Most of downtown Apex's holiday calendar falls before its main street is done. The town now expects both sides of North Salem Street, between Saunders and Chatham, to reopen by mid-December, with cleanup running into mid-January 2027. The tree lighting is set for Friday, Dec. 4. The Apex Rotary Christmas Parade usually runs the first Saturday of December. Both come before that reopening target.
That timing explains how the town has set up the season. The events that don't depend on Salem Street are moving ahead on their usual schedule. The one event that has to use Salem Street, the parade, has been planned for a street with one lane. The street itself is due to reopen in mid-December, partway through the season.
Salem Street is the last piece to finish
The Salem Streetscape started in January 2026. In April, WRAL reported that Mayor Jacques Gilbert said the project was on track to finish by October, when two-way traffic would return. By the town's Sept. 1 update, the construction contract ran from January through December 2026.
That same update laid out where the work stands. Crews finished the underground infrastructure and pavers on the east side in mid-July. Southbound traffic moved onto that new east-side lane while crews took apart and rebuilt sections of the west side. Recent work has covered underground soil cells and storm drain improvements. Electrical and fiber conduit come next, and the town is waiting on light poles and street furniture for the finished side.
So the east side has pavers but is still waiting on its fixtures, and the west side is mid-rebuild. Traffic runs one way southbound, local traffic only. Sidewalks on both sides are open, and every business is open. On the west side, a 5-foot-wide sidewalk path keeps the storefronts reachable.
The parade is the one event planned around the unfinished street
The Apex Rotary Christmas Parade has run since 1957, and the Apex Rotary Club has managed it since 2008. According to WRAL's June report, organizers estimate tens of thousands of people come to watch each year. The town calls it the only nighttime holiday parade in Wake County.
In June, town leaders held a workshop on alternatives. The options included a modified parade where larger floats turn off before the construction zone, a route outside downtown, and a stationary parade. One option was ruled out quickly. WRAL quoted the mayor:
"There's one that I'm a no go on completely: The stationary Christmas parade. I think the large majority of the community would like to see it downtown."
The plan got more specific at the Apex Town Council work session on Aug. 17. Staff walked through a route through downtown and said they were planning as if one lane would be closed. Up to four floats may need to be resized, and they would divert onto Saunders Street if both lanes aren't open. Presenters said the parade contractor and the town's insurance provider had settled the required language, and registration was planned to open Sept. 7 once the paperwork was final.
The parade is still headed downtown on its usual route, with a narrower street and a few floats possibly turning off at Saunders. As of Oct. 11, the 2026 date had not been announced. Peak City News said the details will be posted when the Apex Rotary Club releases them. The parade traditionally falls on the first Saturday of December, but that's tradition, not a confirmed date. Watch the Apex Rotary Club and the town's parade page for the official announcement.
December in order, and where each event takes place
Here's the confirmed December schedule so far, in order. Only one event is set after the street's mid-December target.
- Tree Lighting, Friday, Dec. 4, 4:30 to 7 p.m. This is on the Town Hall campus at 73 Hunter St. It's free, run by the town, and Santa will be there. It's on Hunter Street, the same road the detour uses for through traffic, so Salem Street's construction doesn't affect it.
- Rotary Christmas Parade, early December, date to be announced. This is the downtown route described above, planned for one lane.
- Chanukah Festival, Sunday, Dec. 6.
- Christmas performances at The Halle, Dec. 11 to 13. GoApex Route 1's southbound detour has a stop at the Halle Cultural Arts Center.
- Mid-December: the reopening target. The town expects both sides of Salem Street to be open by this point.
- The Grinch drive-in movie at Pleasant Park, Friday, Dec. 18. This is the only confirmed December event set after the reopening target.
Last year's Snowman Stroll ran Dec. 5 through 14 as a downtown promotion, with business discounts earned through a passport system. No 2026 version had been announced when this was written. Bailey Robertson, the town contact for the Snowman Stroll and downtown holiday promotions, can be reached at 919-249-1046. The town's Aug. 11 update listed the Local Spot Passport as active and supporting the downtown social district.
Getting downtown while it's still one-way
The town's own message during construction is that downtown is open. It has put up signs encouraging people to support local businesses, and it's pointing visitors to parking tools. It's also asking residents to buy gift cards, shop and eat downtown, and tell others the businesses are still reachable. Here's how getting there works right now:
- Driving through: Salem Street between Saunders and Chatham is local traffic only, southbound. Through traffic should take NC 55 to Hunter Street.
- Parking: The town points visitors to its interactive parking map and the Apex Parking app to find open spaces.
- Taking the bus: GoApex Route 1 runs a southbound detour, with stops at the Halle Cultural Arts Center, near Center Street and near Moore Street.
- Coming from the south side of town: The town is building a four-lane bridge to carry the Apex Peakway over South Salem Street and the CSX line. The Oct. 2 update put the opening tentatively in October or November. Until it opens, the posted detour uses Olive Chapel Road, Williams Street and Salem Street.
- Questions about town road projects: Amir Nezarati at the Town of Apex, 919-249-3432. For street problems like potholes or signs, call Ask Apex at 919-249-3311.
Foot traffic makes a visible difference along the block. WRAL reported that Virtuoso Jewels saw business pick back up once construction moved to the other side of the street. The same report noted that merchants are still feeling the construction and that neighbors are concerned about the restaurants along the strip.
The weeks before December
October and November keep more of the calendar downtown, ahead of the holiday crowds:
- Love Local Fall Harvest Night, Friday, Oct. 16, at The Depot.
- PokeFest Apex, Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Apex Senior Center.
- Witches Night Out downtown, Friday, Oct. 30.
- Tour of Frights, running through Oct. 31.
- Jazz and Jive Night, Friday, Nov. 20, 5 to 8 p.m., at The Depot, 220 N. Salem St.
A few new places are opening away from Salem Street too. The News & Observer reported that Legacy Rolls, a restaurant serving breakfast, sliders and sweets, planned a soft opening by the end of October at 700 East Williams Street. Apna Bazar's Apex location at 8395 Green Level Church Road lists itself as open. Wake County permits for its eatery, meat market and produce operations are dated Aug. 6. Grain and Berry at 2017 Creekside Landing Drive received a restaurant permit on Sept. 18. The latest reporting doesn't confirm a public opening date, and a permit date isn't the same as an opening date.
The last piece is the 2026 parade date. The Apex Rotary Club will announce it. If the parade keeps its early-December tradition, it will run ahead of the town's mid-December target for reopening both sides of Salem Street.
At Hendren Realty Group, we follow downtown Apex changes like the Salem Streetscape because they shape day-to-day life here and how homes nearby get valued. If you live near downtown and wonder what the finished street could mean for your home, request a free home consultation and valuation and we'll go through it with you.
