Walking into the Fairhope Recreation Center Pool on a Tuesday morning during the Fairhope Area Swim Team, aka FAST practice, I am stimulated by the sights and sounds of approximately 350 kids in matching team swimsuits, swimming laps. There are eight lanes with coaches on each side, loudly giving instructions to swimmers aged 7 to 17 years.

On a recent Friday evening during the Fairhope Art Walk, Linda and I met a friend downtown to hear The Modern Eldorados. The band was playing on the sidewalk across the street from Pearl Seafood + Raw Bar, a small but popular restaurant that opened three and a half years ago in the space that used to be R Bistro. After a little while, we decided to settle in at the bar and ordered one of their specialty cocktails and a dozen oysters.

One of the best things about Fairhope is that it has a Film Festival. Like the Sundance Festival, Tribeca, South by Southwest, and many others, the Fairhope Film Festival, held on the second weekend in November, features forty of the best films. This year will be the thirteenth annual event, and a new Executive Director will be at the helm. 

On August 1, 2023, local musician Molly Thomas was on her way to Pensacola with her dog in tow, when tragedy struck. It was 9:30 am and Molly was crossing U.S. Highway 98 just south of Fairhope when another driver T-boned her. Her car flipped several times, and Molly had to be cut out of her vehicle and life-flighted to the University of South Alabama Hospital in Mobile. She was there for one week before facing a year-long recovery.

We are fortunate to have so many Scenic 98 Coastal communities that host monthly Friday evening art walks, showcasing our talented local artists. In Fairhope, it’s the First Friday Art Walk downtown. It kicks off a new month of good times and serves as a big block party, with galleries open, and bands playing, with an opportunity to visit with friends or take the family out for a free, fun evening.

We are fortunate to have so many Scenic 98 Coastal communities that host monthly Friday evening art walks, showcasing our talented local artists. In Fairhope, it’s the First Friday Art Walk downtown. It kicks off a new month of good times and serves as a big block party, with galleries open, and bands playing, with an opportunity to visit with friends or take the family out for a free, fun evening.

Forty-seven years ago, a 22-year-old girl graduated from college with a BA in Dance Education and with big dreams, opened a studio above the Page and Palette and called it Creative Outlet. Its first iteration was a school for many creative classes; piano, calligraphy, guitar, tai chi, drama, and of course, dance. Her father, a hands-on dad, co-signed a loan and taught her how to run the business, with handwritten financial ledgers, postcard marketing, and in-person, 3x5 card registration. It was the Dark Ages compared to the present day, but it worked. ‍

Poking around the shops in Downtown Fairhope last week, hoping to get an idea or two for gift-giving, I couldn’t help but notice how decked out the streetscapes were. Every store had a creative holiday decoration.