BY ALI RAUCH
THE OPELIKA CHAMBER
OPELIKA — Every December, something happens downtown that I still have not found the right words for.
The streets fill. Snow falls on a small town in Alabama. A 72-foot-tall tree, the second tallest in the state, lights up over Courthouse Square and thousands of people make the same sound at the same time.
That is SNOPELIKA, presented by Opelika Ford. This year, it lands on Friday, Dec. 4, starting at 5:30 p.m., rain or shine.
But SNOPELIKA does not happen to Opelika. It is built by Opelika. And right now we need you to build a piece of it.
This year’s parade theme is “Christmas Movies.”
Pick your favorite. Recreate a scene. Build a float around a character your family has watched every December since you were a child.
So what is the ask? Get your parade application in by Friday, Oct. 16.
Space is limited and handcrafted floats are prioritized, so the work you put in genuinely matters. Applying does not guarantee a spot. We notify everyone accepted on Nov. 4, and the $75 fee is due only if you make it in. There is no cost to apply.
Apply at opelikachamber.com under SNOPELIKA. Volunteer sign-ups are there too, and volunteers are the reason any of this runs. Volunteers receive a drink and food voucher and entry into a $500 grand prize drawing.
For everyone else, save the date. Streets close at 2 p.m., so come early or ride the free shuttle from Southern Union’s Lot D. When the parade ends, Courthouse Square turns into music, snow, food trucks, snowball fights with the Opelika Police Department and photos with Santa, all leading up to the tree lighting at 7:30 p.m.
A parade entry is not a marketing opportunity. It is your children on a trailer in the cold, laughing. It is a stranger’s face when your float comes around the corner. Memories that will last a lifetime.
The deadline is Oct. 16. Go build something.
Ali Rauch is president and CEO of the Opelika Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at opelikachamber.com or reach her at ali@opelikachamber.com.
