The Card, The City, and Days Gone By

Are you a card-carrying Columbian? I am.

No, we don’t have a CA membership. (We did buy a pool membership one summer but those have been discontinued.) But you can still have a Columbia Card if you live on assessed property and it’s rather useful during the summer.

Ask CA: What is the Columbia Card?

As far as pool season goes, Columbia Cardholders get discounted rates and four guest passes per family for the 2023 season, which can be used at any CA pool Monday through Thursday (excluding holidays). All Columbia Cardholders also get free admission to CA’s outdoor pools on the second Sunday of each month: June 11, July 9 and August 13.

I just learned that the Columbia Card is useful for other things as well. I’ll need to check that out. I was reminded that now is the time of year that I usually dig out my Columbia Card and put it in my wallet by a post from CA on Facebook.

Hey #ColumbiaCard holders🖐🏼. Mark your calendars! Second Sunday is around the corner, which means FREE entry into CA's outdoor pools. 😎

Let me know when you see it.

I am sorely tempted to say something pointed and unforgiving here. Maybe you will so I don’t have to.

Moving on, here’s a nostalgic post from the Village of Wilde Lake.

Who else remembers Columbia’s City Fair? Always a great time!

Alas, I do not remember the Columbia City Fair. It’s before my time. I have seen references to it over the years, largely when taking a swipe at the Columbia Festival of the Arts weekend at the Lakefront.

I liked it better when it was the City Fair.

Oof. There’s no pleasing some people.

It’s interesting to me that it was called a “city fair” when I have been told over and over again by some folks that Columbia was never meant to be a city. Hmm.

So, tell me about the City Fair. Where was it held? What was it like? Is it worth further research, possibly through the Columbia Maryland Archives? Do you remember the last year it was held?

Perhaps similar a taste of nostalgia is headed our way as CA celebrates Columbia’s 56th birthday on June 15 at the next Lakefront Live event.

PLUS: before the concert begins, we’ll be celebrating Columbia’s birthday at the lakefront! We invite you to join in the celebration — from 6pm until the concert begins, stop by the lakefront to enjoy free ice cream and party crafts. We’ll even be giving out birthday gifts (while supplies last). We can’t wait to see you there!

Purists will note that Columbia’s real birthday is June 21st and that Jim Rouse presided over actual cake (or cupcakes.) I’m fine with ice cream, given the time of year. But will they sing Happy Birthday?

Columbia's first birthday took place in 1968. Photo courtesy of Columbia Archives (courtesy of Columbia Archives / Baltimore Sun)

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