Annual event features local business specials, 5K, scavenger hunt, festival and new family-friendly activities.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
The Midlands will celebrate its hometown pride when the third annual 803 Day returns July 31 through Aug. 3 with four days of community events, local business promotions and family-friendly activities across Richland and Lexington counties.<\/p>\n
Named for the region’s 803 area code and the Aug. 3 date, the celebration is designed to encourage residents and visitors to support local businesses while showcasing the people, places and organizations that make the Midlands unique.<\/p>\n
The weekend begins July 31 with a sponsor and community partner reception before expanding into a full schedule of public events.<\/p>\n
Throughout Aug. 1-3, participating restaurants, retailers and other businesses will offer $8.03 specials. Organizers said participating locations and promotions will be listed on the official 803 Day website and the Soda City Certified mobile app.<\/p>\n
Returning favorites include the 803 Day 5K Run\/Walk at 8:03 a.m. Aug. 1 in Forest Acres and a two-day citywide scavenger hunt that encourages participants to explore attractions and businesses throughout Richland and Lexington counties using the Soda City Certified app.<\/p>\n
New events this year include the Columbiapedia Spelldown Adult Spelling Bee for Charity on Aug. 1, featuring local celebrity representatives competing on behalf of nonprofit organizations, and a free Movies in the Park event on Aug. 2 with an outdoor film, food trucks and vendors.<\/p>\n
The celebration concludes Aug. 3 with the free 803 Day Festival, featuring live music, entertainment, local vendors, food trucks and a VIP experience. Local artist and muralist Ija Charles designed the official 2026 803 Day T-shirt.<\/p>\n
“803 Day has grown into something much bigger than a single event; it’s become a movement that celebrates who we are as a region,” organizer Khali Gallman said. “Each year we’re intentional about creating experiences that bring people together, support local businesses and inspire pride in where we live.”<\/p>\n
Organizers will also collect canned food, nonperishable items and back-to-school supplies during several weekend events. Food donations will benefit Christian Assistance Bridge, while school supplies will be donated to the JoO Foundation.<\/p>\n
Registration is open for the 5K and other scheduled activities. Additional information, including a complete schedule and participating businesses, is available at the official 803 Day website.<\/p>\n
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Annual event features local business specials, 5K, scavenger hunt, festival and new family-friendly activities. The Midlands will celebrate its hometown pride when the third annual 803 Day returns July 31 through Aug. 3 with four days of community events, local business promotions and family-friendly activities across Richland and Lexington counties.Continue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[32],"tags":[877],"class_list":["entry","author-john-griggs","post-8678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-events","tag-803-day"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gpstrianglenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/803-Day_2025_630x350.jpg?fit=630%2C350&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8678\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}