On Dec. 5, community members from across the Opelika and Auburn area congregated in downtown Opelika to celebrate the approaching holidays at Snopelika. A tradition for people of all ages, the event consisted of the Whoville-themed Christmas parade, tree lighting, artificial snow, food trucks and more.
Every year, around the beginning of December, Opelika is decorated with lights at every corner. The 2025 holiday season was no different. At Snopelika, downtown was also decorated with artificial snow at multiple locations.
Over 10,000 people came out to try the food trucks, watch the parade and see the tree lighting.
There were many kid friendly events like a meet and greet with Disney princesses, including Anna and Elsa from "Frozen." There was also a fenced in snowball fight arena next to a mailbox for sending Christmas lists to Santa.
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., the parade consisted of 80 floats. For the first time ever, the parade had an overall theme. In the spirit of Christmas, the parade was Whoville-themed and inspired by "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Later in the evening and before the tree lighting ceremony, the top three floats were announced.
Opelika is home to one of the tallest Christmas trees in Alabama, and the tree lighting ceremony was the town's way of unveiling it. The 72-foot-tall Christmas tree is just three feet shorter than the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City.
The event also hosted local celebrity Bryson McGlynn. McGlynn, the grand marshal of the parade, was winner of the ninth season of "Master Chef Junior."
Saffron Koppelmann, the events and marketing manager for the Opelika Chamber, was one individual responsible for organizing the event.
"This is definitely the biggest event we do all year," Koppelmann said. "I have had – I don't want to say sad week – just a hard week of preparing for the weather and thinking no one was going to turn out, so this is the best thing I could've asked for. I'm so, so happy right now."
Shay Wimberly, first impression coordinator for the Opelika Chamber, spoke to the significance of Snopelika, especially since the town is under new leadership.
"Snopelika means to me: family, Christmas and community," Wimberly said. "We had a mayor for twenty years. We have a new mayor in now. We have a new city council, and I think people just being able to see them come out and do the tree lighting, I think that makes it special for a lot of people this year."
Monty Newport, an Opelika Chamber ambassador, dedicated his evening to volunteering at the event with his wife. Although he hasn't lived in Opelika long, he and his wife quickly fell in love with the area and wanted to get involved.
"This is the city coming together to celebrate Christmas," Newport said. "When we moved down here, what impressed us most is the community of Opelika. The way they get together, the diversity, it's really nice."
Attendees, whether long-time locals or newer residents, all had overwhelmingly positive things to say about the event.
Grace Haggerty, junior in nursing at Auburn University, went to the event with a group of her friends. They were all surprised about the turnout but noted the warm, community-oriented feel.
"I feel like coming from a big city like Dallas and Atlanta, it's small town vibes, which we appreciate," Haggerty said.
Melanie Herspiegel and her husband recently moved to Opelika from Canada. The chilly air may have caught some native Alabamians off-guard, but the Herspiegels were more than prepared.
"We had a great experience. We love it here," Mr. Herspiegel said. "Great environment. We sat through the parade. The parade was awesome. Really enjoying the atmosphere here."
First-time visitors to Snopelika, such as the Herspiegels, enjoyed the event, and experienced regulars for Opelika Chamber events were equally as pleased with the night.
Brayden Thomas, a senior in finance at Auburn University, grew up in Opelika. He's been going to Snopelika for a long time and shared how impressed he was at the growth of the downtown Opelika festival over the years.
"It seems a little bit bigger than last year. It's good to see that it's growing and everything," Thomas said.
Those who missed Snopelika will have to wait until next year to get the full Opelika Christmas experience, but the town expects to host other events for citizens to enjoy.
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