Concerts
March 1, 2007March 9
March 5, 2007
The Main Street Market Bayouside Art and Crafts Festival in Lockport is celebrating five years of providing the Tri-parish residents with a fun-filled weekend.
Sponsored by the Bayou Lafourche Folklife Museum and Bayou Parish Marine Corps League and Auxiliary, the annual festival is held March 24 at the Bayouside Park in Lockport from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Festival Coordinator Sue Ockman said the Main Street and Marine Corps League always cooks on the day of the Market Bayouside show. The menu includes everything from hamburgers to plate lunches, she said.
This year’s show features nearly 65 arts and crafts booths throughout the walking park.
Ockman said over the years, the exhibit has grown, attracting residents from all over who gather to share a day in the art world. Although this particular festival has been around since 2001, a similar festival was a part of the city years before.
Seven years ago, the Lockport festival got its start as the Beautification of Lockport. People gathered on Main Street to enjoy music, arts and crafts.
Ockman said the eventnaimed at beautifying the citynwent on for two years.
After the sweltering heat from the Main Street pavement dulled the excitement of the festivities, the committee moved it to the Bayouside Park and changed the name.
Over the years, the festival has taken different avenues to attract all types of art lovers. Ockman said they have tried having entertainment, but the people did not want it. “[Visitors] are more concerned with crafts because the works come from local artists they see everyday,” she said.
Some of the arts and crafts are made by outside artists, but most works come from Tri-parish artisans, like longtime art teacher Dolores Legendre of Lockport.
Legendre is known in the Tri-parish area for her oil paintings of local churches and homes in the bayou region. For nearly 35 years, the Lockport painter has participated in various art shows across the region.
Every year, Legendre participates in the Lockport festival. Each time, she gives oil painting demonstrations when she is not showing off her collection of paintings. Legendre also displays artwork from her students.
“The festival was very good to me last year. People come from all over wanting to buy my paintings. It gives me great joy for them to come up and complement me on my work,” Legendre said.
The Lockport artist said she tries to give festival-goers something new to look at every year. She prides herself in painting scenes prevalent to her heritage and South Louisiana’s culture.
“The festival really draws people in who are interested in the arts,” Legendre said.
Admission to the event is free. In addition, two weeks before the art show many of the Lockport festival participants can be seen cooking on WWL-TV.
