•CHURCH/CHARITY

First Presbyterian Church Wednesday lunch and speaker series is held 11:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m., Jackson Hall, 1324 Marion Street. Free parking. 799-9062.

Church Women United of Columbia luncheon will be held Friday January 27, Brookland Baptist Conference Center, 1066 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia, sign in 10:30 a.m., lunch 11 a.m., buffet cost $15. 738-0865.

Reformation Lutheran Church will host a special film presentation of Bullied: A Student, A School, and a Case That Made History, Friday, January 27, 7 p.m., Reformation Lutheran Church 1118 Union Street at River Drive. www.reformationlutherancolumbiasc.com.

Benjamin Franklin, in the person of Dr. Ed Beardsley, will discuss The Constitution Tuesday, January 24, Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 3200 Trenholm Road. 256-1654.

•CONFER ENCE

Palmetto State Parents of Multiples (PSPM) is accepting registrations for its annual convention, The Great Escape, to be held March 2-3, Clarion Hotel, Gervais Street hosted by the Greater Columbia Area Mothers of Twins Club (GCAMOTC). scpspm.com or kshealymot@gmail.com.

One day symposium exploring the topic of Religion in the Civil War will be held Saturday, January 28, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the South Carolina Historical Society. www.crr.sc.gov or 737-8094.

2012 Palmetto Affordable Housing Forum, sponsored by the S.C. State Housing Finance and Development Authority will be held April 18-19, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. 896-9182 or www.RegOnline.com/SCHousingForum.com.

A Class Act! will host The Festival of Healing and Spiritual Awareness January 20-22, The Coop, 1100 Key Road beside Williams Brice Stadium, 9:45 a.m.- 8 p.m., Saturday and 10:45 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday. 864-233-3033 or www.thefestivalofhealing.com.

•DANCE

Arts at Shandon’s tradition of a January dance with Nelson Jarvis, nationally known caller featured for traditional square dancing, line dancing, and the Texas two step, will be held Saturday January 28, 7 p.m., Shandon Presbyterian 607 Woodrow Street. 771-4408 or www.shandonpres.org.

Greater Columbia Chapter of the U.S. Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association (USADance) will hold its twicemonthly dances Saturday, January 28, Hugh Dimmery Memorial Center ( The Barn), 680 Cherokee Lane, West Columbia, 7:15-10:30 p.m. www.USADance.us.

•FES TI VAL

Columbia Music Festival Association (CMFA) will hold the 30th annual Lize Wessels Pub Night February 4, 7:30 p.m., CMFA ArtsSpace, 914 Pulaski Street. 771-6303 or cmfa5678Online.com.

Columbia Doll and Bear Show will be held Saturday, January 28, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., SC State Fairgrounds, Rosewoods Building, Main Gate, 1200 Rosewood Drive. www.knightshows.com or 783-8049.

•FOOD

Vardell Oyster Roast and Beaufort Stew will be held Saturday, January 21, 4:30-8:30 p.m., Cayce/West Columbia Jaycee’s Hut, 1153 Walter Price Road at 12th Street, Cayce. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit The Friends of the Animals and Camp Hope. chappievardell@yahoo.com or cuteface59@yahoo.com.

Animal Protection League and the Lower Richland Ruritans will host a joint BBQ pork or chicken fundraiser dinner Saturday, February 11, 4-7:30 p.m., Lower Richland Ruritan Hut on Rabbit Run behind Lower Richland High School. 767-3715 or 369-9538.

•FUNDR AIS ER S

22nd Annual Midlands Heart Ball will be held February 18, 2012, 6-11 p.m., Township Auditorium. www.heart.org/midlandsscheartball or 806-3091.

•GARDEN

The Garden Club Council of Greater Columbia will meet January 23, Garden Council Building, 1605 Park Circle, Maxcy Gregg Park. The board will meet at 9 a.m.; refreshments prepared by Gardendale Garden Club will be served at 9:30, program will begin at 10 a.m.

•HE ALTH

Free Hearing Health Seminar to learn about advanced treatments for severe to profound hearing loss, sponsored by Cochlear Americas, will be held Saturday, January 21, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Embassy Suites Columbia, Greystone, 200 Stoneridge Drive. www.hearinghealthseminar.com or 877-HEAR-THIS toll free.

Palmetto Health Heart Hospital will host Second World Record Zumbathon as part of 29HeartDays Heart Month Celebration 8:30-11:30 a.m., Saturday, February 4, Strom Thurmond Wellness & Fitness Center, 1000 Blossom Street. 29HeartDays.com or 296-CARE (2273).

•MEETINGS

South Carolina Advocates For Epilepsy will meet Sunday, January 22, 2-4 p.m., Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church. 843-991-7144.

Palmetto Painters, a SC Chapter of the Society of Decorative Painters, will meet Saturday, February 11, 10 a.m., Green Hill Baptist Church, 1734 Augusta Road, West Columbia. 781-2340 or www.PalmettoPainters.com.

Palmetto Friends Gathering, an annual statewide fellowship weekend for Friends (Quakers), will be held January 27-29, Camp Kinard near Batesburg-Leesville. www.palmettofriends.org or 843-365-6654.

South Carolina Association of Taxpayers will meet January 21, 10 a.m., 4001 Rosewood Drive. 748-9198.

•MUSI C

Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra & the USC Dance Company will present The Joy of Dance performance art program Sunday, February 19, 3:30 p.m., Harbison Theater at Midlands Technical College. LMSO.org.

“Rocketman,” a Tribute to Sir Elton John, presented by Tokyo Joe, will be held Saturday, January 28, 7:30 p.m., Koger Center for the Arts. 251-2222 or www.koger.sc.edu.

Lexington County Choral Society and the Music and Creative Arts Program of Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church will present Chad Martin, organist in concert Friday, January 20, 7:30 p.m., Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church, 5503 Sunset Blvd., Lexington. www.lexcochoralsoc.org

Living Fountains, a Christian singing group from Lexington, will host a monthly Southern Gospel concert Saturday, January 28, Round Hill Baptist Church, 7 p.m., 230 Persimmon Lane, Lexington. 996-2181 or fountains1@windstream.net.

Speak for Me Concert to honor 30th birthday of local woman with down syndrome will be held Sunday, January 22, 5-7 p.m., Eau Claire High School Theatre. www.FamilyConnectionSC.org.

Columbia’s Sweet Adeline Chapter, Heart of Columbia Chorus, will host its annual open house January 26, 7-9 p.m., Lexington Baptist Church, (left side of the church and upstairs), 308 E. Main Street, Lexington. www.heartofcolumbia.com

•SCHOOLS

Chief Justice Jean Toal of the South Carolina Supreme Court will be special guest speaker during St. Peter’s Catholic School’s celebration of Catholic Schools Week Thursday, February 2, 6-8 p.m., St. Peter’s Cardinal Bernardin Center, 1529 Assembly Street. 957-1431 or ddavis@stpeters-catholic-school.org.

•S P ORTS/FITNESS

Midlands Heart Walk will be held March 24, 2012, 9 a.m.-noon, Colonial Life Arena. 806-3092 or www.Midlandsheartwalk.com

Cupid’s Chase 5k Run, sponsored by Community Options will be held February 11, Finlay Park, 8 a.m. cupidschase@comop.org or 750-8998.

The first annual 5K Run to the Plate sponsored by Brookland Cayce High School Baseball Team, will be held Saturday, February 4, 9 a.m. at Brookland Cayce High School. Packet pick-up will be Friday, February 3 4-6 p.m., Brookland Cayce High School gymnasium. 739-4651 or www.strictlyrunning.com.

Gridiron Alumni would like to bring alumni football to the whole state of South Carolina. Teams from Columbia, Flora, Hammond, Heathwood Hall Episcopal, Irmo, and other area teams are forming now. Games are scheduled for March and April, but spots and game dates fill up fast. www.gridironalumni.com or 530-410-6396.

Sixth Annual Red Nose Run will be held Saturday, January 28, 10K 8 a.m., 5K 8:15 a.m., all races start and end at Colonial Life Arena. www.StrictlyRunning.com. Bible Way Church will host the Annual A.C. Jackson 5K Memorial Walk, A.C. Jackson Wellness Center, 2608 Atlas Road, Saturday, January 21, 8:30 a.m. registration begins; 9 a.m. walk begins. www.BWCAR.org.

Third annual “Race for the Place” 5K run/walk will be held Saturday, February 11, 8 a.m. The race route is in the Shandon area; the start line is at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. www.stlawrenceplace.org or www.strictlyrunning.com.

•THEATR E

Larry Hembree’s Big Fat Gay Redneck Wedding Extravaganza to help raise money for the Nickelodeon Theatre will be held at the Capitol Senior Center Friday, February 3, 7 p.m. 1650 Park Circle. ww.nickelodeon.org.

•WORKS HOP S /LECTURES

“Lunch and Learn” is being held at the Capital Senior Center, 1650 Park Circle, second Thursday, 11:30 a.m. 779-1971.

Columbia Museum of Art welcomes Pulitzer Prize winner and museum member Steven Naifeh for a champagne reception, lecture, and book signing Friday, January 20, 6 p.m. for his new biography with Gregory White Smith, Van Gogh: The Life. columbiamuseum.org.

Business Grant Writing II Training Camp, an initiative of the Carolina Encouragement Center, will be held Tuesday, January 31, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or 3:30-7:30 p.m., Carolina Encouragement Center Training Center, 1815 Gervais Street. 931-8881.

Columbia Shepherd Center sponsors 18 classes for the mature and eager to learn. Topics include Ancient Israel prophesies, visual & musical arts, painting, bridge, conversation, histories, literature, travel, writing and yoga; also enjoy blood pressures checks, fellowship, and a $7 optional lunch (reservation by Monday 10 a.m.), 3401 Trenholm Road. 779-4449 or www.shepherdscenterofcolumbia.com.

S.C. Bar Pro Bono Program will sponsor two free legal clinics in the Columbia area in January. January 24, bankruptcy law issues, 6:30-8 p.m., Lexington County Public Library-Irmo Branch, 6251 St. Andrews Road. January 31, real estate issues and foreclosures, 6:30-8 p.m., Lexington County Public Library-Main Branch, 5440 Augusta Road, Lexington. www.scbar.org/clinics or 799-6653, ext. 158.

Richland County Grants Office will host a free Grant Workshop Wednesday, January 25, 2-4 p.m., Council Chambers, inside County Administration building, 2020 Hampton Street. The workshop is designed for eligible non-profit organizations interested in applying for the Accommodations Tax and Hospitality Tax grants. 576-2069 or salleys@rcgov.us.

Iota Omicron Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. will host its 8th Annual Youth Symposium Saturday, March 10, John H. Adams Gymnatorium on the campus of Allen University. 331-6761.

•ZOO

Free Fridays in January and February for residents of Richland and Lexington counties at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. Bring a valid driver’s license or property tax statement for proof of residency. 779-8717 or www.riverbanks.org.