On Nov. 13 and 14, eight living Medal of Honor recipients will be in downtown Opelika for Freedom Fest Weekend. Organizer Jamie Popwell of Flags for Vets told The Opelika Observer there are "only 65 left alive, so it's rare to have this many together at one place." According to information organizers gave the same paper, only 3,552 Medals of Honor have been awarded since the medal was created in the Civil War era.
The weekend has a deliberate order. On Friday night you see the recipients from a crowd in front of a stage. Saturday morning they take part in a breakfast program and a parade. Then at 11:30 a.m. they sit at their own tables in the Bottling Plant Event Center, and anyone can walk up, shake a hand and ask a question. Each event brings you closer than the one before, so plan your weekend, including meals and parking, around that last one.
The eight recipients scheduled to attend are Donald E. Ballard, Ty M. Carter, Kenneth J. David, Sammy L. Davis, Michael J. Fitzmaurice, James E. Livingston, Robert M. Patterson and Gary M. Rose. This is the festival's third year and the second year of the expanded weekend with a veterans breakfast and parade.
Friday: Arrive Before the Music
The Friday concert is free. The City of Opelika's schedule puts the recipients' program at 6 p.m., 45 minutes before the first band, so if you arrive for Route 66 you'll miss them.
| Time | What's happening | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00 p.m. | Downtown shopping and Food Truck Friday open | Downtown Opelika |
| 6:00 p.m. | Freedom Fest program recognizing the Medal of Honor recipients and special guests | First Avenue & 7th Street stage |
| 6:45–8:00 p.m. | Route 66 Band | Same stage |
| 8:30–10:00 p.m. | The Ryan Waters Band with special guest Tyler Short | Same stage |
The Observer lists the concert as 6 to 10 p.m. The city's timeline starts the evening at 5 with the food trucks, which matters if you want to eat before the 6 p.m. program.
If you go to Food Truck Friday regularly, check the date. The Opelika Chamber's 2026 list shows the regular November edition on Nov. 20. The city lists a Freedom Fest edition on Nov. 13 as well. The Chamber usually runs the event along North Railroad Avenue and First Avenue with more than 20 rotating vendors, and it posts each month's lineup on social media at @opelikachamber. According to the Observer, Friday parking and road closures follow the usual Food Truck Friday setup.
A sit-down dinner on Friday
If you'd rather sit down than eat from a truck, two downtown kitchens fit the timing. Karvelas Pizza Company at 704 First Avenue opened in 2026 and serves pizza and wings from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays. It's on First Avenue, the same street as the stage. Café 123 at 123 S. 8th Street serves Southern food with classic French influence and has a full bar. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. That leaves time for an early meal before the program, or you can book a later table after Route 66 and skip part of the headliner. Zazu Gastropub at 112 S. 8th Street serves dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. and makes its comfort food from scratch.
Saturday Morning: Breakfast, a Speech and a Flyover
On Saturday the events move a few blocks and get more personal. The Veterans Breakfast starts at 8 a.m. at First Baptist Church Opelika. The city sponsors it, and it is open to veterans and their families. The Observer reports that more than 300 veterans came last year. If you're bringing a veteran in your family, expect a full room.
The program at 9 a.m. is open to the public. Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Phillips will speak about his military experiences and what Veterans Day means to him.
If you aren't going to the breakfast, you can still get coffee and food before the parade:
- Side Track Coffee, 817 S. Railroad Avenue, opens at 8 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. It's on South Railroad Avenue, the street the parade turns onto.
- Chuck's Bar-B-Que, 905 Short Avenue, opens at 8 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The menu includes plates, sandwiches, wraps, loaded potatoes and nachos.
A military flyover will start the 10:30 a.m. parade. The city lists the route as starting at Avenue B, heading north on 9th Street and turning onto South Railroad Avenue. The city says it ends at 7th Street, and the Observer describes it ending at the Bottling Plant Event Center. Either way, the parade finishes about where the most personal event of the weekend begins an hour later.
Parking on Saturday
The Observer reports that Saturday closures cover a bigger area than a regular Friday:
- From 7th Street to 10th Street
- From North Railroad Avenue to Avenue D
- Organizers ask attendees to park outside that area
That area includes the church, the parade route and the Bottling Plant. A short walk from wherever you park will get you to all three without moving the car.
11:30 a.m.: The Tables at the Bottling Plant
On Friday the recipients are people on a stage. In the morning they're part of a program and a parade. At the Bottling Plant meet-and-greet, each recipient sits at an individual table, and visitors can walk up for photos, autographs and conversation.
The Observer has a few practical details:
- Bring your own items to be signed. Organizers encourage it.
- Books and other memorabilia will be for sale at the event if you'd rather buy something there.
- A World War II veteran who served at Iwo Jima is expected to take part, along with Mark "Oz" Geist, whose story was portrayed in the film "13 Hours."
Popwell told the Observer he hopes younger people in particular take the chance. "It's extremely rare that the average person would ever encounter a living MoH recipient," he said. If you have children or grandchildren, bring them to this hour if you only bring them to one event, because it's the one that lets them have a conversation. He also told the paper he knows each recipient personally and that they come to help raise money and honor people who served.
Lunch afterward
Downtown's lunch kitchens open around the time the parade ends, so you can eat before or after the meet-and-greet without rushing:
| Restaurant | Address | Saturday hours |
|---|---|---|
| Zazu Gastropub | 112 S. 8th Street | Lunch 11 a.m.–4:45 p.m., dinner 5–10 p.m. |
| Karvelas Pizza Company | 704 First Avenue | 11 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| Chuck's Bar-B-Que | 905 Short Avenue | 8 a.m.–7 p.m. |
Banditos at 404 S. 10th Street lists lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. on its website, but it doesn't say which days. Call before you count on it for Saturday lunch. Café 123 is open for dinner only, so save it for Friday or Saturday evening.
The Rest of the Downtown Calendar
Freedom Fest is one of several downtown events this fall. Opelika Main Street moved On the Tracks to Friday, Nov. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. because of possible severe weather on the original date. Tickets already bought will be honored on the new date. They're non-refundable but can be transferred to someone else. The regular Chamber Food Truck Friday follows on Nov. 20.
Flags for Vets and Information Systems and Laboratories LLC, which became Freedom Fest's title sponsor last year, are also putting on the Salute to Veterans Bowl. It's set for Dec. 15 at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. Back in Opelika, the Chamber has announced SNOPELIKA for Friday, Dec. 4, starting at 5:30 p.m. The Christmas parade theme is "Christmas Movies," and the evening ends with the tree lighting at Courthouse Square, where the tree stands 72 feet tall.
Our agents at Three Sixty Real Estate live and work across Lee County, and weekends like Freedom Fest are a big part of why we like it here. If you'd like to talk about life in Opelika over coffee downtown, Book an Appointment.
