Where to shop in West Columbia on Tax-Free Weekend – Aug. 7-9 – School Starts Aug. 5
Teachers in West Columbia, and Lexington School District Two returned to their classroom Tuesday (July 28) to get ready to welcome students on Wednesday, Aug. 5, for the 2026–27 school year.
Classes for East Point Academy, for the Elementary and Middle School campuses start on Wednesday, Wednesday, Aug. 5, too. Classes at Gray Collegiate Academy start on Tuesday, August 4,
South Carolina’s 2026 Tax Free Weekend is scheduled for August 7–9, 2026, running from 12:01 a.m. Friday through midnight Sunday.
During this 72-hour sales tax holiday, shoppers can buy eligible items completely free of state and local sales taxes, both in physical stores and online. Click here
Tax Free Weekend in South Carolina first started in 2000. In past years, shoppers have saved between $2 million and $3 million during Tax Free Weekend. There are 20 taxes in the Sales and Use Tax family, though not all of them apply to retail sales. Some of these 20 are local taxes that counties may choose to adopt to fund things like transportation projects and schools or to reduce Property Taxes.
Where to shop in West Columbia on Tax-Free Weekend
The tax-free weekend is one of our biggest weekends of the year for Best Mattress on Meeting Street in West Columbia. Mattresses are not on the tax-free list on the tax-free weekend, but Best Mattress features deals for college-level back-to-school shoppers moving into apartments and condos.
In addition to housing for college students, new clothes, and shoes are a tradition that are a part of a new school, so Stone Boot Company on Meeting Street is a great place to shop on the tax-free weekend.
Barbara Janes Boutique 1505 Charleston Highway, West Columbia sells clothing. Barbara Janes recently added a men’s line to the store and changed the name to Indigo Proper.
Also: School supply retailers in West Columbia, including Family Dollar, Walmart, Dollar General, and Big Lots will welcome lots of shoppers this weekend.
Other school supplies not taxed include computers, printers, software, and accessories. Musical instruments used in the classroom or at home with respect to school assignments are exempt of sales tax, too.
Eligible Tax-Free Items
Clothing and accessories: Shoes, boots, coats, and everyday wear.
School supplies: Pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, and binders used for school assignments.
Computers and technology: Computers, software, printers, and computer accessories bundled with a CPU.
Bed and bath items: Select sheets, blankets, and towels.
Non-Eligible Items
Business or trade items: Equipment or supplies meant for commercial use.
Electronics without a CPU: Cell phones, smartphones, and independent handheld devices.
Accessories sold separately: Keyboards, mice, or displays not purchased with a main computer unit.
You can review complete, official guidelines and product lists directly on the South Carolina Department of Revenue portal
West Columbia Police Department Back to School Bash
The West Columbia Police Department had a great time hosting its Back to School Bash to support local students at every level! Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, the WCPD was able to distribute backpacks, folders, binders, pens and pencils, crayons, colored pencils, erasers, and sharpeners to help WeCo kids gear up for a successful school year.
A massive thank you to:
Paul Mitchell the School Columbia for providing fresh haircuts
Council Member District 5 Cookie Holmes
Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber & Visitors Program
Cayce-West Columbia Branch Library
Lexington School District 2 students to receive free breakfast and lunch
All Lexington School District Two students will eat breakfast and lunch meals at school at no cost during the 2026-2027 school year, with the district’s participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. CEP is a federal program that allows every enrolled student in Lexington Two to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day. Families do not need to fill out a meal application to qualify.
Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals.
Once the school year is under way, menus and nutrition information will be posted on the district’s website, www.lex2.org, and available through the NutriSlice and Lexington Two apps.
While breakfast and lunch meals are free, there will be a la carte snacks, extra milk, or second helpings available for purchase. Families can add money for their child to participate in extra sales by creating an online account at www.paypams.com.
Families can contact the Food Service Office at (803) 739-8381 with questions.
The first day of school for Lexington Two students is Wednesday, August 5.