COLUMBIA − The District will hold its annual Living Windows Festival, Friday night from 6 to 8 p.m. After the pandemic caused last year’s event to move online, this festival is back in-person this year.
Executive Director of The District, Nickie Davis, said the event is probably one of the biggest of the year for The District, and it’s one of the community’s most “beloved” events.
Last year, the event was pre-recorded, with a livestream available from any business who wished to be involved.
“We didn’t want to lose that tradition, but obviously, there’s nothing like the real thing,” Davis said.
The move back to in-person event is one supported by The District, small businesses, and customers alike.
“Our customers miss the business owners, the businesses missed their customers,” Davis said. “It’s just a fun, amazing time to be able to do this. I think everyone is very excited to put in maybe a little bit extra effort this year, since we’re back at it.”
The District’s website includes both a map and list of all small businesses participating in the event.
Map of businesses participating in the 2021 Living Windows Festival.
Davis recommends attendees get downtown early to find parking, as the festival “is not something you can see from your cars.”
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One exhibit being held at The Atrium on Tenth is a pop-up selfie museum. Here, attendees can visit a “selfie room,” decorated with props and a ring light to get a festive photo.
“Because of what 2020 took away from us, we really wanted to do something different,” Destiny McKnight, co-founder of Selfie Love, said. Selfie Love is a new business coming to Columbia next spring.
A pop-up “selfie room” will be held at The Atrium on Tenth Friday night.
The exhibition was put together by The Atrium on Tenth and sponsored by Simmons Bank. For the first year ever, Santa will not be at Simmons Bank, but rather he will be at The Atrium on Tenth, ready to take photos with attendees.
“We’re meant to be together. We’re meant to be in person. Not knocking anything that’s been done virtual, because marvelous things have been done, but nothing beats human interaction and face-to-face [interaction],” McKnight said.
Santa is expected to sit in this area to take photos with Living Windows attendees at The Atrium on Tenth.
Davis said the Columbia community is what kept so many downtown small businesses going through the pandemic.
“Our downtown did incredibly well, during COVID, and that is because our community. Our community cares about our small businesses and those small businesses are what keeps Columbia so unique and interesting,” Davis said.