Staff Picks

Those who are too old for Trick or Treating, those too scared of Haunted Houses, and those who are looking for a more fun Halloween experience, should head to the Blue Note for the Brew and View event on Halloween night.

To many football fans, the atmosphere at a college game surpasses the intensity and excitement of an NFL game.

In 2017, Longboat Brewing and The Blue Note put on the first ever Fortune Fest.

It is no secret that there has been craft beer and microbrewery explosion in the United States in the last few years.

Some of the most iconic films in movie history have equally iconic soundtracks, scores, and musical cues.

With the high paced nature of our modern lives, sometimes it is necessary and important to lose yourself in the serenity and beauty of nature.

Even though the Major League Baseball season just started, college baseball has been going strong for a couple of months now.

Even though it seems impossible, Nirvana’s smash album Nevermind will turn 30 in just a few years.

Conari Escape Rooms is the most exciting new escape room adventure in the entire Columbia, Missouri area.

From January 16 through March 9, you have the extraordinary opportunity to indulge your artistic side with a special exhibit from the Columbia Art League.

Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?

The entire city of Columbia is buzzing about the potential of this year’s Men’s Basketball team.

Who among us hasn’t imagined what it would have been like to live in that great intellectual, artistic, and civic blossoming that defined the Renaissance Europe? Now’s your chance to live that fantasy firsthand at the 12^th annual Central Missouri Renaissance Festival.

From Saturday, September 15, through Sunday, September 16, the 40^th Annual Heritage Festival and Craft Show will offer locals and visitors alike the opportunity to travel back in time to witness the ways of a bygone era firsthand. 

Now that summer is winding down, you’ll want to get out and enjoy the warm weather while you still can. To that end, here are some free outdoor activities this month that are great for the whole family.

One of the most venerable symphony orchestras in the heartland, the Missouri Symphony Orchestra emerged in 2005 under the direction of Kirk Trevor. Among Maestro Trevor's many accomplishments is the founding of the Hot Summer Nights Festival, the Midwest’s biggest classical and pops summertime extravaganza.

Take a stroll down Columbia’s 9^th Street, known to locals as “The District,” for a fun summer outing that exudes college town charm.

Now that spring is here and the weather is finally starting to warm up, we recommend you take a trip down to Columbia’s most famous dessert joint, Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream, just a short drive from our Holiday Inn hotel.

We Missourians take a lot of pride in our beautiful countryside, which is why the Holiday Inn Executive Center of Columbia is inviting all our guests who enjoy running to participate in the 5^th annual Chasing the Sun 5k walk-or-run the morning of Saturday, May 6.

Open wide for these tributes to slaking thirst and bounding from place to place.

It’s a year-round love affair for those who live in Columbia.

Putting a little art in your step can be a beautiful solution to lingering last-year funk.

Columbia produces theatrical shows to warm hearts, deck the streets with bells of holly, and invite friends for an evening of musical entertainment.

Guests will likely be taking a break from the holiday’s typical cooking and baking routine, but you can take an alternative challenge with the Boone Foundation’s TurkeyTrax 5k Run. 

Join Holiday Inn Columbia as we point out a couple great ideas for stepping into a month filled with healthy and family-friendly festivities.

As the midwestern United States moves into fall, there's plenty in Columbia to keep you in the sunshine.

Let Holiday Inn Columbia be your guide to ripe fruit and vegetables, belly laughs, and backyard barbecue.

It’s hot in Missouri, and this year’s predicted to be another scorcher. There’s just no beating that July heat during the day. Of course, our Holiday Inn Executive Center knows a thing or two about staying cool indoors while having fun.

Familiarly referred to by local residents as "The District," downtown Columbia’s 9th Street competes for its fair share of Missouri’s year-round visitors with friendly shops and eateries built for every appetite.

Earth Day might be on April 22nd, but caring for the Earth doesn’t have to end after that. On April 30th, visitors to our Columbia hotel can take part in the 4th Annual Chasing the Sun 5k at Stephen’s Lake Park, at the Happy Hollow Shelter, located just ten minutes from the Holiday Inn Executive Center.

Spring in Missouri is still a little on the chilly side, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting the scoop on a Columbia institution, Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream! 

Sometimes, you want to go out and get crazy, but other times, you’re just looking for a relaxing place to feed your need for delicious pizza and amazing local craft beer. With twenty-four rotating taps, award-winning pizza and a comfortable patio with a roaring fire for the winter, 1839 Taphouse is that place. 

If you’re looking for a quiet afternoon away from the cold, we recommend checking out the Museum of Art and Archeology on the University of Missouri campus. 

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you need to be stuck inside, especially during what’s so far been a record mild winter season. There’s plenty of great places to enjoy outdoor activities in when visiting the city, including Stephens Lake Park, a 116-acre park located just ten minutes from our Columbia hotel. 

Everybody loves Thanksgiving, but nobody loves the weight gain that seems to always come with it! Luckily, we know an event that can offset it: The Turkey Trax Run, which will begin at Ultramax Sports, located less than ten minutes from our Columbia hotel, and will wind its way around the city.

If ghosts and ghouls wandering the streets isn't your cup of tea and you're looking for something a little more laid back this Halloween but still in the spirit of the season, we recommend checking out the Fright Night Double Feature at the Missouri Theater located just ten minutes from our Columbia hotel.

If you're on the hunt for quality craft beer, consider checking out Flat Branch Pub and Brewing, Gold Medal Winner for Best Overall Restaurant for six years running in Inside Columbia Magazine's "Best of Columbia" poll.

Summertime means a lot of things: it's hot, there's no school, but in Columbia it also means free summer movies at the Rose Music Hall!

If you're in the mood for the great outdoors, it doesn't get much greater than Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, a massive, untouched natural area just twenty minutes from our Columbia hotel.

People will tell you that New York has the market cornered on pizza, but those people haven't tried Shakespeare's Pizza, a local institution with a huge following, ranked on TripAdvisor in the top five of all the restaurants in Columbia and just ten minutes from our Columbia hotel.

Ready to explore outdoors? Not far from our Columbia, MO hotel lies Rock Bridge State Park, a must-see for anyone who enjoys trail hiking, biking and horseback riding amid wildflowers in full bloom around beautiful natural rock formations.

The most beloved music venue in Columbia, MO, The Blue Note has hosted plenty of headliners in its 30-year-history - everyone from Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash to the Red Hot Chili Peppers have made Columbus a must-play date on their tours. Located in a restored Vaudeville Theater in the heart of the North Ninth Street Historic District, it's a Columbia classic you can't miss whenever you happen to be in town.

The farm-fresh goodness of the Columbia Farmers Market moves inside in the colder months but - even indoors - it's a welcome taste of Missouri deliciousness and a favorite Columbia, MO event among locals. With spring arriving at last, take a break and head to Parkade Plaza on Saturday mornings, 9 am to noon.