Mobile, Ala. (APRIL 10, 2026) — The inaugural Boyington Oak Day, as proclaimed by the Mobile City Council, will be celebrated on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 2 p.m., at the site of the Boyington Oak, 102 Bayou Street in Mobile.

The event is free and open to the public. The Azalea Trail Maids and the Mobile Belles will greet guests, there will be performances by local actors and Secret History Tours will provide free tours for attendees.

Mary S. Palmer, president of the Boyington Oak Society, said the event will become an annual one, similar to the Boyington Oak Festival. The festival is in its seventh year and will take place on Saturday, May 16, at the Oakleigh House Museum. Tickets for the festival are available online.

The oak honors one of Mobile’s oldest and most famous legends, the life and death of Charles R. S. Boyington. A Connecticut native, Boyington moved to Mobile in 1833 and worked as a printer. He was also a poet and musician. The next year, Boyington was arrested and charged with the murder of his friend and roommate, Nathaniel Frost.

Although he maintained his innocence, he was convicted of the crime and hanged. Boyington correctly predicted that his innocence would be proven after his death, when an oak tree would grow from his heart and on top of his grave.

According to the William C. Pomeroy Foundation, which provided a grant for the historic marker at the site, the tree stands at approximately 60 feet tall, with branches as long as 110 feet.

The inaugural Boyington Oak Day celebration is sponsored in part by the Mobile County Commission and the Mobile City Council.

For more information, contact the Boyington Oak Society at info@boyingtonoaksociety.com. You can find event flyers for both events here.