It goes without saying there were pretty much no leftovers at the end of the evening. And the kids (as well as parents) loved the nugget platter from Chick-fil-A on Decker as well!
Next guests feasted on custom-made desserts from Sweet Carolina Cakes and Southern Sweet Cookies. Their ability to turn the common cupcake and cookie into a piece of art made these sweets look almost too good to eat! (But no worries, there were only wrappers and crumbs left as guests left the theatre.) The hardest part was getting the kids to take only one!
Once tummies were full, guests found their seats. The best part of the Children’s Theatre is it is completely kid-friendly. In fact, colored mats adorn the front seating area encouraging little ones to sit with one another to enjoy the show up close. As everyone settled in, the costume contests for “red carpet finest” and “barnyard best” took place. The kids marveled at the opportunity to get on stage and show off, and the crowd cheered for each and every participant. And let me tell you, there were some great costumes! Choosing a winner was really difficult!
Then we gave out prizes like a free month of membership from My Gym, a haircare prize pack including 3 haircuts from Snip-its, 20 free tickets to upcoming performances at Columbia Children’s Theatre, a custom-made necklace from Charley Mae Designs, as well as an original painting from Earnest Lee “The Chicken Man” … guests sat on the edge of their seats, hoping their ticket number would be called.
Finally, after much anticipation, the show started. Known as the premiere theatre for families and young audiences, the Columbia Children’s Theatre proved their reputation once again! The performance from some of the Midland’s best actors was spot on, and the crowd could be heard roaring with laughter and children danced in their seats as they watched along with the entertaining performance. And the best part was, it was a show parents enjoyed as well!
As the show wrapped up, children could be heard saying….
Mommy, I got a little carried away!
Is it really over? I was hoping it was just intermission!
I don’t want to leave!
The good news was, guests didn’t have to leave right away! The cast came out and spent one-on-one time with the kids, signing autographs and taking pictures.
The excitement was through-the-roof all night long, and we were thrilled to bring the families of Columbia a truly one of a kind, fun-filled evening! As explained by one local mom, “my child moo-ed the whole way home” … now THAT’S the sign of a great event!
** Want to see more fun from the evening? View our entire album of pictures from the event here. Weren’t able to make the event, but still interested in catching the show? Check out their schedule here.
