6th annual events features bites, sites, live music.
Just like any other gameday in Columbia, Saturday in the Vista was full of people in garnet and black looking for a cold drink and something to eat before watching the big game. And they didn’t have too far to find all of their favorite bites in one place.
The sixth annual Viva La Vista event included samples from 16 Vista restaurants, a live performance from Grammy-winning band The Wailers, a wine garden, beer stands and other local businesses.
Visitors including families, students, foodies, musicians and newcomers explored the tables along Gervais and Lincoln Streets for cheap dishes. Vista restaurants Carolina Ale House and Jason’s Deli served popular menu items, while unique local eateries offered gourmet items under $10, like Pearlz Oyster Bar she crab mac ‘n’ cheese and Motor Supply Co.’s smoked pork tacos.
“We serve the most local and fresh food,” said Tim Peters, Motor Supply’s executive chef.
Viva la Vista featured many popular Columbia restaurants, but it was also an opportunity for newer ones to be recognized.
The Peanut Man, which opened last year on Lincoln Street, shared its signature Low Country Cajun peanuts and offered freshly squeezed lemonade for the event.
“It’s a good place for promotion for all the restaurants,” said John Aron, a Peanut Man sales clerk.
“A lot of people haven’t heard of us still, and now, they’re asking where we are.”
Tents from Liquid Assets offered nine beers with four on tap. Columbia’s only craft brewery, Conquest Brewery, also featured its specialty brews while guests listened to live performances on two stages from kid-friendly band Lunch Money, and Columbia bands, 76 and Sunny, Capital City Playboys and The Reggie Sullivan Band. This led up to a final performance from The Wailers, the popular reggae band that got its start with the late Bob Marley.
One organization used Viva La Vista to spread the word about its charity work. Skot Garrick, a spokesman for Harvest Hope Charity, said the charity has attended many of the Vista events over the years to raise awareness. Harvest Hope, a food bank that has provided about 2 million South Carolinians with donated food, has paired with local restaurants like Blue Marlin, utilizing the community to help with their cause.
“Everybody knows everybody here and wants the downtown area to thrive,” said Garrick. “If it thrives, it helps all the businesses and makes more opportunities for other local businesses.”
Guests, volunteers and businesses seemed to agree that the Vista is a unique area to Columbia and a place worth celebrating.
“The vibe is just different from everywhere else,” volunteer Heather Brandenburg said. “No place else has this good local feel.”
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