Fairhope's Magical Christmas Parade rolls on Friday, December 4, and most of the 2026 holiday calendar is over before it starts. Between Monday, November 2, and Friday, November 20, downtown hosts a week of painters working in public, a four-day film festival, the Lighting of the Trees, and a Robert Earl Keen show at the Halstead Amphitheater, all within a short walk of Fairhope Avenue and Section Street. By the time the floats line up, the busiest weeks are over.
This year the season also has a new setting. It is the first holiday season since the city finished rebuilding its bayfront.
The Three Weeks at a Glance
| Dates | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 2 – Fri, Nov 6 | Plein Air Fairhope paint-out | Around town, including downtown, the Pier and Fairhoper's Community Park |
| Fri, Nov 6, 6–8 p.m. | Plein Air exhibit opening on First Friday | Eastern Shore Art Center, 401 Oak Street |
| Sat, Nov 7 | Plein Air Quick Draw | Eastern Shore Art Center program |
| Thu, Nov 12 – Sun, Nov 15 | Fairhope Film Festival | Downtown Fairhope, with screenings at Giddens Auditorium |
| Thu, Nov 19, 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Lighting of the Trees | Fairhope Avenue and Section Street |
| Fri, Nov 20 | Robert Earl Keen, Live at Five | Halstead Amphitheater |
| Fri, Nov 20 | Corks, Casks and Canvas benefit | Eastern Shore Art Center event |
| Fri, Dec 4, 6:30 p.m. | Fairhope's Magical Christmas Parade | Downtown Fairhope |
Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year, so the tree lighting comes exactly one week earlier. That puts the two busiest nights of the season, November 19 and 20, back to back in the week before the holiday.
The Waterfront Gets Its First Holiday Season
The bayfront where Plein Air painters will set up in early November is new. The Fairhope Working Waterfront Project was officially dedicated at the Municipal Pier on March 26, 2026, FOX10 reported. Spanish Fort-based Rolin Construction worked on it in phases for nearly two years, which kept part of the waterfront open the whole time.
The project brought new seawalls, stormwater drainage, sidewalks and pavers. South Beach Park now has walking trails and an ADA-compliant switchback that climbs from the bayfront to the bluff. More than $10 million in RESTORE Act funding paid for it.
The rose garden and fountain stand out most. The project added a new rose garden and fountain, both dedicated to former Mayor Tim Kant, who originally built a rose garden and fountain during his first term. In the same FOX10 report, Mayor Sherry Sullivan said people "like the fact that we kept the look of it…the tradition of it but made the upgrades that we did."
That makes the first week of November the first chance to see the finished bayfront on canvas.
November 2–7: Painters Set the Pace
The Eastern Shore Art Center opens the month with Plein Air Fairhope. From Monday, November 2, through Friday, November 6, artists paint outdoors around town. ESAC lists downtown, the Pier and Fairhoper's Community Park among their spots. On Saturday, November 7, the Quick Draw closes out the week.
The paintings move indoors fast. On First Friday, November 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., ESAC opens the Plein Air Fairhope exhibit alongside its Members' Open Show, with free admission and live music. The work stays on view at 401 Oak Street through December 19. That makes it one of the few events from early November still running after the parade. If you miss the painters at the Pier, the gallery will have the results for six more weeks.
November 12–15: The Film Festival Takes Over Mid-Month
One week later, the Fairhope Film Festival returns from November 12 to 15. In a FOX10 preview published October 15, festival CEO Stephen Savage described a lineup of 25 feature films plus special events during the festival. An all-movie pass costs $60 and an all-access pass costs $150.
For planning which nights to attend, one detail matters. Coastal Alabama Community College's event calendar lists screenings at Giddens Auditorium on its Fairhope campus at 440 Fairhope Avenue from November 13 through 15. The festival itself starts November 12, so the Thursday opening may happen somewhere other than Giddens. Pass holders should check the festival schedule for where each night's events take place.
The festival also leaves a short gap in the calendar. The week of November 16 is mostly open until Thursday, when the season gets busier.
November 19 and 20: The Two Biggest Nights in a Row
The City of Fairhope's Lighting of the Trees runs Thursday, November 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the corner of Fairhope Avenue and Section Street, listed at 2 N. Section St.
The next evening is just as busy. On Friday, November 20, Live at Five brings Robert Earl Keen to the Halstead Amphitheater at Coastal Alabama Community College. The series is produced by Friends of the Halstead. Also on November 20, ESAC holds Corks, Casks and Canvas, its benefit evening. Anyone hoping to catch the concert and the benefit will need to pick one or plan the evening carefully.
The tree lighting is the anchor of the season, and its history explains why. As FOX10 reported at the 2024 ceremony, the tradition began more than 40 years ago. Joyce Stowe of Stowe's Jewelers, a downtown business for 65 years, brought the idea home after visiting another city. Her daughters, Peggy Wiggins and Beth Fugard, now own the store. Wiggins told FOX10 that her mother went door to door to the downtown stores, that many businesses and individuals pledged money to buy the lights, and that the city put them up and paid the electric bill.
It started as a fundraiser among downtown merchants and has grown a lot since. At the 2024 lighting, FOX10 counted 120 downtown trees wrapped in more than one million lights, plus the big Christmas tree, with Mayor Sullivan calling it "truly my favorite night of the year." Once the trees are lit on the 19th, they frame everything that follows downtown, including the parade route two weeks later.
December 4: The Parade Closes Out the Big Events
Fairhope's Magical Christmas Parade rolls Friday, December 4, at 6:30 p.m. It is a hometown parade by rule. The City's parade committee accepts entries only from Fairhope and its planning and police jurisdiction areas, which include Montrose, Point Clear and Barnwell. Applications opened October 1 at 8 a.m. Spots are limited, and the City says registration may close once they are filled. Businesses, churches and organizations still deciding on a float should apply soon.
On parade night, the route starts at Morphy Avenue and Section Street. Parking downtown is tight, cars parked illegally may be towed, and some churches offer paid parking nearby. If you live within walking distance of Section Street, leave the car at home.
After the Parade, December Slows Down
The rest of December is mostly smaller events, many held indoors:
- Thursday, December 10, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: The Friends of the Library Book Sale fills the Fairhope Public Library lobby and the Giddens Conference Center, with proceeds going to the library.
- Monday, December 14, 5 to 7 p.m.: Write In On Monday meets in the library's Local Authors Room, hosted by Alan Samry.
- Friday, December 18: Live at Five holds its 2nd Annual Memorial Jam at the Halstead Amphitheater.
- Saturday, December 19: The last day to see the Plein Air Fairhope exhibit at the Eastern Shore Art Center.
The Plein Air exhibit bookends the season. It opened on November 6, the first week of the busy stretch, and it closes on December 19, the last big date on the calendar. Most of the season's major events come in the three weeks before Thanksgiving, and December's calendar is lighter.
At Limitless Homes, we build in Fairhope because the town has traditions like this, from a merchant's fundraiser that grew into a million lights to a parade only local groups can enter. If you're thinking about a home within walking distance of Section Street before next year's lighting, contact us and we'll walk you through how a custom or semi-custom build fits your timeline.
