Fall Events and Festivals in Fairhope, Christmas Parade and Lighting of the Trees 2026
Fall weather is here and outdoor events are back!. The heat breaks, Fairhope wakes, and some of the town’s most anticipated events arrive (but you’ll have to wait until March for Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival). Acclaimed Lighting of the Trees Ceremony, This year’s Eastern Shore Art Exhibit, and nearby festivals make this time of year a favorite for visitors and locals alike. Perfect weather combined with food, art and holiday spirit help Fairhope present in all its glory through tradition and community.
Dates below come from the City of Fairhope and the event organizers.
October 2026
Founders Day Concert — Baldwin Pops
Sunday, October 4, 6:00 PM · The Bluff, Henry George Park
A free outdoor concert on the bluff over Mobile Bay. Bring a chair or a blanket.
Fairhope Farmers Market — final weeks
Thursdays: October 1, 8, 15, 22 · then November 5 and 12 Corner of Bancroft and Magnolia Streets, behind the Fairhope Public Library
Boost your immunity with local honey at the Fairhope Farmers Market. The market runs its last dates of the season on Thursday afternoons. After daylight saving time ends, it closes at 5:00 PM, so go early in November.
National Shrimp Festival — Gulf Shores
Thursday–Sunday, October 8–11 · Gulf Shores Public Beach, 101 Gulf Shores Pkwy
The 53rd year of one of the biggest beach festivals in the South. Gulf seafood, 200+ arts and crafts booths, two music stages. Free admission. About 45 minutes from Fairhope. Hours 10 AM–10 PM Thursday–Saturday, 10 AM–5 PM Sunday.
British Car Festival
Saturday, October 17 · Fairhope United Methodist Church, 155 S Section St
The South Alabama British Car Club’s 31st festival. Registration 9:00–11:30 AM, show 11:30 AM–3:30 PM. Jaguars, MGs, Triumphs, Rolls-Royces, and this year’s theme, “The Ghosts We Drive,” the marques no longer with us. Free for spectators.
Gulf Coast Fungi Festival
2026 dates not yet announced · Weeks Bay Plantation, 12562 Mary Anne Beach Rd
Three days of guided mushroom foraging, cooking demos, lectures, live music and camping. The 2025 festival ran October 17–19. Check gulfcoastfungifest.com for this year’s dates.
Downtown Trick-or-Treat
Saturday, October 24, 10:00 AM–noon · Downtown Fairhope
Kids in costume trick-or-treat at downtown businesses. Look for orange pumpkins in shop windows; teal pumpkins mark allergy-friendly stops. Free.
The Witches Ride
Thursday, October 29, 6:00 PM · Downtown Fairhope
Costumed riders on decorated bikes roll through downtown. Arrive early for a spot along the route.
Elberta German Sausage Festival
Saturday, October 31, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM · 24950 Pine St, Elberta
Thousands of pounds of German sausage, 250+ craft booths, carnival rides and a bier garten. Free admission. About 25 minutes from Fairhope.
November 2026
Plein Air Fairhope
Painting week November 2–7 · Reception Friday, November 6 (First Friday Art Walk) · Exhibit through December 19 · Eastern Shore Art Center, 401 Oak St
Sixty artists paint outdoors all week, downtown and along the bay. Wet-room paintings are for sale during the week; the exhibition and sale open at the Art Center during the Art Walk on the 6th.
Veterans Day Parade
Saturday, November 7, 10:00 AM · Downtown Fairhope
Veterans organizations, military vehicles, the Fairhope High School band, Scouts and the Dogwood Trail Maids.
Fairhope Film Festival
Thursday–Sunday, November 12–15 · Venues across downtown
Year 14. Four days of independent features, shorts, filmmaker panels and a red-carpet event. Schedules and tickets at fairhopefilmfestival.org.
Lighting of the Trees
Thursday, November 19, 5:30 PM · Corner of Fairhope Avenue and Section Street
First lighting was done to decorate freshly planted trees. More than a million lights on the downtown trees, switched on at a single moment while the crowd counts down. Music, hot chocolate, Mrs. Claus, and a downtown that stays lit every night through the holidays. Come early; the crowd runs into the tens of thousands and parking fills fast.
*[thumbnail: tree-lights photo]*
Christmas Movie in the Street
Saturday, November 21, 6:30 PM · Fairhope Avenue at Section Street
A Christmas movie under the newly lit trees, outdoors, in the middle of downtown.
December 2026
Fairhope’s Magical Christmas Parade
Friday, December 4, 6:30 PM · Downtown Fairhope
Sixty-plus units, floats, bands and decorated tractors, with Santa arriving on a fire truck at the end. Bring a bag for throws; it’s a Mardi Gras-style tradition. Free. Arrive early for a spot on the route.
Pirates of Fish River Christmas Boat Parade
2026 date not yet announced · Fish River, between Weeks Bay and Highway 32
A lighted boat parade, best watched from the docks or Big Daddy’s Grill on Ferry Road. About 15 minutes from Fairhope. The 2025 parade was Sunday, December 7 at 5:30 PM; check the organizers for this year’s date.
For a summary of annual events, see our month-by-month guide to things to do in Fairhope, AL.