On Friday, December 4, the Town of Apex lights its tree at the Town Hall Campus on Hunter Street, and the Snowman Stroll on Salem starts alongside it. The Stroll is a passport promotion run by Apex Economic Development, and it runs through Sunday, December 13.
The Stroll and the town's holiday events run on one shared schedule, and last year's passport shows it. The tree lighting, the Rotary parade and a few smaller downtown events counted as stickers, the same as stopping into a shop. That makes the first weekend the easy part of the card. You can get most of the way to a finished passport without buying anything, and the next nine days are for the shops along Salem Street.
How the passport worked last year
Apex Economic Development's 2025 Snowman Stroll passport had three kinds of stickers, and you needed six to submit it:
- Snowman Stops. These were downtown businesses with a snowman out front. You went in, found the snowman hidden inside and got a sticker. No purchase was required.
- Holiday Happenings. You got a sticker for showing up at Apex holiday events.
- Merrymaking Activities. You checked these off yourself as you did them.
You could drop a finished passport at The Depot, 220 N. Salem Street, through the mail slot at any hour or in person on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. You could also upload a photo of it with a QR code. Every finished passport went into a raffle, and the winners were contacted by phone and email the day after the deadline.
Explore Apex lists the 2026 Stroll with the same setup: "collect passport stamps by visiting participating businesses and engaging in a variety of holiday activities," with "snowman and winter-themed specials, decorations, and unique offerings" at each stop. The event venue is Downtown Apex at 220 N. Salem Street, the address of The Depot. The organizer's home for the event is the Apex Economic Development Snowman Stroll page.
Why opening weekend does most of the work
The Holiday Happenings list is the part to plan around. Last year's passport listed these events:
- Friday night: the Apex Tree Lighting Ceremony at Town Hall, then the Center Street Band at The Depot Plaza.
- Saturday morning: the Apex Rotary Pancake Breakfast at Fire Station 1, 7 to 11 a.m.
- Saturday evening: the Apex Christmas Parade at 5 p.m.
- The following Thursday: the Apex High School Jazz Band at The Depot Plaza.
- Most of the month: The Halle's Annual Tree and Wreath Auction.
Four of those fell in the Stroll's first 26 hours. Add two Snowman Stops and you had six stickers by Saturday night. The passport only asked for six.
The 2026 calendar has the same shape. The tree lighting is Friday, December 4, at Apex Town Hall Campus, 73 Hunter Street. It's free, starts at 4:30 p.m. and has Santa and Mrs. Claus. Details are on the Town of Apex Tree Lighting page.
The next evening, Saturday, December 5, the Apex Rotary Club Christmas Parade starts at 5 p.m. It begins at Ambergate Station and The Peakway, runs down Salem Street and ends at the Apex Public Works buildings on Upchurch Street. Rotary's events page lists the parade from 5 to 8 p.m. and also lists its Pancake Breakfast in December.
Since the parade runs down Salem Street, the people watching it are already standing in front of the businesses on the passport. If 2026 works like last year, a family could go to the tree lighting Friday and the parade Saturday, stop into two shops before the floats arrive, and finish the passport that night.
The self-serve stickers fill in the gaps
The Merrymaking Activities last year were the self-reported part. You checked off the boxes yourself, and almost all of them took place downtown:
- Take a selfie with a snowman and tag #SnowmanStrollApexNC.
- Buy food, drinks or gift cards from a downtown business.
- Make a snowman-themed piece of art for the Free Little Art Gallery.
- Buy a snowman-themed item.
- Walk through the Downtown Holiday Window Decorating Contest.
- Drive through the Holiday Tour of Lights.
Only one of those requires a purchase at a specific kind of place, and gift cards counted. The window contest asks you to look at the storefronts you're already walking past.
Last year's stops, by what they offer
The 2025 passport listed downtown Snowman Stops, and they cover a full day out. This year's lineup is set by Apex Economic Development, so it may differ. Last year's list still shows what kinds of businesses join.
Coffee and sweets: Common Grounds Coffeehouse, Kilwins, Neat & Sweet and Playa Bowls.
Dinner and a drink: Serafina Ristorante, Anna's Pizzeria, Salem Street Pub, TapStation, HighCraft Apex, Peak of the Vine and The Cellar.
Gift shopping: Alleyway Bookstore, North Left Mercantile, The Spice and Tea Exchange, Stylish Living, Bella + Mauve Boutique, Rose & Lee Co., The Tulip Magnolia Boutique and Marsh Magic.
Art and plants: Cocoon Gallery, Artfully Apex, Adventures in Bloom and Lichen or Knot Plant Co.
Services: EnV Salon, Exchange of Apex Barbershop & Lounge, A Huenique Barbershop & Parlour, 621 Productions and BEAR HANDS Promotional Partners, Inc.
The service businesses stand out. A salon or barbershop isn't a typical holiday shopping stop. Because Snowman Stops required no purchase, a business you'd never walk into in December could still put out a snowman and get foot traffic from it.
The one big Saturday event isn't on Salem Street
The Stroll's second Saturday, December 12, has the 6th Annual Holiday Market & Photos with Santa from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's not downtown. It's at the New Hill Community Center, 3101 New Hill Holleman Road in New Hill. The listing promises local artisans, photos with Santa, a fire truck to explore, music, food, drinks and treats, raffles, and gift wrapping by donation. Admission is free.
That Saturday can still center on Salem Street. The Apex Farmers Market sets up downtown every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to noon, including December 5, 12, 19 and 26. You could start at the market, drive out to New Hill before the holiday market closes at 3, and come back to Salem Street for any Snowman Stops you missed before the Stroll ends on Sunday.
Before and after the ten days
Two downtown events bookend the Stroll.
The week after Thanksgiving, the 5th Annual Kid's Holiday Craft Fair runs Sunday, November 29, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at The Halle Cultural Arts Center, 237 N. Salem Street. It's listed on the Town of Apex calendar.
After Christmas, on Saturday, December 26, the farmers market is back downtown from 8 a.m. to noon. That afternoon, Bottle Theory holds its monthly Crafter-noon from 3 to 5 p.m. It runs on the fourth Saturday of every month and opens the space to people who want to bring a craft project.
Here is the whole stretch in order:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sun., Nov. 29, 2:30–5 p.m. | 5th Annual Kid's Holiday Craft Fair | The Halle, 237 N. Salem St. |
| Fri., Dec. 4, from 4:30 p.m. | Tree Lighting; Snowman Stroll begins | Town Hall Campus, 73 Hunter St. |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 8 a.m.–noon | Apex Farmers Market | Downtown Apex |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 5 p.m. | Apex Rotary Club Christmas Parade | Ambergate Station and The Peakway to Upchurch St. via Salem St. |
| Sat., Dec. 12, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | 6th Annual Holiday Market & Photos with Santa | New Hill Community Center |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | Snowman Stroll's final day | Downtown Apex |
| Sat., Dec. 26, 3–5 p.m. | Crafter-noon | Bottle Theory |
The Stroll starts with the tree lighting on Friday, December 4.
Holiday season is a good time to see how a home works in everyday life, like how far it is to Salem Street on parade night. If a December downtown has you thinking about your own home's value, or about a home within walking distance of the parade route, Cobb Zies & Co would be glad to help. Request a free home valuation, and we'll walk you through what your Apex home looks like in today's market.
