Some of Alabama’s small cities have a tendency to Hulk out every once in a while. Most of the year, they keep one foot firmly in their small-town roots. But on the right weekend, their populations rival or even exceed those of Mobile, Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery.

The examples that leap to mind relate to sports: Auburn or Tuscaloosa on game day, or Talladega on a race weekend. But there’s at least one contender in the arts and culture category: the Fairhope Arts & Crafts festival. Among events of its kind, it’s in the top tier on the central Gulf Coast.