Boutiques, Antiques and Crafts in Fairhope, Alabama

There’s a reason Southern Living magazine named Fairhope one of “The South’s Best Small Towns of 2023.” The quaint city dating to 1894 lies along the east side of Mobile Bay and sports the only bluff from Interstate 10 to Gulf Shores. While cottages and accommodations provide an exceptional view of the water and nearby Mobile, the town contains sweet boutiques, restaurants and attractions.

Fairhope contains a rare bluff overlooking Mobile Bay so it’s all downhill from downtown to the city’s North Beach Park and Fairhope Municipal Pier. The park is one of the town’s many perfect places to enjoy the sun, search for migratory birds this time of year or hike trails filled with colorful foliage. North Beach Park’s Tree Trail, for instance, offers about 500 species of trees and Knoll Park, at the intersection of Fairhope Avenue and Magnolia Street, attracts birdwatchers.

Fishermen, diners and strollers love the Fairhope Municipal Pier, which stretches 1448 feet into Mobile Bay. Enjoy a meal, throw a line (license required) or watch the sun set over the bay. The neighboring park contains a rose garden, picnic tables, fountain, duck pond and beach.

Do

There are too many boutiques to mention in downtown Fairhope, many of them owner-operated and offering local artwork and crafts. Fairhope is also home to several famous authors. Page & Palette bookstore, one of the South’s finest and long-standing booksellers, regularly hosts book-signings as well as sells signed copies of books by local authors. Grab a latte at their Latte Da Coffee Shop and browse through their book selections or listen to live music offered on occasion.

Artists call Fairhope home, and every March the town bursts with creativity. The 71st annual Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival will be March 15-17 with hundreds of vendors and a juried art contest with proceeds reinvested into the community. Sunshine Artists Magazine named the festival, which attracts 250,000 visitors, one of the top 15 art shows in the nation. Best of all, the festival is free.

All year-long, the Eastern Shore Art Center offers classes, workshops and monthly exhibitions beginning with downtown’s First Friday Art Walk.

Dine

The Hope Farm restaurant serving up craft cocktails and farm-to-table entrees is a relative newcomer to the area. The upscale restaurant about a five-minute drive from downtown Fairhope off Highway 98 features an elegant indoor space plus an outdoor area that’s perfect for balmy spring days. Even in summer, the patio offers cooling fans that make meals enjoyable. If you’re looking for a brew beforehand, stop at Fairhope Brewing Company’s taproom across the street, or perhaps follow up a meal with a Judge Roy Bean coffee stout.

Stay

Being a destination popular with tourists, Fairhope offers many hotels, vacation rentals and the bayside Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in nearby Point Clear. Jubilee Suites bed and breakfast faces Mobile Bay with a beachfront, fire pits and free use of kayaks and paddleboards.

For those who want to stay in the heart of the action but still enjoy Deep South style, JoJo Terry of Alabama Tourism suggests the Hampton Inn, a chain hotel that resembles something akin to the French Quarter. “It’s tucked away amongst the downtown buildings,” she said. “It’s perfect for the walkability factor. You can walk everywhere.”