Where does Forest Acres light its holiday tree? On Tuesday, December 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., the city's Sweet Seasons event takes place at the shopping center it calls "Lowe's Food Shopping Center." That's Forest Park Shopping Center, at 4711 Forest Drive.
Forest Acres has a strip of retail where a downtown would usually sit. The city's six-acre park on the former Richland Mall site is meant to change that. Lynnsey Baker, the city's director of communications, told WIS that with the park, "we are finally going to have a gathering space worthy of Forest Acres." WIS reported in July 2026 that the full redevelopment is now expected to be finished by April 2028. Until then, the gathering is happening in parking lots and storefronts along Forest Drive. Nearly everything new in Forest Acres this year went into one of those shopping centers.
Forest Park and Cardinal Crossing share one block
The center hosting the tree lighting also got two of this year's openings. The city's May 2026 business roundup reported Jimador Real, which it described as "an elevated take on Mexican cuisine," along with a Tropical Smoothie Cafe at Forest Park. The same roundup puts Forest Park "next door" to Cardinal Crossing. Together the two centers make the busiest stretch of the corridor this year.
Cardinal Crossing is the closest thing Forest Acres has to a walkable center. The city describes it as a $60 million development with 256 residential units and about 42,000 square feet of retail. In 2026 it picked up:
- Konnichiwa, a Japanese restaurant serving sushi, steak, hibachi rice bowls and ramen, at 4605 Forest Drive. The State reported it's in the space Poogan's Southern Kitchen held until it closed in 2024, and listed hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, based on Google. It's the third Midlands location, after Lexington and Irmo.
- West of Vine, a women's clothing boutique with shoes, accessories and swimwear. It's run by local owner Nancy Hull, who also started Cottage and Vine.
- Ascend Studios, which the city reported is fully leased, adding to the center's boutique fitness offerings.
These joined tenants The State lists as already there, including Handel's ice cream, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Surcheros, Clean Juice, Lazy Daisy coffee shop and Bad Daddy's Burger Bar.
That tenant list matters for December. Among the vendors at the city's 2025 Sweet Seasons were Handel's Ice Cream and Nothing Bundt Cakes, both Cardinal Crossing businesses. The list also included Arepa Chef, Billy G's, Crumbl Cookies and Boca Grande Burritos, whose Forest Village location shares a row with one of this year's openings. So last year's holiday event at Forest Park was served partly by the center next door. On this stretch, the two centers already work like one public space.
What the rest of Forest Drive added
Beyond that block, the year's new businesses landed in older centers, and each fills a specific need.
| Location | What's new in 2026 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Trenholm Plaza | Chopt Creative Salad Company | First South Carolina location, in a center owned and operated by Edens |
| Forest Village Shopping Center | The Briar Patch | Children's clothing boutique between BeBeep a Toy Shop and Boca Grande Burritos |
| Forest Drive | TrussVet | Urgent care for pets, opened in April, the North Carolina company's first South Carolina location |
| North Trenholm Road, next to City Hall | MUSC primary care practice | 4,500-square-foot practice that broke ground on a site vacant since the 2015 flood |
| 3135 Forest Drive | The Honey Market | Coffee, wine, gourmet provisions and housewares near the gateway from Columbia |
The Post and Courier reported Chopt's grand opening on March 25, 2026. The MUSC building is also local work. The city reports that Cason Development Group and Mimms Contracting, both Forest Acres companies, are part of the build.
The Honey Market is the one stop on this list that feels like a hangout. According to Free Times, it soft-opened to the public on July 9, 2026, selling coffee, wine and household goods. A grand opening with longer hours was planned for late summer or early fall. In the city's announcement, owner Grace Berger described the atmosphere as "elegant, cheeky and just the right amount of extra." Soft-opening hours often change, so check the shop's current schedule before you go.
The Honey Market also sits at the end of Forest Drive that will change most. The city places it near the gateway from Columbia, the same entrance where it says the planned Kroger Marketplace on the old mall site will stand.
Gills Creek has a few Wednesdays left
The one regular outdoor gathering not held at a shopping center is the Forest Acres Farmers Market, and it's seasonal. The city lists it on Wednesdays, 2 to 6 p.m., April through November, at Gills Creek Memorial Park, 24 Forest Lake Place. The Scout Guide's calendar shows a market on Wednesday, November 25, the day before Thanksgiving.
In a September 30 visit, WIS named vendors including The Veggie Patch, Sunset Slush, Seashells By Cheryl, Dream Big Bakery, Lucy's Lemonade and Good Morning Sunshine Flower Farm. The station reported The Veggie Patch has been there since 2007. After the season ends in November, the city's next scheduled public gathering is the tree lighting at Forest Park.
The calendar between now and the tree lighting
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesdays through November, 2 to 6 p.m. | Forest Acres Farmers Market | Gills Creek Memorial Park, 24 Forest Lake Place |
| Wednesday, November 25 | Market date listed on The Scout Guide's calendar | Gills Creek Memorial Park |
| Tuesday, December 1, 5 to 8 p.m. | Sweet Seasons | Forest Park Shopping Center, 4711 Forest Drive |
The city hasn't posted the 2026 Sweet Seasons program yet. Last year's event, held Wednesday, December 3, 2025, had a tree-lighting countdown, free face painting and balloon animals, hot chocolate, photos with Santa and the Grinch, a kids' coloring station and a table for letters to the North Pole. It also had community performances alongside the vendors listed above. Expect a similar evening, and check the city's listing as December gets closer.
What's happening at the old mall site
The space meant to take over some of the shopping centers' civic role is past demolition and into construction. The city reports that demolition of the 26-acre former Richland Mall site is complete. The six-acre city park will border the mixed-use redevelopment led by Southeastern Development Associates. The Post and Courier reported that footings and building slabs are going in where the apartments will rise, at either end of what's left of the mall's parking garage.
Here's what's planned:
- Apartments. WIS reported approval for 380 luxury units. The city's May roundup said more than 350.
- A Kroger Marketplace with a fuel center, plus about 50,000 square feet of retail. The city expected retail leasing to begin later this year.
- The old parking garage, reworked for residents.
- The park, with a walking path, reading garden, playground and amphitheater, all planned to meet ADA requirements.
The park design changed this year. The city reports the amphitheater roof went from an oval concept to a more traditional amphitheater shape, with brick and iron detailing. Engineering after the site was cleared also changed a few buildings. One was turned to fit the floodway, and two planned buildings were combined into one with restrooms and other park amenities. Neither the park nor the development has a final name, and the city plans to look for a family, foundation or organization to sponsor naming rights.
Here's the timing. The city planned to put the park out to bid this fall, hoped to get bids back in October and to start construction soon after. It expects construction to take about 12 to 18 months. A start around the end of 2026 points to a finished park sometime between late 2027 and mid-2028. That matches the city's earlier delivery window and WIS's April 2028 date for the whole project. That means at least one more December tree lighting at Forest Park, and likely two, before an amphitheater is ready to host it.
A new park, a Kroger Marketplace and several hundred apartments at the gateway will change how buyers see every street near Forest Drive. If you own nearby and want to know where your home stands before those projects open, Harcourts Carolinas can prepare a home valuation for you. Schedule a consultation and we'll go over what's being built near your street and how our in-house auction option could fit your plans.
