YORK, Pa. — It is not even Thanksgiving yet, but York is preparing for the Yuletide by going big.
"30-foot-tall" big.
On Tuesday, York Public Works chopped down a 30-foot tall and 29-foot wide spruce tree that was donated by Bilyana and Golin Zhelezov of Dallastown. The tree was removed at no cost to the property owners.
Kate Harmon, co-organizer of the tree cutting, said this annual tradition is special to the York community.
"We had a tree in the center of Continental Square in York City since the 50s or 60s," said Harmon. "It's just a part of what the holidays mean for people who live in York and travel through the city."
Luckily, the Christmas tree didn't have to go far. It received an escort from Dallastown to downtown York, where it was put into its new home in the middle of Continental Square.
In the next couple of weeks, the Christmas tree will be adorned with over 3,000 LED lights. These lights are smaller, but brighter than in past years.
People will gather for the lighting of the tree on Friday, Dec. 2, to officially kick off the holiday season as part of York's annual Light Up York celebration.