Things to Do in Columbia

Access Arts, a community-focused nonprofit, welcomes children and adults of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to discover the joy of artistic creation with 200 annual classes, earning attention from the Missourian for its work with students with special needs. During six-week sessions, experienced, compassionate instructors guide learning hands through pottery building, weaving, writing stories, and drawing, and help budding Michelangelos discover if their muses call out to them via telephone or semaphore. Classes for pupils with special needs support both children and adults with extra assistance as they knead clay or dabble in mixed media, and Access Arts’ fee waivers and scholarships enable learners from all income levels to tap into inspiration. Founded in 1971 to widen opportunities for the disabled, Access Arts is now in its fifth decade of enriching the Columbia area with classes and outreach programs that remind people that paintbrushes can be used for more than coloring dead plants a lively shade of green at the end of housesitting stints.

Wielding Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in ceramics, the staff at The Mud Room leads visitors through hands-on classes and parties at the interactive studio. Children and adults can embellish premade bisque pieces with designs formed from paint, sponges, and stamps, or meld glass bits and clay coils into original vases, bowls, and life-size replicas of vases and bowls seen in Hollywood blockbusters. The accommodating staff also travels to various locations with their mobile studio, imparting hands-on instruction and helping participants raise funds for their organization.

Inside Columbia magazine pairs the libations of hundreds of wineries from throughout the world with the cuisine of local chefs to delight a gamut of taste buds at the annual Wine and Food Festival. A full schedule of events fortifies the international fleet of vintages with art auctions and gourmet meals at top eateries around town. Live music keeps sippers lively as they dip and dabble in an array of 400 wines during the Grand Tasting. Winemakers and oenophiles stand ready to answer visitors' consuming questions while the festival's featured chefs whip up delectable culinary interludes and perform elaborate hat dances. The festivities conclude with the Sip & Stroll, which whisks patrons on a mobile jaunt to a smattering of local restaurants and shops for additional samples and discounts.

From June to November each year, a cast of actors, directors, and designers descends upon Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre to produce eight celebrated shows, many along the lines of To Kill A Mockingbird and The Music Man. The cozy, unassuming theater has been welcoming performers for more than 50 years, staging renowned productions and Broadway plays to the delight of theater fans and comforters that aspire to be stage curtains.