Miss Allerapp of the Opelika Chamber asked the City Council on Dec. 2 for a backup date and limited street closures so the Snowballika tree lighting could proceed if Friday’s parade is canceled by severe weather. "We would keep the same timeline for Saturday. So the tree lighting would still happen at 07:30PM on Saturday night," Allerapp said.

Why it matters: The change would let the city proceed with the tree lighting and snowfall ceremonies even if the parade cannot run, but downtown merchants warned that full-day closures during the Christmas shopping period could cause lost revenue.

What the council voted on: Council members discussed which streets would be impacted and whether closures could be limited to parking lots adjacent to Courthouse Square. After debate and an adjustment to the proposed timing, council approved a motion authorizing the street closure for the Snowballika backup date with a revised closure window of 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and parking-lot setup occurring earlier.

Business concerns and response: Aaron Bushey, who identified himself as a downtown business owner, told the council he and other merchants often learn about closures after the fact and asked the council to either deny the backup date, choose another date, or limit closures so businesses are not forced to close on a busy Saturday. "Events that impact businesses should be discussed with the businesses prior to bringing it to city council," Bushey said.

Logistics and limits: Allerapp stressed the backup date is intended for the tree lighting and associated activities only; the parade itself could not be moved because many partners cannot participate on another day. She described three plans: (A) proceed Friday as scheduled, (B) cancel the parade and keep tree lighting on Friday, or (C) move the tree lighting to Saturday. The presenter said the Courthouse Square parking lot would be cleared for setup (previously described as 5:00 a.m.) and the streets adjacent to Courthouse Square would be closed during the event window. She also acknowledged an error in the submitted packet about barricade setup times and confirmed the city-staff-approved street closure start time was 2:00 p.m., later agreed in council discussion to 4:00 p.m.

Next steps: Allerapp said the Chamber will adjust the specific closure footprint to reduce business impact where possible and finalize the schedule the morning of the event if weather data warrants the backup date. The council’s action authorized staff to implement the limited street closure as the official backup plan; no change to the parade date itself was approved.