GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- Railside in Grand Island is prepping for the holidays.

Early Wednesday morning, the parks and recreation crew cut down a tree to serve as the downtown tree. 

Someone from the community usually donates a tree, but this year the tree comes from city property. The tree, a Concolor Fir, came off of the Brownell section of the bike trail in Grand Island. 

The tree will be decorated in the next few days before the Railside Christmas event on Friday, Nov. 17. 

At the event, they will light up the Christmas tree, there will be opportunities for pictures with Santa, the Grinch, Snoopy and more. There will also be wagon rides and performances in Amur Plaza. 

After Jan. 1, the tree will be chopped up into mulch.