Carriage Tours In Columbia, SC

They’ve dressed star USC athletes in Gamecock attire and nervous young grooms in fabulous formalwear. They’ve introduced notable brands from Ralph Lauren to Brackish, the Charleston-based creators of feathered bowties. They’ve donated impressive sums of money to numerous worthy causes and set a Guiness World Record for most bowties tied simultaneously, an event in which 800+ people participated! Every year, they celebrate Christmas in July, an annual outdoor celebration featuring fashion, food and fun!

Miraculously, they reignited a business that dates back 80 years in Columbia. But with very mixed feelings, Stacy Levinson and Perry Lancaster have announced their store closing. Perry has worked at the store since 1975 when he was 17; Stacy joined her family’s business in 1990, after learning the ropes at several NYC retail establishments, including Tiffany & Co., Barneys, and Macy’s (where she was once named manager of the year). Her parents, Arnold and Faye Levinson, opened Brittons in 1947 on Main Street. At its peak, Brittons had four stores and 150 employees. In 1996, they downsized to a single store on Devine Street. Their business has been 60 percent men’s, 40 percent women’s.

The two (who married sometime after Stacy joined the family business) attribute the store’s longevity to hard work and teamwork: Stacy comes up with business-generating ideas, her husband figures out how to execute them. “I’m the director,” Stacy explains, “and Perry is the producer. He’s the one who makes things happen…”

So why close now? “Because we’re tired,” says Stacy, with considerable emotion. “We’ve been realizing that the only way to grow the business is to totally restructure and hire more people. But what’s the point of that? We love what we do but it’s becoming a merry-go-round: our customers are aging out; we have many in their 80s and 90s who come into the store to find someone to talk to. Our oldest customer is 101! We’ve never worked harder but with not much to show for it. Bottom line: we’re exhausted! We’re proud of what we’ve created but it’s enough…”

Britton’s last day in operation will be December 24^th. For Stacy, closing the store is like losing a part of herself. “This business has been my whole life,” she confides. “Our family dinner-time conversation for decades. I remember my parents starting out with no money, no credit; my mom had to sell her jewelry. I remember my grandma working in the store: when she had a good customer, she’d pull off the ‘sale’ tickets…”

Asked what she’ll miss most, Stacy replies without hesitation: “Every single second, both the highs and the lows…” What she won’t miss: “Standing on my feet. Writing checks. Worrying about bills…”

Fortunately, Stacy is comforted by the tremendous outpouring of love from vendors, customers, employees and friends. One customer drove up from Atlanta for a final shopping spree, others are writing beautiful letters, sharing stories of how certain purchases and kindnesses have changed their lives. “It brings me joy to know that people have good memories…” says Stacy.

As for the future, Stacy is admittedly a bit worried about how she will fill her days. “I have no hobbies; I’m not into sports. This business has been my life. Perry will be fine: he loves gardening; he volunteers at the Botanical Gardens and attends dog-friendly festivals. He’s a people person. We’re planning some travel. After that, we shall see…”

Asked what he’ll most miss about the business, Perry doesn’t hesitate: “The store, the customers, the team, the routine, the travel, the market, getting alterations out on time…” What he won’t miss: “Paying the bills, selling the next suit, the groom coming in the day before the wedding because his future mother-in-law doesn’t like the bowtie choice so please overnight something else…”

As for regrets, Perry wonders if they shouldn’t have introduced e-commerce at some earlier point in time. But maybe not. “We’re a hands-on operation with 4^th generation customers; I believe our personal connections and our relationships are what’s kept us going.” Indeed. When Brittons closed briefly during Covid, customers called to ask Perry how much money he’d need to stay open.

Asked about the best decision he’s made in his career, Perry responds without hesitation: “Marrying Stacy Levinson.” Wishing Perry and Stacy a happy retirement, filled with good health, good friends and many new adventures.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A cross-partisan, citizen-led initiative called the South Carolina Forum is bringing residents together to discuss issues affecting the state.

Over nine months, the forum gathered input from 100,000 participants, compiling a list of community discussions on key issues in South Carolina. Hundreds of topics were narrowed down to two: slow wage growth and the rising cost of living.

The forum selected 100 of the total participants for a civic assembly.

Andrew Shue is the founder of One People, the organization behind the initiative. He is also a Hollywood actor. He’s trading those acting skills in for people skills.

“They feel like they’re in a conundrum where they don’t have enough jobs for all the people coming into the state and they don’t have enough pay for people to own a home and live the kind of life they want,” Shue said. “When you get citizens from all different backgrounds in a room together, they create something smart and they deliver real consensus.”

Niel Flamm, a Mount Pleasant resident, said the process works to find answers.

“What if a plant closes, technology takes over, if there’s a catastrophe in the family, if something is not viable anymore, what’s someone going to do to make a living to provide for their family and live comfortably,” Flamm said.

Malcolm Nowlan, a Florence resident, said the experience has been enlightening.

“We should all expect we can give input on the changes that happen in our state,” Nowlan said. “I hope we give something that helps some people.”

Shue said the forum will need 70% support from legislators for any potential bills it puts forward.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Wildcats (1-6-3, 1-1-1 SBC) are set to continue their three-match road trip on Saturday night against the No. 9 South Carolina Gamecocks (7-1-2, 1-0-2 SBC) at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

Kickoff for Saturday’s match has been moved to 3 p.m. ET due to expected inclement weather in the Columbia area.

Kentucky will face South Carolina for the 27th time in program history, boasting a 14-8-4 all-time series record and winning eight of the previous 10 meetings. Last time out, the Wildcats defeated the Gamecocks in a come-from-behind 2-1 win in Lexington, sparking a four-match win streak to clinch the 2025 Sun Belt Regular Season title.

The Wildcats earned their first win of the 2026 season last week in a 4-2 victory at home over the No. 23 Old Dominion Monarchs. Earlier this week, Kentucky led No. 2 Indiana 1-0 at the half in the nonconference finale but ultimately fell 3-1 to the Hoosiers in Bloomington.

Upon his return from injury, midfielder Agustin Lopez has scored both of Kentucky’s previous two goals, including the game-winning goal against Old Dominion and the opening goal against Indiana.

On the defensive end, the Wildcats saw the return of the senior defender Sinan Solmaz to the lineup on Tuesday night, logging 34 minutes in his first appearance of the season. Goalkeeper Benjamin Rasmussen now ranks third in the Sun Belt with 34 saves on the season after his impressive eight-save performance against the Hoosiers.

South Carolina enters matchday 11 of the season, coming off a 1-1 draw against the No. 16 West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown last week, moving their overall record to 7-1-2 on the year.

The Gamecocks are currently in third place in the Sun Belt Conference with five points through the first three games, including a win over Old Dominion and a draw against James Madison.

For the latest on Kentucky Men’s Soccer, follow the Wildcats on , and , and on the web at .

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)–City of Columbia leaders want you to be prepared for the potential weather this weekend.

Officials urge drivers to avoid flood-prone streets and intersections throughout the City.

Per the City, be advised of the following safety tips:

The following streets and intersections are prone to flooding during heavy rain events. Please avoid these areas during and immediately after heavy rains.

Per the City of Columbia:

If you encounter a flooded street or intersection, turn around; do not attempt to drive through it. Water may be deeper than it appears and can hide many hazards (i.e. sharp objects, washed out road surfaces, electrical wires, chemicals, etc.). A vehicle caught in swiftly moving water can be swept away in a matter of seconds. Twelve inches of water can float a car or small SUV and 18 inches of water can carry away large vehicles.

Stay away from storm-damaged areas to include damaged or downed trees and power lines to keep from putting yourself at risk from the effects of severe thunderstorms.

To assist with keeping the storm drainage system working properly we would ask that yard debris and other items not be placed adjacent or next to drainage structures.

If you notice a storm drain which is blocked by debris, please notify the Public Works Street Division at 545-3780 during regular business hours and Customer Care at 545-3300 after 5 p.m. and on weekends. An alternate non-emergency number is 252-2911. For emergencies please call 911.

If trees are down in the public right of way or blocking roadways, call the Forestry Division at 545-3860. After 5 p.m., call the Customer Care Center at 545-3300.

Williams-Brice Stadium will have to wait a little longer for its first concert since 2018.

The Oct. 29 concert scheduled for the venue featuring R&B stars Chris Brown and Usher on their Raymond & Brown tour has been canceled. It would have been the first major concert at the home of University of South Carolina’s football since Beyoncé and Jay-Z performed there eight years ago.

A message on the Ticketmaster page for the Columbia concert confirmed the date is off, stating the “Event Organizer has had to cancel your event.”

Those who have purchased a ticket will be issued a refund to their original method of payment used at the time of purchase “as soon as funds are received from the Event Organizer,” which Ticketmaster says should come within 14-21 days.

No more specific reason was given for the Columbia cancellation.

The South Carolina concert joins three other October dates that were announced in August that have also been called off, according to the singers’ online tour listings. The canceled shows were set for Baltimore, Cincinnati and Indianapolis.

Past concerts at Williams-Brice

In the now somewhat distant past, concerts were a common occurrence at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The stadium was visited by Kenny Chesney twice in the 2000s and saw a Farm Aid date featuring the likes of Hootie & the Blowfish, Neil Young and Jewel in 1996. Metallica, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2 and Johnny Cash all played the stadium between 1987 and 1994, according to setlist.fm.

But the intention is for that to change. Athletic Director Jerimiah Donati previously told Free Times that with the more than $300 million in renovation projects slated to give the outdated stadium a facelift over the next three years, the university will be on the lookout to host “multiple large-scale events each year.”

“These renovations will make the venue more attractive for concerts, international and professional sporting events and other major gatherings,” Donati said in an October 2025 email to Free Times.