Mr. Randolph "Raymond" Brown
November 2, 2006
HONORING AMERICA’S SOLDIERS
November 7, 2006
Trying to find Christmas gifts for all different tastes, all under one roof is nearly impossible.
The Southdown Fall Marketplace Arts, Crafts & Food Fair, set for Nov. 4 in Houma, offers 300 options; not under roof but outdoors, different vendors will be selling gifts hard to find in any mall. From jewelry and home deco, to gourmet food mixes and homemade soaps, this market brings a melodious blend of art providing a twist to holiday shopping.
Held rain or shine on the grounds of the Southdown Plantation and hosted by the Terrebonne Historical and Cultural Society, the marketplace has been a Houma tradition for 25 years. Calling from every corner of the state and even some out-of-towners, the marketplace has become one of the foremost events in South Louisiana.
“This year there is a slightly higher concentration of artists and crafters from Louisiana, with about 85 percent of the vendors coming from the greater Houma, New Orleans, Baton Rouge area. We are certainly proud of the wealth of talent from our local artisans,” said Karen Hart, the director of the Southdown Museum.
Vendors traveling from neighboring parishes and states of Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee bring variety to Terrebonne while spending time and money, stimulating the parishes’ already booming economy.
What most do not know is that Southdown Plantation and the Terrebonne Historical and Cultural Society, Inc., receive no funding from the federal, state or parish governments. The semi-annual marketplace is the primary source of funding which keeps the plantation’s doors open to visitors.
So Hart looks for ways to enhance the marketplace and make each year better than the last by attracting new talent; about 15 percent of vendors are first-time participants.
“The focus of the festival is on the arts and crafts, that’s it. Many other festivals have many other things going on, but we really want to promote local artists and crafters and want to give them the venue to show and sell their items,” said Hart.
Many products available during November’s marketplace, unlike its spring counterpart, make unique holiday gift ideas. Skip the standard tie for Dad and opt for local South Louisiana photography or traditional woodwork.
Vivian Bansal recently located to the Houma area and is excited to show her art. Using only imported Italian glass, Bansal shapes her own beads and combines them with gemstones to produce unique gifts. Nature-inspired gifts range from the wearable to those pieces that will add a touch of color around the home.
A two-year apprenticeship taught Bansal how to use heat to shape and design beads, adding her own touch by incorporating them with gemstones.
“This is sort of both a business and a hobby for me. Right now I am starting a new career, but I have been doing this as well because it is my passion,” she said.
For those interested, at the marketplace Bansal will share how bead-making originated, a pastime not widely understood, but like other venders at the marketplace she is adamant about sharing tradition with inquisitive visitors.
Claude and Debbie Triche, Terrebonne residents for over 50 years, are also newcomers to the marketplace. Making fragrant soaps and lotions out of goat milk is a newfound hobby for the Triche’s.
“Claude has been doing this about three years now, and he basically learned on his own, playing with recipes and found one he has liked through trial and error. Now I am catching on with him,” said Triche.
Fragrances like milk and honey, oatmeal, lavender lace, and pear-berry have sold-out at other regional marketplaces. The Triches were planning to attend the Southdown Marketplace last year, but the hurricane season held back the six-week, soap-curing process.
The Triches and Bansal along with all the other artisans will be within 30,000-square feet one day only, Nov. 4, beginning at 8 a.m. for early morning holiday shoppers and closing at 4 p.m. Admission is $4 per person; children under 12 are admitted free.
For more information, contact Hart or Ben Nutter at (985) 851-0154.
