TGIFairhope, The Arts & Crafts Festival has kicked off today with an incredible attendance and beautiful art. Spring is in the air and our cute little town is buzzing with Food, Music, and Art. But be aware- tomorrow the storms will arrive!

Your End of Week Funny: What’s the difference between a Hippo and a Zippo? One is really heavy. And one is a little lighter.

Now grab your hot tea or coffee and dive the FN Newsletter. And if you decide to share this with your friends and neighbors at FairhopeNow.com (or click the big blue button below), you’ll be entered to win a $25 gift card to Kind Cafe! Just email us at [email protected] to let us know, and we’ll add your name to the raffle. From Anne Dorman and John Oldshue.

– Anne Dorman & John Oldshue

Today’s Fairhope Now Newsletter

1. Sunshine at Arts & Crafts Festival Day One

2. Saturday: Be Weather Alert!

3. Festival Rain Plan & Kids’ Shirt

4. Red Carpet Runway Pet Adoption

5. FUMC Shrimp Boil All Weekend

6. Quick News & Events from Around Fairhope

Sunshiny Friday at Arts & Crafts Festival

This year’s Arts & Crafts Festival kicked off this morning at 10:00 am and stayed packed full all day long. With artists from 23 different states and even 2 from Canada, this year’s festival includes incredible talent and creativity. Visitors and locals alike wandered through the festival, enjoyed live music, and taste tested treats. The arts and crafts range From stunning paintings to handcrafted jewelry - there’s something for everyone to enjoy. (For information on shuttle services, festival hours, and more, please visit FairhopeArtsandCraftsFestival.com Our favorite part? Definitely the sense of community — seeing the streets of Fairhope filled with amazing art, smiling faces, and that unbeatable small-town charm. Learn more here Thank you for the incredible photos Stephen Savage!

Severe Storms on the Way

Spinks warns us that: LEVEL 5 (OUT OF 5) HIGH RISK FOR PARTS OF ALABAMA & MISSISSIPPI; REGIONAL TORNADO OUTBREAK EXPECTED… The Storm Prediction Center has upgraded parts of Alabama and Mississippi into their Level 5 (out of 5) HIGH RISK severe weather zone valid for Saturday, March 15 into Saturday night. This is only the third time since 2007 that part of our local area in southwest Alabama has had a Level 5 (out of 5) risk zone. The other two times happened in early 2021. Before that, it was the high risk day in March 2007 that produced the Enterprise, AL EF4 tornado that hit Enterprise High School.

WE ALL HAVE A RISK - IT ISN'T JUST THE LEVEL 5 RISK... Please do not think that if you're not included in the magenta/rare Level 5 (out of 5) risk that you're "out of the woods." That is not how this works, at all. The high risk is where the greatest potential exists for long track, violent tornadoes. This is a helpful reminder not to get TOO caught up in the specific risk level or color zone in the convective outlooks. While the risk of tornadoes IS higher in the higher risk zones, tornadoes can and do happen OUTSIDE of the highest risk zones with severe weather setups like what is expected on Saturday.

BE THE HERO... The National Weather Service has launched an awareness campaign entitled, "Be The Hero." The truth is you can absolutely be a hero and inform those folks around you that pay no attention to the world of weather. I guarantee you (sadly) there are folks all around that have heard nothing about this severe weather threat setting up for Saturday. The way we combat that is to "be the hero" and let your friends and family know about this risk.

TORNADO WARNING POLICY… Any time there is an active tornado warning in effect for southwest Alabama or northwest Florida, we provide uninterrupted, live video coverage on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and in the Live tab of the RedZone Weather app. Our detailed coverage commitment is outlined at redzoneweather.com/coverage.

Fairhope Now sponsored by The Dorman Group @ Mobile Bay Realty

Fairhope Arts & Crafts: Rain Plan

Storms may impact the Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival tomorrow - so check your local stations to be informed before heading Downtown! Also it is important to be aware of the no parking signage throughout Downtown Fairhope. Thank you for your patience and support as we prepare for another incredible festival!

Side Note: We’re SO excited to announce that this year’s Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival will have kids' t-shirts! And they feature a brand-new, super cute cartoon pelican! 

But… our feathered friend needs a name! Get the kids involved, and let them nominate a name! Drop your best ideas in the comments – we’ll pick the top 5 and display them at the Children’s Tent during the festival for a community vote this weekend.  Let’s get creative, Fairhope! 

Read More About the Festival here

Red Carpet Runway Adoption

The Haven’s Red Carpet Runway Pet Adoption Event at the Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival is this weekend.

Join us on March 15 and 16 from 10 AM - 3 PM (weather permitting) at Greer's Markets parking lot (75 South Section Street) for a day full of fun! Sponsored by Blue Leopard Agency 

Watch adorable dogs and puppies strut their stuff on the red carpet, hoping to win your heart! Plus, enjoy: Live pet training demos, Free goodies for the kids, Info on affordable vet services and spay/neuter resources. Bring the whole family and help us find these sweet pets their forever homes! The Haven

Quick News from around Fairhope

1. Fairhope Weather: Storms coming

2. Easter Bunny Hop Fairhope

3. Check out Rouxster Catering Lunch Options

4. Red Carpet Runway Pet Adoption

5. WABF, Fairhope’s Local Radio Station, Live Streaming Here

6. WABF Recent Local Interviews

Want to stay up to date on even more local events? Check out Let’s Go! Fairhope .

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