Fairhope, a city long recognized for its flower-lined streets and manicured public spaces, has entered the 2015 America in Bloom competition for the first time in more than a decade. The national program evaluates participating towns on categories ranging from floral displays and urban forestry to heritage preservation and community involvement.
City officials say Fairhope last competed when the awards launched in 2002, earning recognition in its population category that year. Sherry Sullivan, the city’s director of community affairs and recreation, said officials decided it was time to showcase years of civic improvement work. “We’ve done a whole lot in the past five to seven years, so we wanted to toot our own horn,” she said.
This year Fairhope competes in the 16,000 to 20,000 population category against Madisonville, Kentucky; Fairview Park, Ohio; and defending category winner Ottawa, Illinois. According to America in Bloom, Fairhope is one of 42 municipalities nationwide taking part in local revitalization efforts tied to this year’s program.
Two out-of-state judges are scheduled to spend two days touring the city, assessing everything from downtown landscaping to environmental stewardship. Their itinerary includes a walking tour of the central business district alongside Mayor Tim Kant, Public Works Director Jennifer Fidler and Landscape Supervisor Paul Merchant, followed by stops at the Fairhope Museum of History, the Fairhope Public Library, the Eastern Shore Organic School’s historic Bell Building and the campus of a nearby college.
The tour also takes in several of the city’s green spaces, including a community garden, a downtown park and the bayfront, before wrapping up with visits to the city’s “Fruit and Nut” residential district, the well-known Floral Clock and other landscaped areas on the north side of town. Judges are expected to spend the night locally before continuing their evaluation the following day, which includes a stop to review an ongoing watershed restoration project.
Fairhope isn’t the only lower Alabama city vying for recognition this year. Brewton, competing for the second consecutive year in the 3,500 to 6,000 population category, earned special recognition last year but fell short of the top award. This year Brewton faces off against communities in Texas, West Virginia and New York, with its judging visit scheduled for the following month.
Since its founding, the America in Bloom program has worked with more than 240 towns and cities across 41 states, with organizers estimating more than 20 million people have been touched by local beautification efforts tied to the initiative. Category winners are also invited to compete internationally through a sister program based in Canada.
Award winners across all population categories will be announced in late September at America in Bloom’s national symposium, held this year in Michigan. City officials say regardless of the outcome, the judging visit itself offers a chance to highlight the volunteer efforts and civic investment that have shaped Fairhope’s public spaces in recent years.