New Orleans has numerous monthly markets for our locals to escape their regular Saturday errands and instead, socialize with their neighbors, check out creative regional arts & crafts, pick up some fresh produce, all while listening to great local music! When staying at your Southern Comfort Bed & Breakfast, you are just a short walk away from Freret St., host to our neighborhood favorite, Freret Market on the first Saturday of every month from 12:00-5:00pm.
Once a bustling commercial district, the stretch of Freret St. between Jefferson Ave. and Napoleon Ave., sat quiet and virtually abandoned by local businesses for years until its rebirth after Hurricane Katrina. In the past 6 years, wonderful new restaurants, bars, clubs, shops, and more have all popped up along this popular local drag. The resurgence of Freret St. has brought life back into this area of the city and Freret Market has become the perfect celebration of that renaissance! Each month, Freret Market takes over a large parking lot just off Napoleon Ave. providing a vibrant coalescence of culture for New Orleans Uptowners. Live local music greets the market’s visitors as they enter the maze of tents filled with fantastic crafts, fresh produce, homemade snacks, and much more. ARNO even frequents the market to introduce friendly doggies to potential adoptive parents; it’s hard to pass up petting a few of the adorable pups.
Freret Market is definitely a local favorite rather than a tourist attraction, so that makes it a great place to have a truly New Orleanian experience! If you want your pick of the fresh produce, make sure to arrive early, because it goes fast! Another local tip, it’s best to enjoy a snack from one of the many food vendors offering a wide variety of different tasty grub before downing that first Abita beer. Also, bring your own lightweight tote bag so that you can be green while purchasing a few unique items from the local arts and crafts vendors. And, finally, just enjoy mingling with the locals, we’d be surprised if you don’t make fast friends with at least a few before your day is done!
Freret Market took a break for the summer, but it’s finally back this October, so don’t miss the first market of the fall on Saturday, October 1, 2011! Remember , it’s only a short walk or bike ride from your Uptown/Garden District Bed and Breakfast.
