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Opelika council approves backup date, narrows street closures for Snowballika tree lighting after business concerns
Summary
The Opelika City Council approved a backup street-closure date for the Snowballika tree lighting on Dec. 6, 2025, and agreed to narrow the closure start time to 4 p.m. after downtown business owners said earlier notices were inadequate.
The Opelika City Council on Dec. 2 approved a backup date and adjusted street-closure times for the city—s Snowballika holiday events after merchants warned that closures could harm holiday trade. Organizers told council members the parade would remain on its planned Friday schedule if weather allows, but the tree lighting could move to Saturday evening as an emergency backup.
Organizers described three plans: Plan A keeps Friday night events in place; Plan B cancels the parade but retains the tree lighting on Friday; Plan C moves the tree lighting to Saturday. The organizer asked the council to authorize a limited closure around Courthouse Square and the adjacent parking lot to allow the tree lighting to proceed safely if Friday becomes untenable due to weather.
During discussion, downtown business owners and council members focused on the geographic scope and timing of closures. Aaron Bushey, a downtown business owner, said late or unclear notice can close shops unexpectedly and curb holiday sales. Council members and the organizer negotiated narrower closures and later start times to reduce business impact; the council settled on a street closure start of 4:00 p.m. and a courthouse parking-lot closure for earlier set-up.
The council voted unanimously to approve the backup closure with the revised hours for streets (4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.). The record shows the organizer identified in the meeting transcripts as Ally Rauch (the presenter is also referred to in one line as "Ms. Alleraupp"); the record contains inconsistent spellings for the organizer's name. The council directed staff and organizers to finalize logistics with downtown merchants and public safety officials before activating the backup date.
The decision preserves the planned Friday parade schedule unless weather forces the backup. Council members said they expected organizers to coordinate directly with affected merchants on any final street-closure maps and timings.
