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April 16, 2026
If your ideal night out includes books, creativity, and a little organized chaos, this one’s for you.
The 2026 Unbound Lit Crawl Columbia, presented in partnership with LitQuake, is taking over multiple spots around town on Thursday, April 16 starting at 7 p.m.—and it runs late. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure night for readers, writers, and anyone who just likes something a little different.
Things kick off from 7–8 p.m. at Orr Street Studios with Without a Net, where writers are given a prompt and just 40 minutes to create something from scratch. Some of those pieces may even get read live, which adds a fun, unpredictable edge to the night.
From there, the crawl spreads out across downtown with multiple events happening at the same time from 8:30–9:30 p.m.
At Hitt Street Records, OneMic/Open Mic brings together poets, musicians, and artists for a mix of planned performances and spontaneous sign-ups.
Over at Yellow Dog Bookshop, Alternative Endings to Famous Books flips familiar stories on their heads with creative, unexpected twists.
At Nightjar Collective, Flash Fiction delivers quick, powerful readings from contemporary writers working in short-form storytelling.
Meanwhile, Hexagon Alley hosts a Poetry Bee, where participants go head-to-head in a spelling-bee-style poetry recitation competition.
The night wraps (or keeps going, depending on your energy) at Broadway Brewery starting at 10 p.m. with Unbounderdash, a fast-paced, word-nerd game night built around made-up, old, and just plain weird words.
It’s a laid-back, come-and-go style event, so you can bounce between locations or stick with one vibe all night. Either way, it’s a fun way to see a different side of Columbia’s creative scene—and maybe even jump in yourself.
