Above: Apex artist Lewis Wilson often donates watercolors for charity auctions during the holidays, including prints of his popular 2018 “Snowy Day,” which depicts South Salem Street in the snow. You can find this piece and more of Wilson’s artwork at lewwilsonart.com. Photo courtesy of Lewis Wilson.
Learn How Apex Celebrates the Holiday Season—and Where to Buy Delicious Baked Treats
BY DAVE DROSCHAK
Apex leans hard into the holiday season. The town runs the only night parade in Wake County; more than two dozen homes volunteer to set up festive outdoor light displays in the Holiday Tour of Lights; and a Southbound Santa drives the town train. Here are a few of the many ways Apex comes to life during the holiday season.
The Tree Lighting Ceremony
The Depot in downtown Apex becomes the center of holiday spirit with the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, a beloved Apex tradition that will be held on December 6 this year. New to the event this year will be Southbound Santa. “Since Apex is so famous for its trains, Southbound Santa is the one who is going to drive the train,” says Lisa Raschke, the Town of Apex’s special events manager.
Over the years, Apex has received a ton of attention for its rich holiday celebrations, and 2024 will be no different. “We definitely focus on Christmas, and this year we will have town events that really involve the community,” says Raschke.
Groups from elementary, middle and high schools will perform with bands, choruses and dance groups. “That brings the parents out, and it’s super engaging,” Raschke says. Youth groups will also be making reindeer food for Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and the town will provide free themed cookies and hot beverages. “It’s such a nice, downtown feel,” says Raschke. “And we’re making sure the businesses enjoy some of the holiday prosperity with a new Snowman Trail, where patrons can go into the different businesses and win prizes.”
The Apex Rotary Club Gingerbread House Competition
For more than a decade, Karen Barlow has participated in the National Gingerbread House Competition in Asheville. Barlow has enjoyed it so much she wanted to bring a similar event to her hometown of Apex. The Apex Rotary Club’s inaugural Apex Gingerbread House Competition, spearheaded by Barlow, will be judged privately on December 7. Winners from the youth, teen and adult categories will then have their creative handiworks displayed in downtown businesses during the holiday season.
So what makes for a gingerbread house winner? “It is precision, neatness, consistency of theme and color,” Barlow says. And the competition isn’t limited to just houses. “It could be anything,” Barlow says. “We’ve seen boats, lighthouses—but everything from the board up has to be edible. It’s up to the contestants’ imaginations.”
Lighting the Apex Water Tower
Working for Duke Energy for close to two decades, the holiday season for Eric Neumann signaled nothing more than a workload slowdown and time off. That all changed when he took over as director of Apex Electric Utilities. Neumann and his crew are responsible for hanging the downtown lights and garland, as well as constructing the town’s 20-foot tall Christmas tree and its lighting. And it was Neumann, with experience lighting bridges in New York, who convinced the town to fund a project to light the water tower near Town Hall. During December, the tower now shines with red and green lighting and other holiday themes.
“I sold the town on the idea of using the water tower as a showpiece, to light it up for special events like Christmas,” Neumann says of the $150,000 investment three years ago. Neumann’s team runs the LED lights and can produce an array of holiday scenarios. “There are lights around the top of the walkway that are called necklace lighting,” he says. “Hundreds of bulbs get lit up, and we can change the colors on them and do anything we want. I mean, we can really get it to dance. It’s really cool for people to see when they drive by.”
Apex Rotary Christmas Parade
The Apex Rotary Christmas Parade has a rich history and a unique setting. “People really embrace our night concept, especially the marching bands,” says parade chairman Robert Carmac. “They’ll wrap their instruments with lights, so it’s a good show, especially when the parade gets to downtown.”
“The whole town just kind of lights up as the parade comes through,” says Raschke. “What’s nice about a night parade is, it feels special.”
Once it hits downtown, the 2-mile parade route along Salem Street gets ultra cozy. “There is no other place in Wake County where you have the downtown buildings, the sidewalks, the closeness,” Carmac says. “I mean, you can reach out and touch people in the parade, and people have to move their feet so the marching bands can walk down the street.”
The December 7 parade starts at 5 p.m. and will include 10 marching bands, majorettes, dance teams, costumed dogs, jump ropers, classic cars and colorful floats. Upwards of 25,000 people attend on a good-weather night. The Apex Rotary Club typically hands out over 300 pounds of candy to kids along the parade route. The event is one of the Rotary’s biggest fundraisers, and this year’s proceeds will benefit Western Wake Crisis Ministry. “We love organizing it, we love seeing how it unfolds and we love seeing all the kids get candy,” says Carmac.
Check out stories from around the Western Wake at 5westmag.com.
Where to get Baked Treats
BY PAIGE HACHET JACOB
If food is an expression of love, then Apex eating establishments must truly adore their clientele. The charming town boasts must-visit bakeries and cafes as well as food trucks selling floury treats to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Buy baked treats like scones, cannoli, biscotti and muffins, or decadent chocolate truffles, macarons and more at COmmon Grounds Coffeehouse & Desserts in the Salem Street Promenade building downtown. On the opposite end of Salem Street, Apex welcomed a new corner bakery, The Cranky Yankee (in the former location of A Taste of Brooklyn) on October 4. Their menu features Italian favorites like tiramisu and cannoli as well as Brooklyn blackout cake, Italian cream cake, 25 flavors of cheesecake and more.
Apex also has food truck options to curb any craving. Visit Mason Street to savor crepes and croissants at the Paris Delight Bakery & Creperie, which also offers the delectable cronut—a combination of a croissant and a donut. Mr. A’s Beignets sells New Orleans–style beignets with chicory coffee, and features gingerbread man–shaped beignets this time of year. Visit Crumb & Cream on Upchurch Street for scrumptious cupcakes, lattes and more, including chess pie and New York crumb cake for the holidays. Check the food truck websites for exact locations and menu options throughout the week.
On the northwest side of Apex, across from Beaver Creek Commons, is Bonafide Bakeshop & Cafe. Enjoy a decadent bakery treat, such as a piece of crumb cake or a jam thumbprint cookie, while sipping on a specialty coffee.
