FAIRHOPE — The annual Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival was held in downtown Fairhope over the weekend.

Despite severe weather warnings affecting Saturday, many people came out over the three-day event as over 200 artists from across the United States and Canada showcased their work. Amid the booths and pedestrians, local artist Hannah Legg was hard at work painting a mural located next to the Fairhope Welcome Center on Section Street that serves a lasting tribute to the festival's rich history.

Legg is a muralist, illustrator and designer who has worked as a freelance artist and whose artwork can be seen in Fairhope's Arts Alley as well as in other cities across the Alabama Gulf Coast, such as Foley, Spanish Fort and Mobile. This year, she was selected to be the featured artist for the 73rd-annual Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival.

"When they reached out to me about it, I kind of ran around my house a little bit and was really amped," Legg said about when she learned that she would be the featured artist. "It's such a cool felling having grown up here and going to festivals for all these years to be a part of it and to see everything that goes into it. The Foundation has been so wonderful to work with, and I am very grateful."

With this year's theme being "Paint the Town," Legg and the festival's Foundation decided on a mural. The idea was to depict a paint swipe effect and to fill it with things that both represent the city of Fairhope and arts and crafts, reflecting the local artistic community and the festival's 70-plus year tradition. Work on the mural began earlier in the week and was finished by the end of the festival on Sunday, with many people getting the chance to see the mural come to life in person as she painted away.

"When I was asked to chair this year's festival for a second time, I, along with our festival administrator, Lindsey Lawrence, knew we wanted to bring something new and exciting," festival chairperson Marissa Fleming Thetford said. "Fairhope is celebrated for its vibrant arts community, and Hannah has already made such a mark with her murals in Arts & Alley. This new mural will build on that momentum, creating a stunning addition to downtown that both locals and visitors will enjoy for years to come."

Along with many artists showcasing and selling their work, there were also several hands-on art activities for children and local bands.

"It's always wonderful to see this time of year having artists from all over the country, and I think we have a couple from Canada come this year, come together for this event. It's just wonderful," Legg said. "The artistic community we have here is second and none."

Limited edition, signed prints of Legg's "Paint the Town" mural were also made available exclusively at the festival merchandise tent located on Johnson Street.