Annual Festivals and Events

Who doesn’t love a good festival, especially when visiting a new town? When you combine a beautiful location, local food, art, and music with good weather, people-watching, and civic pride- it’s an unbeatable combination for a day or more of fun. This list of annual festivals and other events in and around Fairhope, Alabama includes the towns of Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Foley, Loxley, Elberta, Spanish Fort, and more, all part of beautiful Baldwin County where we’re located on Mobile Bay. Be sure to double-check the festival and event websites for dates and times.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.
• Gumbo & Alabama Slammer Festival in Foley: Unique gumbo dishes, live music, arts & crafts, contests, huge entertainment area for kids and petting zoo.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.
• Mardi Gras Parades in Fairhope: Mardi Gras schedules are based on the dates for Lent and Easter, so they vary each year. Check the link for all the parades along the Gulf Coast and bring a bag to catch the “throws.” Laissez les bons temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!)
• Seafood Festival and MAAAC Car Show in Orange Beach: Free family event at The Wharf with food, live music, kid zone, a huge car show, and arts & crafts booths benefiting Orange Beach City Schools through Makos Academics, Arts, and Athletics Club (MAAAC).

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.
• Ballyhoo Festival in Gulf Shores: Fine art and culture festival at the Gulf State Park with artists from all across the southeast, local seafood, and live music.
• BBQ & Blues Cook-Off in Foley: Barbecue cook-off and music event held in Foley’s Heritage Park the second Saturday of March attracts both corporate and individual teams competing for bragging rights. Live blues bands, children’s activities, and great food all in support of the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation.
• Festival of Art in Orange Beach: A fine arts celebration of visual, performing, musical and culinary arts with more than 100 artists. Held at Orange Beach Waterfront Park with food, live music on two stages, and a playground for the kids.
• Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival and Eastern Shore Art Center Outdoor Art Show in Fairhope: These two premier events in downtown Fairhope run concurrently for 3 days on the 3rd weekend in March each year and attract almost 300,000 visitors. Free, family-friendly, arts and crafts, food, local talent, people-watching, and live music.
• The Original German Sausage Festival in Elberta: This semi-annual festival is held twice a year the last Saturday in March and October as a fund-raiser for the Elberta fire department. Enjoy some of the 7000 pounds of German sausage consumed, a midway, carnival, children’s activities, arts and crafts, and a bier garden.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.
• Mudbugs & Margaritas Festival in Foley: Family-friendly with loads of crawfish, live music, margaritas, huge play area.
• Baldwin County Strawberry Festival in Loxley: Carnival with rides and midway games, live music, arts and crafts, vendors, 5k race, and of course- strawberry shortcake!
• Delta Woods and Water Expo in Spanish Fort: Celebrate the diversity of the Mobile/Tensaw Delta through educational and fun hands-on activities, presentations, boat tours, and wildlife identification. Family-friendly.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.
• Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival in Foley: Beautiful balloons with tethered rides available, music, crafts, and free family fun
• Art in the Park in Foley: A Foley Art Center event in Heritage Park on Mother’s Day weekend each year. Features a juried fine art show with artists and craftspeople from across the Southeast.
• The Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores: Three-day contemporary music festival on the beach with ticket packages selling on the website.
• Memorial Day Concert in Henry George Park in Fairhope: The Baldwin Pops presents patriotic tunes in a beautiful park overlooking Mobile Bay. Veterans are honored. Bring a picnic and chairs. Check the website for the date and time.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.
• Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival in Fairhope: Enjoy 3 weeks of free classical chamber music by adult and youth musicians performing up to 9 concerts in various venues in Fairhope. Musical selections feature works from classic and contemporary composers.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.
• Fourth of July Concert & Fireworks Display in Henry George Park in Fairhope: Baldwin Pops concert on the bluff followed by a live performance of marches to accompany the City of Fairhope fireworks display over the water. Always a banging event! Bring a picnic, water, and chairs.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making.
• Alabama Coastal Birdfest: For over 20 years, birdwatchers have flocked to southern Alabama during the fall migration for this 3-day event. Guided tours, presentations, and bird-watching . Over 370 bird species have been identified!
• Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores: Four-day festival celebrating music, arts and crafts and Shrimp! Family-friendly, people watching, on the Gulf beach.
• Jubilee Festival of Arts in Daphne: Olde Town Daphne closes the streets for this 2-day festival with lots of arts and crafts booths, local talent, live music, food. Free family fun.
• The Original German Sausage Festival in Elberta: This semi-annual festival is held twice a year the last Saturday in March and October as a fund-raiser for the Elberta fire department. Enjoy some of the 7000 pounds of German sausage consumed, a midway, carnival, children’s activities, arts and crafts, and a bier garden.
• Plein Air Festival in Fairhope: Plein air painting is the act of painting outdoors. 60 artists from all over the region register to spend a week in Fairhope painting outdoors whatever they see in the area. The event culminates with a huge exhibition and sale at the Eastern Shore Art Center during the First Friday Artwalk in November.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making. This month the museum highlights the art from the Plein Air Festival held last month.
• Fairhope Film Festival: Award-winning films are shown in multiple local venues in Fairhope over 4 days, always the 2nd week in November. This is a true film lover’s festival with films curated from other film festivals. Not to be missed!
• Burgers, Brats, & Beer Fest in Foley. Great live music all day in Foley’s Heritage Park. Food, arts & crafts vendors, exotic animals & petting zoo, kids zone.
• Fairhope’s Annual Lighting of the Trees Celebration: Fairhope closes the streets downtown for a magical evening of entertainment to kick off the holiday season. Usually the 3rd Thursday in November, 30-40k people arrive to count down to the moment when the switch is flipped and every tree twinkles with white lights and snow falls from the sky. Family-friendly.

• First Friday Art Walk at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope: Every 1st Friday, Fairhope creates a huge block party throughout downtown with food, live music and dancing, art exhibits, and general merry-making. This month the museum highlights the art from the Plein Air Festival held last month.
• Magical Christmas Parade in Fairhope: This annual event begins at the Fairhope Civic Center and runs through downtown Fairhope. Includes local high school bands and dozens of holiday floats, including Santa’s. Bring a bag to catch the “throws,” a delightful holdover from Mardi Gras.
• Santa at the Welcome Center in Fairhope: Get into the holiday spirit with your kids and come meet Santa on a Saturday morning in December. Great photo op for families.
• Fairhope’s New Year’s Eve Family Celebration: Fairhope closes the street for a year-end party with live music and dancing. Arrive early to take advantage of the celebration specials offered at many of the downtown restaurants and businesses. Ball drop and fireworks at midnight.