THINGS TO DO IN FAIRHOPE, ALABAMAThe town that inspired
an overnight stay.
A utopian experiment on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay — still going strong after 130 years.
On the mapEverything worth walking to.
Fairhope Avene
The hotel sits directly on the street lined with the shops, galleries, and cafés below. No car required.
The Pier & Bayfront
A two-minute walk to the longest pier on Mobile Bay, and the town's nightly sunset ritual.
Saturday Farmers Market
One block away at Pier Park — walk over before breakfast.
Scenic 98 & the Bluff
The bayfront route locals use for sunset walks and morning runs, just steps from the door.
The Pier & BayfrontWhere the town comes to watch the sun go down.
One of the best things to do in Fairhope, Alabama is watch the sunset. The Fairhope Municipal Pier is the longest pier on Mobile Bay — a 1,400-foot walkway over the water that's been the heart of the town since 1928. At golden hour, it fills with locals and visitors alike, all facing west.
Below the bluff, the town's rose gardens and parks slope down to the water. Grange Park runs along the shoreline with picnic areas, giant live oaks, and views across the bay to Mobile. It's two minutes from the hotel on foot.
2 min walk from hotel
1,400 ft pier length
Free - always open
DININGA small town with a serious food scene.
Three places we send every guest without hesitation. Ask the front desk for the rest of the list.
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SOUTHERN FINE DINING · 10 MIN DRIVE
WASH HOUSE RESTAURANT
Set in a converted 1940s wash house on a historic estate. The most celebrated table in town, reserve ahead.
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BREAKFAST & LUNCH · 2 BLOCKS
PANINI PETE’S
A Fairhope institution. Award-winning biscuits, paninis & the best breakfast on the eastern shore.
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SEAFOOD & RAW BAR · 4 BLOCKS
PROVISION
Local Gulf seafood in a relaxed, upscale setting. The oysters come straight from the bay.
arts & cultureThe colony's creative legacy.
Three stops that capture it best — the rest of the arts scene is easy to stumble into on foot.
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MUSEUM & GALLERY · 5 MIN DRIVE
EASTERN SHORE ARTS CENTER
The anchor of Fairhope's arts community since 1951. Rotating exhibitions, studio classes, and a permanent collection of regional work that spans a century of the town's creative history.
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LITERARY HISTORY · DOWNTOWN
THE FAIRHOPE WRITERS’ COLONY
Fairhope has long been a refuge for writers. Pulitzer Prize winner Harper Lee visited as a child. Novelist Sonny Brewer has called it home for decades. The town still runs a thriving literary festival each spring.
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DOWNTOWN GALLERIES · 5 MIN WALK
THE FAIRHOPE ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL
One of the Southeast's top art festivals. 200+ artists line the downtown streets for three days each March, drawing 300,000 visitors to the bay — right outside the hotel's front door.
Fairhope Avenue. One of the South's great shopping streets.
The hotel sits directly on this stretch of Fairhope Avenue — the same street as all the best shops in town. Walk out the front door and you're already shopping.
Fairhope Avenue runs through the heart of downtown, lined with locally-owned boutiques, antique dealers, bookshops, jewelers, and home goods stores that you simply won't find in a mall.
The rule in Fairhope: no chain stores on the main street. Every shop is independently owned. The result is a shopping experience that reflects the town's personality — curious, creative, and a little unexpected.
Clothing & BoutiqueS · ANTIQUES · BOOKS · JEWELRY · HOME & GARDEN · LOCAL ART · GIFTSPlan your visit around something special.
Fairhope has a full calendar of things to do year-round. These are the ones worth building a trip around.
Mardi Gras
Fairhope's own krewes — Knights of Ecor Rouge, Maids of Jubilee, Order of Mystic Magnolias — roll through downtown with floats and beads in the two weeks before Fat Tuesday. Free, family-friendly, and more local than you'd expect.
FebruaryArts & Crafts Festival
One of the top art festivals in the Southeast. 200+ artists line the streets of downtown for three days. Draws 300,000 visitors annually.
MarchLive at Five Concert Series
National and regional touring acts — past lineups include Wilco, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jason Isbell — play the open-air Halstead Amphitheater under the pines, right in downtown Fairhope.
spring & fallJubilee Season
The legendary Jubilee — when fish, crabs, and shrimp crowd the shoreline in a natural phenomenon unique to Mobile Bay. An event unlike anywhere else on earth.
May onwardFarmers Market
At the Fairhope Pier Park, one block from the hotel — walk over before breakfast, still in your slippers. Local produce, honey, flowers, and prepared foods from the farms of Baldwin County.
Every saturdayChristmas on the Avenue
The town's beloved holiday tradition — thousands of lights strung through the live oaks and the shop windows glowing long past dark. The bay air turns crisp, the crowds stay gentle, and it's a short walk to hot cocoa on the porch.
December