Holiday shopping in Apex 2026: Jazz and Jive Nov. 20, Small Business Saturday Nov. 28, Kid's Holiday Craft Fair Nov. 29, Snowman Stroll Dec. 4-13, parking.

Last checked Oct. 25, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Promotions come from Apex Economic Development’s promotional events pages; store hours come only from each store or shopping center as they publish them. We do not list prices or deals.

Black Friday is Nov. 27, 2026, and Small Business Saturday is Nov. 28. In Apex the holiday shopping season leans on downtown’s locally owned shops along Salem Street, with town promotions that run from a pre-Thanksgiving shopping night to a December passport raffle. Questions about downtown promotions go to Bailey Robertson, the town’s marketing coordinator, at 919-249-1046.

Before you go

  • Downtown parking: the town’s downtown parking map
  • Road work: North Salem Street is one-way southbound during the Salem Streetscape project; sidewalks and businesses stay open
  • Ride instead: GoApex buses; the town suggests parking at a stop near home and riding in (GoApex)
  • Store hours: set by each business; we add a center’s Black Friday hours here only after it publishes them

Before Thanksgiving: Jazz and Jive Night

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, The Depot parking lot, 220 N. Salem St. The last of the town’s three Love Local “Fall Into Downtown” nights brings live music by Peter Lamb and the Wolves, jazz ensembles, personalized poems from the Poetry Fox, a dance area with room for yard chairs, and jazz-themed menu items and sales from downtown businesses. The town’s Love Local page also suggests buying gift cards now from local restaurants, shops and services to use later.

Small Business Saturday: Nov. 28

Apex Economic Development encourages local businesses to create in-store specials, contests, discounts and events on Small Business Saturday, with the goal of bringing shoppers into town for a full day of shopping, dining and exploring. Businesses that want to take part register with the town by Friday, Nov. 6, the page says. The town promotes Park and Ride with GoApex for the day: park at a bus stop close to home or to where you are going and ride in.

Kid’s Holiday Craft Fair: Nov. 29

The 5th annual Kid’s Holiday Craft Fair runs 2:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29, at The Halle Cultural Arts Center, 237 N. Salem St. It is free to attend; vendors pay a $10 fee, according to the town calendar. The Halle’s box office is 919-249-1120.

December: Snowman Stroll on Salem

The Snowman Stroll on Salem is a downtown passport promotion, and in 2026 it runs Friday, Dec. 4, through Sunday, Dec. 13, according to Apex Economic Development. Each stop has a hidden snowman and winter-themed specials. How it works:

  1. Pick up a passport at a participating downtown business (a “Snowman Stop”), the Apex Welcome Center, 220 N. Salem St. (open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays), the Apex tree lighting or the Apex Rotary pancake breakfast, or print one.
  2. Collect stickers at Snowman Stops and holiday events, and check off self-guided holiday activities.
  3. Six stickers or checks equal one raffle entry. Submit the passport online or at the Welcome Center.

The town’s tree lighting is Friday, Dec. 4; see our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Every Saturday: the farmers market

The Apex Farmers Market sets up at The Depot, 220 N. Salem St., every Saturday. From November it opens at 9 a.m. Vendors change weekly and include bakers, prepared food and crafts. See our farmers markets guide.

Traffic and parking notes

  • Salem Street is one-way southbound during the streetscape work, which the town expects to be substantially finished by mid-December 2026.
  • The Rotary Christmas Parade is 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, on Salem Street, and parking on Salem and the side streets is limited that day; check the parade page before you shop.
  • The town’s downtown parking map shows walkable lots.

What this means for you

  • Do downtown on Friday, Nov. 20 for live music and specials, and save Nov. 28 for Small Business Saturday.
  • The Kid’s Holiday Craft Fair on Nov. 29 is free to browse.
  • Trash pickup runs a day late Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week. See Thanksgiving in Apex.

Related: new businesses in Apex, holiday lights and Christmas events and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When is Small Business Saturday in Apex in 2026?

Small Business Saturday is Nov. 28, 2026, the day after Black Friday. Apex Economic Development says details for 2026 will be posted in the fall on its Small Business Saturday page.

Where can I park for holiday shopping in downtown Apex?

The town publishes a downtown parking map with walkable lots. North Salem Street is one-way southbound during the Salem Streetscape project, but sidewalks and businesses are open.

Is there a holiday market in Apex?

The Kid’s Holiday Craft Fair runs 2:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29, at The Halle, free to attend. The Apex Farmers Market also runs Saturdays at The Depot, from 9 a.m. starting in November.

What is the Snowman Stroll on Salem?

It is a downtown passport promotion: collect stickers at participating businesses and holiday events, then turn in the passport for a raffle entry. In 2026 it runs Friday, Dec. 4, through Sunday, Dec. 13.