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The
beautiful Nix Center is a senior activity center that
provides daily activities for those 50 and older and
currently has 1,800 members. Programs offered include
sailing events, potluck lunches, dominos, pool &
billiards, ballroom dancing lessons, support groups, ice
cream socials, birthday parties, blood pressure screening,
cooking classes and much more.
Fairhope has its share of fun
festivals. The biggest
annual event, the Arts and Crafts Festival, occurs the third
weekend in March and is one of the oldest and largest festivals of
its kind in the South. Each year, hundreds of artists
and fine craftsmen from around the U.S. and overseas come to this
prestigious three-day event to show and sell their wares to crowds
estimated at 150,000. The nation's largest one-day sailing
regatta takes place the third weekend in April on Mobile Bay, and
the yearly Jubilee, when bottom-dwelling fish, shrimp and crabs
rush en masse to the shore to meet eagerly awaiting residents with
scoops and buckets in hand, is not to be missed.
Shopping is limited, but there is
now a Wal-Mart on the outskirts of town; some, though, say that
this has taken away some of the town's charm. Others appreciate
the convenience. Mobile is close enough for more in-depth
shopping excursions as needed. Health
care services in Fairhope are quite good. Thomas Hospital is
a 150-bed facility that offers 24 hour emergency services and
acute care, and Mercy Medical offers home health care and
sub-acute care. Further options are available in Mobile just
across the Bay. It gets hot and muggy during the
summer here (low 90s with 70% humidity are the average), but the
nearby water helps mitigate the temperatures. Winters are
quite nice, with temperatures in the 60s and low 40s. Fairhope
is a relatively small Southern town; living here could take some
adjusting for those from the north or from larger cities (Yankees,
though, do seem to be welcomed). It is also a safe place,
with a crime rate below the national average. And while some
of Fairhope's charm may be waning as more people discover it and
more building takes place, it still has a romantic quality. Taking
a walk along the Bay on a cool winter morning is like stepping
into a southern novel. Moss-draped oak trees appear
and disappear in the milky fog and everyday sounds become
muffled. Spring is a lovely time to visit, and falls
are marked by especially spectacular sunsets. Return
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