Apex, NC, May, 21 2026 — Apex officials are weighing whether this year’s Christmas parade should shift away from its traditional downtown route after project delays left the town looking for a temporary alternative. Staff described the issue as a one-year problem tied to downtown conditions, not an effort to end the tradition, and council members emphasized that the goal should be to bring the parade back downtown once the route is usable again.
Document:Parade Presentation – Alternative Options (May 19, 2026)
The strongest concern was safety. Staff said the alternate routes they reviewed would reduce viewing areas, create ADA-accessibility problems, limit parking, affect private homes and businesses, and make it difficult to keep spectators out of yards, ditches and other unsafe areas. One route would cut off fire, police and EMS access to 166 homes on Lower Duncan, while another would affect 53 homes on Salem Street…