This is a brief follow-on to a story first published by The Observer , Opelika's community newspaper. Read their full story for complete coverage. The Museum of East Alabama and Opelika Main Street are leading lantern-lit walking tours of historic downtown Opelika on three Thursday evenings this month, Oct. 15, 22 and 29, as a fundraiser for the museum. There are two routes. The Merchant Square tour starts at 5:30 p.m. and the Railroad Avenue… Read More
Category: Downtown
Opelika Main Street Expands Its Downtown Facade Grant, Adding Up to $25,000 for Fire and Safety Upgrades
Opelika Main Street has expanded its long-running Bill Roberts Facade Enhancement Grant into a broader Historic Property Enhancement Grant Program. It launched Oct. 1 and gives downtown property owners and tenants more ways to pay for work on their buildings. Over the past 10 years, the facade grant has helped 40 businesses with a total of $199,643 in grants, according to Opelika Main Street. The new program has four categories: Bill Roberts Facade Enhancement Grant… Read More
Kyle Sandler, who took Opelika investors for $1.9 million, reported dead
The Round House founder, who pleaded guilty to wire and securities fraud and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, died June 22 in Florida according to two outlets that covered his post-prison consulting business. ODN has not independently verified the death. Read More
Museum of East Alabama’s Next Lunch Break Lecture: ‘Talking to Ghosts’
OPELIKA — Joshua Dairen will speak at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 23, in the Museum of East Alabama's Lunch Break Lecture Series. His talk is titled "Talking to Ghosts: How Embracing the Paranormal Preserves Our History." Dairen argues that ghost stories do practical work for a community: they keep people connected to buildings, families and events that shaped a place, and often spark the interest that leads to preservation. The lecture follows this month's earlier… Read More
Food Truck Friday Returns to Downtown Opelika Sept. 18
OPELIKA — The Opelika Chamber of Commerce's Food Truck Friday is back downtown on Friday, Sept. 18, from 5 to 9 p.m. along North Railroad Avenue and 1st Avenue. The event, held on the third Friday of most months, brings a rotating lineup of more than 20 food trucks and pop-up vendors plus live music. Admission is free. It is the next-to-last of the chamber's 2026 slate, which continues Oct. 2 and Oct. 16. Event… Read More
‘Before the Plains’: Opelika Main Street Invites Gameday Crowds Downtown First
Opelika Main Street is making a pitch for the hours before kickoff. Its "Before the Plains: Your Auburn Gameday Weekend Begins in Downtown Opelika" campaign invites Auburn fans, visitors and locals to start football weekends in Historic Downtown Opelika rather than heading straight to campus. The idea is straightforward: downtown's restaurants, bars and shops sit minutes from Jordan-Hare, and a Saturday like this one — a 6:45 p.m. kickoff against Southern Miss — leaves an… Read More
Opelika Chamber Cuts the Ribbon on RyRowsie Boutique Downtown
OPELIKA — Aug. 12, 2026 The Opelika Chamber holds a ribbon cutting for RyRowsie Boutique at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the store's 229 S. 8th St. location in downtown Opelika. The women's clothing store opened earlier this summer. Owner-operators told the Opelika Observer in July that the shop was built on family support and a desire to see small businesses succeed downtown. RyRowsie is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5… Read More
Opelika Main Street Launches Inaugural Downtown Awards
OPELIKA — Aug. 12, 2026 Opelika Main Street has launched a new slate of Downtown Awards to recognize the people and businesses that make Historic Downtown Opelika a place to live, shop, dine and invest. For years, the organization presented a single Downtown Business of the Year award during the annual State of the City event hosted by the Opelika Chamber — Red Clay Brewing Company took the 2024 honor. The new program broadens that… Read More
The Bottling Plant Enters New Chapter With Fall Event Lineup, Including First Oktoberfest
New owners Scott and Julie Brown are expanding community programming at the 1938 Coca-Cola bottling plant, including the venue's first traditional Oktoberfest. Read More
Food Truck Friday Features National Treasure Movie Night in Downtown Opelika
July 17, 2026 — Opelika, Alabama Food Truck Friday — Downtown Opelika Downtown Opelika hosted its monthly Food Truck Friday on July 17, presented by the Opelika Chamber of Commerce. This edition featured the Summer Movie Series with a free outdoor screening of the PG-rated film National Treasure (131 minutes) in partnership with the Opelika Public Library. The event ran from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Courthouse Square with food trucks, pop-up vendors, and live… Read More
RyRowsie Boutique Opens at 229 S 8th Street in Downtown Opelika
July 14, 2026 — Opelika, Alabama RyRowsie Women's Boutique , Opelika's newest women's clothing store, has opened its doors at 229 S 8th Street in downtown Opelika. The shop, described as "rooted in love," is focused on building connections with the community while offering women's fashion. An official Opelika Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting is scheduled for August 12 at 4:00 PM at the store location. RyRowsie is now open — visit shopryrowsie.com for more… Read More
