EMMAUS, Pa. — As the area prepares for its first presidential visit since Joe Biden's 2021 tour of the Mack Trucks plant, Emmaus is getting ready for a mysterious "special event" that same morning.
East Penn schools are dismissing early Friday. And signs on streets near Triangle Park and Borough Hall are calling for no parking, stopping or standing along these areas, beginning from 7 to 8 a.m. and ending 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., depending on the specific street.
Borough police officials say there is no further information available — but rumors are swirling online and among local folks that Biden could be visiting at least one small business in town.
Early Thursday evening, the East Penn School District — Emmaus is part of the district — announced students would be dismissed early Friday "due to unforeseen circumstances that will impact our local area." The school day will end at 10:30 a.m. for high school and middle school students; 11:15 a.m. for elementary school pupils, according to the district.
Catasauqua Area, Parkland, Salisbury Township and Whitehall-Coplay school districts also plan early dismissals.
Biden is coming to the Lehigh Valley to tout his economic accomplishments with an emphasis on small business, according to the White House.
"I was just like, that's crazy, that's insane," said Chrissy Feller, an Emmaus resident and employee at Armetta's Italian Restaurant and Pub, as the buzz grew over Biden's plans.
"I told the chef down there I was like, is it true? And he was like, I'm pretty sure it's true, because we have paper from the borough that says, 'Stay away from the main roads, avoid this area and this and that,' and then now it's in the paper that he's coming tomorrow.
"That's crazy, I didn't think I would ever experience that in my life."
Emmaus police said closures could be anticipated where the signs are stationed. State police said they had no announcements to make about any road closures, the presidential motorcade route or stops related to Biden's visit.
Emmaus officials, including Mayor Lee Ann Gilbert and Borough Manager Shane Pepe, have not returned requests for comment.
Some wondered whether the president would make a stop at the joint South Mountain Cycle and Nowhere Coffee Co. building on Main Street. South Mountain Cycle is co-owned by Emmaus Borough Council member Chad Balliet, who recently won re-election.
Employees at the bicycle shop and café combo Thursday declined to comment.
"It's very exciting," said Tyler Long, manager of the nearby Emmaus Run Inn. "We have such a great community here in Emmaus, and it just really is nice to showcase our beautiful downtown on such a national level.
"When somebody like a presidential figure or a politician comes to town, you can really see how nice the community is."
Not everyone had open arms Thursday. One business manager said if the opportunity was presented to him, he would have turned down a Biden visit due to the harsh political divides in the country — and even here in the Lehigh Valley.
In a local borough Facebook group, some voiced excitement at the prospect in comments while others voiced dissatisfaction or jabs toward the president, whose approval ratings are flagging in recent polling.
As with the last election, Lehigh and Northampton counties are considered swing districts in a hard-fought battleground state, so it has become a regular stop for presidents. Biden is the sixth consecutive president to visit the region while in office.
As he seeks his second term, administration officials say Biden will focus on economic achievements, but no announcement has yet been made on specific stops.
This will be Biden's second visit to eastern Pennsylvania in a week. He was in Montgomery County last week.
U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, said she looked forward to showing Biden some of the region's thriving small businesses and discussing the region's manufacturing heritage.
