Annual music fest moves to new location

By Mike Switzer

Published November 5, 2025 at 6:30 AM EST

Jay Matheson, owner of the Jam Room Recording Studio in Columbia, S.C., and the organizer of the Jam Room Music Festival. — Jay Matheson, founder and director of the Jam Room Music Festival

One of our state’s popular and free music festivals is returning to the capital city soon, and this year, it’ll be in a brand new location, one that has been under renovation for many years. Mike Switzer interviews Jay Matheson, founder and director of the Jam Room Music Festival coming to Columbia’s Findlay Park on November 15th.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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