How to get rid of the old so you can usher in the new

It’s time to close out 2016 so we can start preparations for the next 12 months. So get rid of that old stuff and say goodbye to these Columbia winter attractions.

Goodbye, old Christmas trees

First order of business? Get rid of the holiday decorations. While most of it gets packed up and stored for the next 11 months, you’ve got to figure out what to do with your live tree. Keep The Midlands Beautiful is again having the Grinding of the Greens, offering spots where you can dump your tree and know it will get transformed into mulch.

Go to www.keepthemidlandsbeautiful.org to find locations to take your tree until Thursday, Jan. 12. Only the tree: no tinsel, lights or ornaments and no wreaths or garland.

On Saturday, Jan. 14, folks can pick up free mulch at the S.C. Farmers Market (3483 Charleston Highway, West Columbia) or Seven Oaks Park (200 Leisure Lane, Columbia) beginning at 9 a.m.

Goodbye, old clothes, old furniture…old cars?

With all the new clothes Santa brought you – and all the weight you’re going to lose once you embark on your New Year’s resolutions – you’ll need to clean out the closet.

There are many worthy charitable organizations that will take donations. Some even offer pickup services. If anyone actually got a car for Christmas (although really does that happen outside commercials?) and would like to donate the old one, go to the National Kidney Foundation’s website at www.kidney.org.

Salvation Army has a store that accepts donations, everything from clothes to furniture, and gives receipts. It also has bins where you can drop off items, without getting receipts, scattered throughout town. Go to www.salvationarmycarolinas.org for a list of drop-off sites.

Also check out Goodwill at www.goodwill.org and His House Ministries at www.hishousesc.org.

Goodbye, old documents

“Out with the old, in with the new” isn’t always fun. The new year means new bills, new tax returns and new forms. So it’s a good time to get rid of some of the old paperwork.

You can always buy your own shredder, or pay a professional shredding service. Or you can wait a few weeks for a free shredding event.

United Way of Kershaw County (110 East Dekalb St., Camden) is having a free shredding event on Saturday, Feb. 4, and is accepting donations of canned goods or other non-perishable food. Palmetto Citizens in Blythewood is having a free shredding event on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Go to www.shred360.com for more information.

Goodbye, holiday lights

The Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo ends Friday, Dec. 30, so you only have another day to walk among the nearly 1 million lights and animated images and toast s’mores by a bonfire (s’more kits and hot chocolate available for purchase). $11 for adults, $9 for children ages 2-12, free for children younger than 2. www.riverbanks.org

Holiday Lights on the River at Saluda Shoals Park ends Saturday, Dec. 31. It’s open 6-10 p.m., with more than a million lights and more than 400 animated light displays in the drive-thru holiday light display. $15 per car. www.icrc.net/holiday-lights

Goodbye, Main Street ICE

Take a spin on Columbia’s downtown outdoor rink before it closes for the season on Wednesday, Jan. 18. The rink is at Boyd Plaza, at Main and Hampton streets. $5-8 for kids, $8-10 for adults. Go to www.columbiaparksandrecreationfoundation.org/mainstreetice/ for specific cost and hours.

Goodbye, ‘Polar Express 4D’

The holiday classic finishes its seasonal run on Sunday, Jan. 1 at the 4-D theater in the S.C. State Museum. The 4-D theater provides a 3-D visual experience with the fourth dimension of environmental experiences like blasts of air, vibrating seats and water spray. “The Polar Express” takes you, along with a doubting young boy, on a train ride to the North Pole in a 15-minute version. Check the website for times and ticket costs. Some of the museum’s other light shows will be ending in coming days, too. 301 Gervais St. Times, costs and other details: www.scmuseum.org/explore/4-d-theater

This story was originally published December 28, 2016 at 2:36 PM with the headline "How to get rid of the old so you can usher in the new."