For the eighth year Indie Grits Festival, hosted by the Nickelodeon Theatre, features 10 days filled with all types of films, from experimental shorts to feature-length, along with music, food, and video games. As you’ll see below, Indie Grits expands from its film festival roots again this year to partner with Slow Food Columbia, Hip Hop Family Day, The Weekly Revue and Indie Bits, a new video game showcase in its inaugural year. Each year Indie Grits brings in a feature musical artists which has ranged from Toro y Moi to The Olivia Tremor Control. This year IG taps the Athens market and the Elephant 6 Collective again with of Montreal, a rock band who released their twelfth studio album Lousy with Sylvianbriar in October, 2013.

April 11

Opening Night Party

Date: Friday, April 11th
Place:  Back Parking Lot behind the Nickelodeon Theatre
Time: 6:00pm — 11:00pm
General Admission: FREE for everyone!

The Indie Grits opening party wasn’t always open to the public, but now it is and it’s become one of the premier free and open parties in Columbia, SC each year. This year the party moves to the parking lot behind the Nickelodeon Theater on Main Street. What’s a party without some rocking bands? Boring. So this year they’ve acquired the talents of the former Charleston now Nashville songbird Rachel Kate along with the fuzzed out desert rock of Shantih Shantih from Atlanta, GA. That’s not all. Girls Rock Columbia have a special act in store for the crowd as they promote their cause and gear up for this years summer camp. The Whig will be out slinging craft brews while they’ll be an array of food from pizza from Village Idiot, Sausage from the Wurst Wagon, Cajun-Creole dishes from Bourbon and Paradise Ice to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

April 12

HIP HOP FAMILY DAY

Date: April 12 11:00am — 5:00pm

Place: 1700 block Main Street downtown, Columbia SC

Free for all ages and open to the public!

Indie Grits once again partners with Love, Peace, and Hip-Hop to bring Hip Hop Family Day back to Main St. and promote a positive image, showcasing some of the best and brightest local hip-hop artists. The event focuses on the rich history of hip-hop culture, it’s importance, and its ability to empower listeners. The highlight of the day will be a performance from Slick Rick, along with up-and-coming artists, DJs, B-boy Dance Crews, cutting edge hip hop visual artists, and crafts & fashion from the southeast.

SPORK IN HAND PUPPET SLAM

Place: Nickelodeon Theatre

General Admission: $10

Additional Times– April 12 at 7 PM and 9 PM and April 13 at 7 PM

Spork in Hand Puppet Slam is one of the most unique events at Indie Grits bringing together puppeteers and artists from across the southeast for an adults only performance. They describe the performance as  “gloriously gritty evenings of experimental short puppetry and object theatre performances…a celebration of Southern puppetry that is off-the-beaten-path.” An added bonus for local music fans, Can’t Kids are the house band for this years slam.

April 13