Just a quick trip away from our cozy Holiday Inn hotel, Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream is sure to hit the spot when you’re craving a cool treat.

Sparky’s features a unique list of rotating flavors like mandarin orange dark chocolate, banana pancakes, and lavender honey, many of which are made using fresh, locally-sourced, and in-season ingredients. Fun flavors like ‘Oreo Speedwagon’ pay tribute to shop’s favorite bands and dairy-free options are available for vegan and vegetarian customers—cucumber melon sorbet anyone?

While savoring your sweet frozen treat, you can also enjoy the colorful and quirky mini-museum of odd painting the shop has acquired over the years. On your way out, you might even feel inclined to pay your respects to the original Sparky, a lovable English bulldog immortalized by one artist’s surprisingly life-like ceramic statue outside.

Address: 21 S 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201

Not only are the lanes and facilities world-class, but AMF Town and Country also includes delicious food offerings, a full bar with talented bartenders, an exciting arcade, and even billiards tables. The bowling alley is only about 5 minutes from the Holiday Inn Columbia and they have special offers almost every night of the week. All of the fun starts on Mondays with Monday Mayhem featuring unlimited bowling and shoes and half-price arcade game cards. Tuesdays are all about the 2’s with $2.88 games, drinks, and food specials. Half price arcade games return all day on Wednesday, and Thursday is College Night. You can even reserve a lane ahead of time for an entertaining date night on Fridays and Saturdays. Lastly, you can close your week with a Sunday Funday that includes bowling, food, and drink specials.

With over 200 episodes of the television show and even a feature-length film, MST3K is now taking the show on the road. Joel Hodgson will be joined on stage by the popular wisecracking robots Tom Servo, Crow, and Gypsy. This new stage show, called Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live: The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour, will be making a stop at the University of Missouri on February 19 at the Jesse Auditorium. This beautiful performance space is only about 15 minutes from the Holiday Day Inn Columbia. Throughout the show, Joel and his robotic friends will hilariously dissect and roast B movies. They will perform some of the most popular bits from the television show as well as some brand new material made just for the tour.

With a visit to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, you can knock two resolutions out with one stone, pun intended. Rock Bridge Memorial State Park provides visitors the opportunity to reconnect with nature, resolution number 1, and experience all of Missouri’s natural beauty. Additionally, there are numerous scenic trails to hike, bike, and explore, exercise being resolution number 2. Some of the highlights of the park include Devil’s Icebox and Connor’s Cave, both excellent examples of the diversity of the Missouri cave system. You will see sinkholes, a rock bridge, and plenty of wild animals during your adventure. The park is open year-round, so you just need to check the weather before heading out to the park, which is located just 20 minutes from Holiday Inn Columbia.

While the background music while we shop can at times get to be a bit much, there is truly nothing like celebrating the season with a live performance of holiday favorites. The 2019 Symphony of Toys Holiday Concert will take place on Sunday, December 15 at the Missouri Theatre. This beautiful venue is only about 15 minutes from the Holiday Inn Columbia, and this annual performance is most certainly worth the short drive. The Missouri Symphony will delight audiences all throughout the performance with holiday favorites, classic carols, and even some special appearances. There will even be bins at the venue for you to donate a new and unopened toy as part of the US Marines Toys for Tots program. If you are looking for a way to get into the holiday spirit, then you will want to attend the Symphony of Toys Holiday Concert.

You can probably smell the turkey coming out of the oven, hear the sounds of laughter as your family gathers around the table, and even taste the special creamy mashed potatoes that only get made around the holidays. The downside to all that delicious food is the exercise that is required to burn all of those extra calories. This Thanksgiving, start your day with the Chapman HVAC Turkey Trax 5K. The event is a family-friendly 5K run or walk, depending on your goals and skill level. All proceeds from the event will go to the Central Missouri Red Cross, so you will be working up an appetite while supporting a good cause. After completing the race, which runs through urban areas of Columbia as well as MU’s campus, you can have that second piece of pumpkin pie without the slightest twinge of guilt. After all, you earned it.

As the temperatures begin to drop and the leaves start to change color, it is time to start thinking about Halloween festivities. If you are looking for a place to pick out the perfect pumpkin directly from the source, then you will want to visit Strawberry Hill Farms. This delightful farm that has been serving the Columbia area since 1980 is only about 20 minutes from the Holiday Inn Columbia. In addition to pumpkins, Strawberry Hill Farms has a variety of gourds, mums, and fall-blooming flowers available for purchase. In essence, they have everything you need to decorate your house for the Autumn season. All October long, they are open Monday through Saturday from 9-6 and Sunday from 1-6. That gives you plenty of time to plan your trip to Strawberry Hill Farms.

In the next month or so, there are some very exciting comedians bringing their acts to CoMo Comedy Club. The hilarity kicks-off with Greg Warren on September 13. Greg, a Mizzou alum,  is best known for his recent appearances on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “The Late Late Show.” Next on the calendar is Josh Blue who broke out in the comedy world by winning the fourth season of Last Comic Standing.  Josh will be performing on September 26. Closing out the month on September 28 is another comedian from Last Comic Standing, Chris Porter. Chris gained fame while on the show as well as his Netflix special which remains one of the highest-rated on the streaming platform. No matter which shows you can attend, you will be sure to enjoy an evening full of laughter and fun.

Located less than ten minutes away from the Holiday Inn Columbia, Midway has something for just about everyone. College students looking for bargains to make their dorms or houses a little homier will be delighted by the selection. More experienced antique lovers are sure to find a thing or two that they have never come across before. You can even get advice on arts and crafts projects that will most assuredly delight the little ones. The Midway Antique Mall is extremely large, which means it is filled with potential bargains. The staff is both knowledgeable and very friendly, and they are always happy to point you in the right direction.

Located just 10 minutes from The Holiday Inn Columbia, Ragtag Cinema allows filmgoers to experience films that they would not otherwise be exposed to. Currently, Ragtag is showing Jim Jarmusch’s new film, The Dead Don’t Die, which features Bill Murray and Adam Driver fighting zombies in a small town. Other films that are coming soon to the theater include A Bigger Splash, Echo in the Canyon, Maiden, Paris is Burning, and the highly anticipated Midsommar. If you are a cinephile or you are simply looking for a new movie-watching experience, then Ragtag Cinema is just the place for you. After just one visit, you will start actively seeking a wider range of films than those that can be found at the local multiplex.

All kids ages 4-15 are welcome to participate in an obstacle course that is as fun as it is muddy, and there is a lot of mud. Depending on the age of the child, the course is 1-3 kilometer, but each course is filled with obstacles such as tires, pipes, walls, and the aforementioned mud. In addition to the obstacle courses, there are plenty of great spaces reserved for spectators to take pictures of the kiddoes in action. Be sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty, because it is not a question of whether you will get muddy, but just how muddy will you get.

To celebrate the end of another successful school year, you should kick back and have some fun at the School’s Out Hip Hop Showcase on Friday, May 31, and Saturday, June 1. The incredible show full of local hip hop artists will take place at Cafe Berlin which is less than 10 minutes from the Holiday Inn Columbia. Some of the performers that will showcase their talents are Sergio Slayer, Prophet, Sxnny, TeeCee, and Dinero and J. Artiz with DJ Seoul Train. The School’s Out Hip Hop Showcase is a unique opportunity to support and enjoy local artists as they hone their craft. Whether you are a longtime hip hop fan, or you just like to support local music, this is the perfect event to start your summer vacation.

On April 19, The Unbound Book Festival is bringing Saunders to The Missouri Theatre for a literary discussion with novelist and poet Monica Ferrell. The Missouri Theatre is a beautiful venue for such a discussion, and it is located only 10 short minutes from the Holiday Inn Columbia. Saunders is probably best known for his best selling collection of short stories, Pastoralia, but he has also written the novel Lincoln in the Bardo, New York Times Notable Book Tenth of December, and even an award-winning children’s book. George Saunders is one of those literary geniuses that will amaze you with his storytelling ability as well as his approach to the writing process. This free event starts at 7:30 PM and concludes at 9:30 PM.

In fact, he was so skilled that he often blended the genres seamlessly, creating works that have rarely been improved upon in the last 400 years. From March 14-16, Stephens College will be performing Shakespeare’s historical tragedy Julius Caesar. This performance of the classic tale will feature a few twists that will provide new insight into the story of political intrigue and betrayal. By the time Brutus and Cassius have successfully organized the assassination of the famous Caesar, you will be amazed at the Stephens College players’ ability to transport you back to Bard’s time. While the language of the play is Renaissance in style, the themes seem like they could have been ripped from today’s headlines.

This incredible event takes place at Dive Bar which is less than 10 minutes from the Holiday Inn Columbia. The thing that makes Angel’s Envy unique is that their bourbon is finished in port wine casks. Your 3 guaranteed samples include Angel’s Envy Port, Angel’s Envy Finished Rye, and the Angel’s Envy 2017 Cask Strength. After the meal has concluded, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a cigar and the Angel’s Envy 2018 Cask Strength if you upgrade your package. If you are looking for an intimate evening filled with good food, incredible drinks, and unbelievable ambiance, then the Angel’s Envy Whiskey Pairing at Dive Bar is the perfect event for you.

But have you ever wondered how all of the heroes and villains ended up in Neverland in the first place? The stage play, Peter and the Starcatcher, tells just that story. Additionally, this incredible prequel is made with adults in mind. The Columbia Entertainment Company will be performing  Peter and the Starcatcher on January 17-20, 24-27, 31, and February 1-3. The company’s theatre is only about 10 minutes from Holiday Inn Columbia, so this is one show that you will not want to miss. The Columbia Entertainment Company’s performance will be directed by Kay Cook who also helmed last year’s popular performance of Bye Bye Birdie. Peter Pan may be the boy who never grows up, but this grown-up prequel to the classic tale will have you laughing and smiling all night long.