With holiday season right around the corner, shoppers are looking for every chance to find the perfect gift.
Mistletoe Market is a local market coming back for its 16th year to bring together vendors into one place on Nov. 14 and 15.
The market began as a need for a family friendly place to showcase items sold by local companies.
“We quickly realized they didn’t have anywhere to display,” Mistletoe Market co-founder Rene Crousillac said. “It started with 10 stay-at-home moms and a local church.”
The organization then moved out of the church and into hotel venues around Baton Rouge with now 120 vendors and over 6,000 people attending.
The market’s theme always
revolved around Christmas. It had a Christmas tea at its local church and were able to set up a few vendors there.
“It just kind of stuck. Our crowd base that we had 16 years ago have followed us all these years,” Crousillac said.
With that crowd coming back for more, the market continues to grow. It not only holds shopping opportunities the day of the event but also contests and raffles before.
Leading up to Nov. 14 and 15, Mistletoe Market will have Facebook contests and vendor giveaways, during which $25 gift cards will be given away until the first day of the market.
An art walk will also be on display at the event. This is a free set-up for artists to showcase their work.
Crousillac didn’t start the event alone. She said she had the help from co-founder Anne Ogea who also owns a shop, Brooklynn’s Boutique, a vendor at the upcoming market.
The women said they started the market 16 years ago, and Ogea started her shop 6 years ago.
“I, of course, brought the boutique hand-in-hand to the show,” Ogea said. “It’s a great fit for our boutique and our customers.”
Ogea said they will bring their Tiger pride to the booth as Brooklynn’s Boutique sells its purple and gold attire.
Other vendors will sell various items, including jewelry, candles and menswear.
One of the vendors, KB Designs, will sell its scripture-based home products. The shop has been with Mistletoe Market for a few years now and continues to come back for the great opportunities, owner of KB Designs Kristi Levatino said.
“Putting on markets in general are a great way for a small business that doesn’t have a storefront to sell products,” Levatino said. “Mistletoe [Market] is different though. They want us to grow, which brings in more money to be donated to great causes.”
The entry fee to the market is $5. A percentage of the proceeds benefit the charity Dreams Come True of Louisiana.
Mistletoe Market’s goal is to continue growing and reaching out to a variety of different groups of people, Crousillac said. It eventually would like to offer a market in the spring.
“It’s grown into something bigger than we ever could have imagined,” Crousillac said.