Friday, Feb. 26
February 26, 2010"American Indian Renaissance: The Deep South Connection" (Houma)
March 2, 2010
Beautification projects are continuing to take place throughout Houma, as parish officials are toying with the idea of bringing a farmers market to downtown.
“We’re trying to find venues or gathering places to bring people downtown,” said Terrebonne’s Main Street manager Anne Picou.
“The people who live in the area, I think, are just excited they wouldn’t have to travel to a supermarket to get something fresh,” she added, saying all the comments she’s received about the market have been very favorable. “I’ve never heard of anybody that didn’t like a farmers market.”
Locals have voiced support over the idea at recent meetings held by the Main Street program, which is charged with economic development and planning that aims to preserve the city’s historic assets.
The new market – or “Bayouside Market” – would be located near the Waterlife Museum on Bayou Terrebonne and would spill over into Memorial Park and fountain, making for an attractive area to visit, according to Picou.
Local contractors are in the process of constructing a boardwalk that links the museum to the park, which should be completed in March.
Officials hope to start hosting the market on Saturdays sometime in April.
And despite cold weather snaps earlier this year, the Main Street manager is planning to make the attraction a weekly event that would run throughout the year.
Although farmers markets are typically famed for the produce they sell, the possibilities are endless. “We don’t want to just focus on produce. We want to give different people a venue to sell their fresh products,” explained Picou, including jams, jellies and seafood.
A similar market is hosted in nearby Thibodaux on St. Mary Street. However, it’s only seasonal, running from early spring to late summer and opening again from early fall through December.
The market was originally hosted in downtown Thibodaux, but in order to get more visibility and attract a larger number of people, officials decided to relocate. There are currently about 14 vendors, selling everything from fruit and vegetables to photography services. On a typical weekend, the setup sees about 200 visitors, said Joyce Benoit, Thibodaux’s Main Street manager.
As far as coming up with a similar scheme for Houma, “It’s a great idea,” she touted. “I think farmers markets are popular everywhere. It brings people together; people love the freshness of the products.”
The addition of the venue could also play into increased tourism and revenue for local businesses, said Picou.
“I think the first thing will be to boost, hopefully, the amount of local visitors that come downtown,” she explained. “It’s starting off very small…but in the long run, it would help our local merchants because it would give them new people coming to the area.”
Surrounding businesses in Thibodaux have enjoyed similar success, as customers often peruse the small town after visiting the market, entering shops they didn’t even know existed or making their way into nearby coffee shops, explained Benoit.
While plans for the project are moving forward in Houma, both Main Street managers said they are interested in hearing from more vendors.
Benoit can be reached at (985) 448-1474, or Picou at (985) 873-6408.
The proposed market – or “Bayouside Market” – would be situated near the Waterlife Museum on Bayou Terrebonne and would spill over into Memorial Park. * File photo/ Tri-Parish Times
