A sign hangs above Salem Street that reads "Downtown Apex is open for business!" Under it this fall, excavators worked one side of the street while cars crept single file down the other, as The News & Observer described it in September. In the same story, the N&O reported that the town had moved Salem Street's expected reopening from October to mid-December, with final cleanup and punch-list work running until mid-January.

Lay that date next to the town's holiday calendar and the timing is plain. Every scheduled downtown holiday event this year happens before the street is projected to reopen. Salem Street's 2026 holiday season will run on the construction-era street: one-way traffic, a narrowed sidewalk on one side, and merchants who have spent most of the year below last year's numbers.

The calendar, set against the street

The $4.7 million Salem Streetscape project has kept Salem Street one-way southbound between Saunders and Chatham streets since construction started in January, and WRAL reported in September that businesses and sidewalks remain open. According to WRAL's September report, the town's Sept. 1 project update put the contract timeline at January through December 2026.

Here is how the season lines up, using the Town of Apex calendar and event listings:

The reopening has slipped once already. Apex Transportation Engineering Manager Amir Nezarati told the N&O the delay came from electrical and lighting revisions. Those included moving power infrastructure, coordinating with street-tree installation and expanding electrical service for future improvements. Mid-December is the town's latest published estimate, not a promise. Every event in that table has been planned on the assumption that the work will still be going.

Why November and December carry so much weight on this block

To the businesses, the timing is the whole issue. Skylar Gnann, front of house manager at Salem Street Pub, told the N&O that November and December are the pub's busiest months because downtown events bring people in. The pub has temporarily lost the eight outdoor tables along its frontage, and daily revenue has generally run 10% to 30% below comparable days last year.

Next door in the same reporting, Mission Market co-manager Matthew James said a normal weekday used to bring 100 to 120 customer orders and now brings about 70 to 100. Revenue first fell about 50% against the same period last year and was about 20% lower as of early September. Across the street at Anna's Pizzeria, manager Stephen Perticona said finishing his side of the street didn't bring business back.

That last point explains why the holiday stretch matters so much. Finished pavement on one side has not been enough to pull foot traffic back. The events are what bring crowds downtown regardless of the work, and this year they land while the road is still torn up.

The parade is planned around a closed lane

The Christmas parade is where the construction is most visible. In June, WRAL reported that the Apex Rotary Christmas Parade might need route changes or float restrictions. Ideas on the table included sending large floats off before the construction zone, moving the parade out of downtown or holding a stationary parade. Mayor Jacques Gilbert said he wanted to keep the parade downtown.

By August the plan was set. Mayor Pro Tem Terry Mahaffey wrote in his Aug. 21 newsletter that the council heard confirmation that the parade would follow its usual route:

"The plan is to assume one side of the street will be closed and act accordingly; larger floats/etc might need to exit the parade a bit early."

He added that the town expected to know around October whether a normal parade with Salem fully open was possible. The Apex Rotary Club's 2026 registration page lists the route as starting at Ambergate Station and The Peakway, heading down Salem Street, turning onto Moore Street and ending at the Apex Public Works buildings on Upchurch Street, Saturday, Dec. 5, at 5 p.m. All entries are limited to 9 feet wide because of downtown roadway limits.

A 9-foot cap means a more compact parade than some years, and the curb is narrower on one side. If you usually stake out a spot on Salem, plan for the open sidewalk side to fill early.

How to use downtown this season

The town's Salem Streetscape page is the official source for status updates. Until two-way traffic returns, here is what holds:

1. Come in from the south or use side streets. Traffic on Salem runs southbound only between Saunders and Chatham. The town's downtown page points northbound visitors to side roads like Elm and Moore to reach parking.
2. Check parking before you leave. The Apex Parking app shows real-time downtown parking availability, and the same town page links to an interactive map and a PDF version.
3. Use the west-side path. WRAL reported that a 5-foot sidewalk path stays open along the west-side businesses while crews rebuild that half of the street.
4. If you ride GoApex, check your stop. The detour suspended nine regular stops and added five temporary ones, according to the N&O.
5. Buy the gift card now. The town has been asking residents to buy gift cards, visit downtown shops and restaurants, and spread the word that businesses are still reachable.

The first event on the calendar is the simplest. Love Local's Jazz & Jive Night on Nov. 20 is free and runs 5 to 8 p.m. at The Depot, 220 N. Salem St. It's the last night of the town's third-Friday fall series. The lineup includes Peter Lamb and the Wolves, jazz ensembles, Poetry Fox, dancing and specials from downtown businesses. Details are on the town's Love Local page.

For the Snowman Stroll on Salem, Dec. 4 through 13, the town posted a "Discover Holiday Magic in Downtown Apex" announcement on Oct. 13 that links to its Snowman Stroll page. The town also posted a Shop Small item for Small Business Saturday in October.

The street you'll see in January is being decided now

Salem Street has already changed during construction. Two businesses that were open in January won't be there when the work ends. The N&O reported that Alleyway Bookstore closed over the summer, citing a rent increase, and that The Perky Lady's owner described closing as part of a personal and professional transition. Neither business named the streetscape as the main reason. A later N&O story reported that The Perky Lady closed its Salem Street storefront on Oct. 10.

New businesses are moving in anyway. Suburban Living's September roundup listed JoyFully House as open at 118 N. Salem St., serving Turkish tea and coffee and selling gifts, jewelry and home décor. A new shop signing a lease mid-construction on Salem Street is betting on what the street becomes once the work is done.

WRAL describes the finished project as a more pedestrian-friendly Salem Street with wider sidewalks, new lighting, trees, street furniture and more room for outdoor dining. The merchants the N&O interviewed generally still expect it to help downtown. Gnann summed up the wait this way:

"Right now, it's really frustrating. But I know that there's a light in the tunnel."

The new lights, wider sidewalks and outdoor tables will arrive after the parade has passed and the snowmen are packed away. The businesses that are still there to use them will be the ones that got through this November and December on the narrowed street.

If you own a home within walking distance of Salem Street, the finished streetscape will become part of what your address offers. Alli Pepperling watches downtown Apex closely and can show you how changes like this one show up in pricing once the work wraps up. When you're ready to see where your home stands, request a free home valuation.