Most of the City of Fairhope's downtown holiday calendar happens at one corner, Section Street and Fairhope Avenue. Tonight the trees light up there. On Saturday the street becomes an outdoor movie theater, and on Sunday the shops around it open for the season. Two weeks later the Magical Christmas Parade comes through downtown, and it is the event the town lost last year.
Because so much of the season happens outdoors, in the evening and in the same few blocks, one rainy night can erase a whole tradition. That is what happened to the parade in December 2025. Seen that way, the 2026 schedule is a short list of evenings that are worth guarding on your calendar.
Tonight, 6 p.m., at the Corner
Fairhope's Annual Lighting of the Trees is set for Thursday, Nov. 19. The Eastern Shore Chamber's listing puts it at the corner of Section Street and Fairhope Avenue, with music at 5:30 p.m. and the lighting countdown at 6 p.m. The event is free, and the City of Fairhope is the contact. The lighting traditionally falls on the third Thursday of November, and this year that is today.
The stage usually faces east. The best views are on Fairhope Avenue in front of the stage and along Section Street on either side. When the countdown ends, the trees come on in sections rather than all at once, and artificial snow starts falling over the main intersection. The crowd is thickest at the intersection. A spot farther down Fairhope Avenue still gives you a view of the lights, and the snow keeps falling long enough that you can wait for the first rush under it to thin out.
Parking is the hard part tonight. No Parking signs go up around downtown for the event, and cars left in restricted spots get towed. The Downtown Fairhope Business Association lists free street parking and a public lot in Arts Alley, which is the closest named public option to the corner.
Four Days, Three Events, One Intersection
The lighting starts a weekend that keeps coming back to the same block. Here is how the City of Fairhope calendar and the Chamber list the opening stretch:
| Day | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Nov. 19 | Lighting of the Trees | Music 5:30 p.m., countdown 6 p.m. | Section St. and Fairhope Ave. |
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | Christmas Movie in the Street | 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Fairhope Ave. and Section St. |
| Sunday, Nov. 22 | Downtown Christmas Open House | 1 to 5 p.m. | Downtown Fairhope |
This year's Movie in the Street is the 16th, according to the 2026 Downtown Fairhope visitors guide. The intersection gets decorated around whatever film is showing. In past years that has included "The Grinch" and "The Polar Express." Bring lawn chairs, blankets and snacks. Kids are encouraged to come in Christmas pajamas. It draws families, though nothing like the Thursday crowd.
Sunday's Open House is the shopping half of the weekend. Most downtown shops open that afternoon, including some that normally close on Sundays, and they put out holiday decorations and specials. The Fairhope Welcome Center is decorated for the season and has a big red mailbox out front. Kids can pick up a letter to Santa there, drop it in the mailbox and expect a reply in a couple of weeks. If street parking is full on Sunday, try the parking garage.
The Downtown Fairhope Business Association, a nonprofit service organization, publishes the visitors guide that lists all of these dates.
The Parade That Didn't Roll in 2025
Last year the same weekend went ahead as scheduled. The Lighting of the Trees was set for Nov. 20, 2025, and Movie in the Street for Nov. 22. The Gulf Coast Media holiday preview had Fairhope's Magical Christmas Parade set for Friday, Dec. 5, at 6:30 p.m.
It never rolled. On Dec. 4, 2025, WKRG reported that the parade was canceled with rain covering the area, and that it would not be rescheduled. The city instead planned a "Santa Downtown Joyride" for Sunday, Dec. 14, with Santa riding through downtown on a fire truck.
The tree lighting and the movie are hard to reschedule on short notice, and the parade got no makeup date at all. The joyride let kids see Santa, but it was a different kind of event, with no floats, no bands and no crowds lining Section Street. Coming off that, the 2026 parade is the first time the full procession is back since the town went a December without one.
December 4, and the Friday It Takes Over
The City of Fairhope calendar lists Fairhope's Magical Christmas Parade for Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in downtown Fairhope. The Eastern Shore Chamber lists the same date and time and mentions a Fairhope Christmas Parade Committee.
The parade usually has more than 60 local entries, including floats and bands, and Santa arrives on a fire truck. It traditionally starts at Morphy Avenue and Section Street. Some floats throw beads, candy or trinkets, so bring a small bag.
Dec. 4 is also the first Friday of the month, which normally belongs to the First Friday Art Walk. The art walk skips December because of the parade. Gallery-goers should expect floats on Section Street that night, not open studios.
The parking rules are the same as on lighting night. No Parking signs go up and cars left in restricted spots get towed. Some churches open their lots for a small donation. The main intersections have the best views and the biggest crowds. If the weather turns, the city posts any change to the date or time on its social media accounts that day. After last year, it is worth checking those accounts before you head out on the afternoon of the 4th.
Around the Parade, the Season Gets Smaller
Except for the parade, the rest of the downtown calendar is made up of shorter events with smaller crowds, mostly in daylight. Here is what comes after the opening weekend, in order:
- Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28. The Chamber lists it for downtown Fairhope, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
- Santa Saturdays, Dec. 5 and 12, 10:30 a.m. to noon. These are at the Fairhope Museum of History, the morning after the parade and again a week later. Santa visits with children at the white house in front of the museum, and photos are free if you bring your own camera. The line often starts forming around 10 a.m. The Fairhope Welcome Center next door is the last easy chance to mail an official letter to Santa.
- New Year's Eve Family Celebration, Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The City lists a downtown New Year's Eve celebration, and the Downtown Fairhope visitors guide gives the family celebration's hours.
The Grand Hotel in Point Clear runs its own season on the other side of the bay road. Its Grand Holiday Stroll is ticketed and runs 5 to 8 p.m. on multiple dates. The ticket covers a walk through the grounds and the hotel's gingerbread village, plus hot chocolate, s'mores, carolers and photos with Mrs. Claus. The week after Christmas is usually quieter than the weeks before it.
On the downtown side, the bayfront is open again after its long rebuild. FOX10 reported in March that the Fairhope Working Waterfront project was dedicated once construction finished, with new seawalls, sidewalks, a rose garden, a fountain and trails at South Beach Park. That makes this the first holiday season since that work was finished, so a walk down to the water after the lighting or the movie covers ground that looked different a year ago.
For the parade on Dec. 4, the plan is simple: arrive early, park legally and check the city's social media accounts that afternoon. Last year's cancellation came with one day's notice.
Holiday evenings in Fairhope are a good way to see why people fall for this town, and we love sharing them with people who are thinking about making it home. If you live downtown or near it and want to know what your home is worth heading into the new year, Shannon King Jha can give you a thoughtful, local read before the spring market arrives. Request Your Home Valuation.
