Fairhope Yacht Club Auxiliary’s 2026 Fairhope Christmas Ornament Honors America’s 250th With Pier and Sailboats

FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Fairhope Yacht Club Auxiliary has unveiled its limited-edition 2026 Fairhope Christmas ornament, a keepsake that marks America’s 250th birthday with a design built around some of the most recognizable sights in town.

The collectible ornament combines the Fairhope Pier, an American flag, the city’s Rose Garden and classic sailboats into a single holiday piece. Each one sells for $25, arrives in a gift box and is already on sale from Auxiliary members, with several public sales planned around Fairhope over the next few weeks.

A Hometown Salute to the Nation’s 250th

This year’s design is the Auxiliary’s nod to the semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Communities across the country have spent 2026 marking the milestone with parades, exhibits and commemorative projects, and the Auxiliary chose to celebrate it in a way that also showcases Fairhope itself.

Rather than relying on national imagery alone, the ornament pairs the flag with local landmarks that residents and visitors know well. The result is a keepsake that reflects both the national anniversary and the character of a small city on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay.

The ornament was designed by members of the Auxiliary. It is produced by the official manufacturer of the White House Christmas ornaments, the company behind the collectible ornaments that have become a holiday tradition for many families across the country.

Familiar Fairhope Landmarks in the Design

Each element on the ornament carries meaning for people who live in or regularly visit Fairhope:

• The Fairhope Pier: The Municipal Pier stretches out over Mobile Bay at the foot of Fairhope Avenue and is one of the city’s best-known gathering spots, popular for walks, fishing and watching the sun set over the water.
• The Rose Garden: Located near the pier along the bayfront, the Rose Garden is a favorite backdrop for photographs and a centerpiece of the city’s waterfront park.
• Classic sailboats: Sailing has long been part of life in Fairhope, and the sailboats on the ornament reflect the yacht club’s own connection to the bay.
• The American flag: The flag ties the design to the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Together, the images tell a simple story of a bayfront community celebrating a national milestone in its own way. For collectors who buy a new ornament each year, the 2026 edition is likely to stand out as a one-of-a-kind piece tied to a once-in-a-lifetime anniversary.

Where and When to Buy the 2026 Ornament

The ornaments are available for purchase directly from Fairhope Yacht Club Auxiliary members starting now. For those who do not know a member, the Auxiliary has scheduled several opportunities to buy one in person:

• Taste of Lower Alabama: 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Fairhope Piggly Wiggly.
• Fairhope Yacht Club Christmas Market: Thursday, Nov. 19, at the yacht club. The market is a ticketed event, and the $30 admission includes a buffet lunch.
• Downtown Christmas Open House: Beginning at noon Sunday, Nov. 22, in front of M&F Casuals in downtown Fairhope.

After the Christmas Market, any ornaments that remain will be offered to the general public through the Fairhope Yacht Club business office. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Because the ornament is a limited edition, shoppers who want one, or who plan to give several as gifts, may want to buy early rather than wait for whatever is left after the market.

Ornament Details at a Glance

• Price: $25 each
• Packaging: Comes in a gift box, ready for giving
• Theme: America’s 250th anniversary
• Design elements: Fairhope Pier, American flag, Rose Garden and classic sailboats
• Designed by: Fairhope Yacht Club Auxiliary members
• Made by: The official manufacturer of the White House Christmas ornaments
• Available: From Auxiliary members now, at the scheduled sales events and, after Nov. 19, through the yacht club business office while supplies last

Where the Money Goes

Proceeds from the ornament sales support three priorities for the Auxiliary: safe junior sailing instruction, educational scholarships and improvements to the club.

Junior sailing programs teach young people the basics of handling a boat, reading the wind and staying safe on the water. On the Eastern Shore, where Mobile Bay is part of everyday life, learning to sail safely is both a recreational skill and an important safety lesson for families who spend time on the water.

The scholarship support adds an educational focus to the effort, while the club enhancements help maintain the facility that serves as the home base for the yacht club’s sailing and social activities.

For buyers, that means a $25 ornament does double duty. It decorates a tree or fills a stocking, and it helps fund programs that benefit young sailors and students in the community.

Part of Fairhope’s Holiday Season

The ornament sales line up with several of the events that kick off the Christmas season in Fairhope. The Taste of Lower Alabama offers an early chance to pick one up in mid-November, while the yacht club’s Christmas Market gives members and guests a festive setting to shop, eat and visit.

The Downtown Christmas Open House on Nov. 22 is a traditional start to holiday shopping in downtown Fairhope, where local shops and boutiques welcome visitors as the season gets underway. Having the ornaments available in front of M&F Casuals during the open house puts them in front of shoppers who are already out looking for gifts.

Fairhope has a long-standing reputation as a holiday destination on the Eastern Shore, with its walkable downtown, waterfront park and pier drawing visitors from across Baldwin County and beyond. An ornament featuring the pier and Rose Garden gives those visitors, and longtime residents, a small piece of that setting to take home.

A Gift With Local Roots

Holiday ornaments that feature hometown landmarks have become popular keepsakes in many communities, and they often take on more meaning as the years pass. A design that ties Fairhope’s best-known waterfront scenes to the nation’s 250th anniversary is likely to be one that families bring out and remember for years to come.

Anyone interested in buying an ornament can contact a Fairhope Yacht Club Auxiliary member, stop by one of the scheduled sales or, after the Nov. 19 Christmas Market, check with the Fairhope Yacht Club business office during weekday hours while supplies last.