December 28, 2021 - Recycling Christmas trees + a Cooking Channel feature

Sure, the holidays are all fun and games — but if you celebrate Christmas, you know that sooner or later you have to deal with that “Night of the Living Dead” tree in the corner. That doesn’t mean it’s dumpster-bound. Instead, we have some tips on how to put an old tree to good use.

Curbside pickup

The City of Greenville will recycle your tree for you: all you have to do is bring it out to the curb for your neighborhood’s usual pick-up day. To make sure it gets properly recycled, you’ll need to remove the tinsel, garland, tree stand + ornaments before bringing it out.

Greenville’s Christmas tree | Photo by @james_simpson_photography

Drop-off recycling

Maybe you just can’t wait for curbside pickup. Drop the tree off yourself at Holmes Park, Timmons Park, Gower Park, or the West Greenville Community Center until late January. Be sure to properly secure the tree to your car if you opt for this route. Bonus: your holiday boxes, tissue paper + non-foil-lined gift wrap can be dropped off at these same recycling centers.

Natural feeders

The Upstate is full of different bird species, so consider giving back to Mother Nature by making a natural bird feeder. Get creative with edible ornaments (think: orange-apple garlands and peanut butter pine cones), then set the tree out for birds to eat + take shelter. If your property includes a pond or lake, you can toss in the tree to make a natural reef, giving local fish a home.

Make your own mulch

When you take a tree to a recycling center, it’s turned into mulch, anyway. So, why not use it for your own yard + spring garden? Ideally, you could shred the tree — for example, Home Depot has mulchers for rent — but usually by the time the holidays are over, the needles will already be falling off. You can spread them in garden beds or over the lawn.

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#MUSTDO

Today

Radioke: Boy Band Bash | Tues., Dec. 28 | 9 p.m. | The Radio Room | Free entry | Whether you’re a die-hard directioner or still jam to NSYNC, shamelessly show it off at boy band karaoke.

Wednesday

Furman Basketball vs. Samford | Wed., Dec. 29 | 7 p.m. | Timmons Arena at Furman University | $15+ 🏀
Upstate Blogger Happy Hour | Wed., Dec. 29 | 6 p.m. | Aloft Greenville Downtown | Free entry | Calling all social media professionals for a night of food, drinks, and networking.

Thursday

The Marcus King Band: Hometown Throwdown | Thurs., Dec. 30-Fri., Dec. 31 | Times vary | Peace Concert Hall | $35+ | End the year with Greenville native guitarist Marcus King + his southern rock band.

Friday

‘22 With a View New Year’s Eve Party at Juniper | Fri., Dec. 31 | 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. | Juniper, 315 S. Main St. | $250+ | Bring in the New Year eight-floors up and dance the night away — enjoy performances, champagne toasts + more (room packages available at AC Hotel Greenville Downtown).*

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

MORE OF THIS WEEK’S EVENTS HERE

HEALTH

Kickstart your wellness journey in 2022 with this membership

The New Year is a great time to check in on your health, assess where you’re at (and perhaps where you want to be). Need help getting started on — or supporting — your fitness journey? Enter: The YMCA of Greenville.

Members have 24/7 access to on-demand classes allowing them to train anywhere | Photo provided by YMCA of Greenville

The Y’s programs, classes, and equipment help make getting active easy + fun at any fitness level. From yoga and Zumba classes to free weights and cardio, a membership to the Y ($27-86 per month) allows people to choose how they want to approach getting fit. Pro tip: Book a session with a certified Y personal trainer to develop a program that works for you.

Not a “gym” person? That’s okay. Members also have access to the Virtual Y platform, which features a library of on-demand classes from Les Mills that members can access 24/7 from their computer or mobile device. (Read: You can exercise from the comfort of your living room.)

Bonus: The platform’s content will be updated quarterly with fresh, new classes — which means you won’t get bored with your workout routine. In addition to classes, it will offer access to resources like free virtual meetings and Q+As about current health topics. (Note: This feature is only available for qualifying membership types.)

Ready to start the New Year off right with a membership to the Y? Pro tip: If you join in January, the joining fee ($29-69) is waived. 💪*

BECOME A MEMBER

NEWS NOTES

Weather

74º | Cloudy | 20% chance of rain

Sports

The Clemson vs. Duke basketball game scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed by the ACC due to COVID-19 concerns. Tickets to the sold-out game will be valid for a to-be-announced rescheduled date. 🏀 (Greenville News)

Show

The Peace Center announced the return of its Songwriter Series in 2022. Beginning Jan. 21, catch a live performance in Genevieve’s from a different artist one Friday almost every month through May. Tickets are available now to Peacekeepers and to the public on Thurs., Dec. 30 at 10 a.m.

Featured

Tune in to the Cooking Channel this Wednesday at 10 p.m. to catch local burger joint Grill Marks on the Season 16 premiere of Food Paradise: Epic Eats. Stop by one of Grill Marks’ two locations in the Upstate to try a Freakshake or the best burger in the Upstate. 🍔

Greenvillian

Greenville Chef + educator Alan Scheidhauer is retiring after 28 years on the culinary scene. Alan began teaching at Greenville Technical College in 1993, though throughout his career he also served as Executive Chef at the Commerce Club and helped launch the Truist Culinary & Hospitality Innovation Center. (Greenville News)

Drink

Mice on Main has a new, grown-up fun expansion: the Brewmiceter Hops Hunt. Inspired by the bronze mice lining downtown, eight felt mice are hidden in eight local breweries — stop by one of the participating breweries to pick up a clue card + read the rules online. 🐭 (The Post and Courier Greenville)

Biz

The Greenville Army Navy store in the West End will keep its original blue sign, an icon dating back seven decades. The sign no longer conforms with city sign guidelines, but the architect requested it be deemed historically significant, even as the rest of the building is renovated. 🚧 (The Post and Courier Greenville)

Read

A lot changed in Greenville this year, from developments in the West End + Village of West Greenville, to civil debates over land and sewer districts, to breaking ground at Bridgeway Station. Look back on 2021 in the Upstate with this Community Rewind. (Greenville Journal)

Feel Good

Greenvillian Bobby James Irving recently got a call from his son, Douglas, whose mom realized she was pregnant after Bobby was transferred from duty in Vietnam in the 1970s — the two had never met. Douglas flew from New Mexico to Greenville to spend Christmas with his dad for the first time. (The Post and Courier Greenville)

DYK

Heard of the 20-20-20 rule? Every 20 minutes, look at least 20 feet in the distance for at least 20 seconds. The change in focus relaxes strain on your eyes and can lead to increased productivity — that’s why Endeavor made the most of natural light, long views, and creative artwork + furnishings.*

Number

$200K. That’s the amount that University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville researchers Dr. Ann Blair Kennedy and Dr. Nabil Natafgi received from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to create a COVID-19-Focused Virtual Patient Engagement Studio (CoVIP) for patients, caregivers and stakeholders affected by COVID-19.*

Learn

Make 2022 the year you learn a new language with Babbel, the No. 1 language learning app. Babbel makes learning fun with interactive lessons, podcasts, games + more — sign up today to get up to 60% off. 🌎*

Featured Job

High Spirits Hospitality plans to double in size in 2022 and is looking to fill multiple positions including Director of Operations, Director of Sales, Wedding Coordinator, Security Officers, Spring Interns + more. Learn about the open positions and apply here.*

*This paid content, brought to you by our advertising partners, helps make this newsletter free.

#GVLTODAY

First Day Hikes 🌳

📸 @scstateparks

Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions to get more steps in? Why not kick off that goal by hiking in one of our local state parks during one of its designated First Day Hikes.

Scheduled on Jan.1, over 40 ranger-led hikes will take place through SC State Parks, and if you participate, you can pick up a commemorative sticker.

The full list of First Day Hikes is here, and you can join in locally at Caesars Head State Park, Croft State Park, Lake Hartwell State Park, and Paris Mountain State Park.

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THE WRAP

Editor’s Pick: Local channel WYFF 4 posed the question on its Instagram: How long will you keep your Christmas tree up? I plan to take mine down next weekend, so I can still feel a little of the Christmas magic through the end of the year (plus I’m still in denial that the holiday is over). You can join in on the debate here.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Browse + shop some local swag here.