Vendors bringing wares to SLECA market

SLECA’s annual one-day Farmer’s Market and Craft Festival, held on the grounds of the energy supplier’s office at 2028 Coteau Rd. in Houma, was a victim of politics this year.

SLECA scheduled the festival for Oct. 20, which is Election Day. The company’s office is used as a polling place.

So, the fair was moved up to Oct. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but some promotional materials for the event still give Oct. 20 as the date. Admission is free. On-site parking is available (SLECA’s neighbors allow parking on their property for the day).

Early October or no, SLECA’s 2007 festival will have around 200 vendors selling woodwork, hand-sewn and embroidered items, floral wreaths and arrangements, candles, jewelry, ceramics, preserves, home-canned goods, and original artwork.

This year, the fair will also feature sand art activities, bath products, walking staffs, hand-painted glass, and locally produced honey, beeswax, and beeswax soap for sale.

Also, a 4-H seafood-cooking contest will take place.

Unusual for a farmer’s market, the festival will have little or no fresh produce available to visitors.

“We’re having difficulty getting produce,” said SLECA’s Elaine Robertson. “There’s nothing here ready to be harvested, but we will try to have pumpkins.”

SLECA does not profit from the event financially. Vendors at the festival keep all the money they earn.

However, the company does charge a $25 rental fee to vendors who are not SLECA customers. The money helps pay for advertising the festival.

Vendors who are SLECA customers pay no rental fee. Around half the people selling wares at the fair are the company’s customers.

Nonprofit organizations at the festival selling items to raise money are charged no rental fee.

Music at the event will be provided by the band Cajun Mix from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cajun Mix performs Cajun, country and rock music.

Besides hot dogs and ice cream, the festival will offer Cajun pirogues, jambalaya, hot tamales, and corn and crab bisque. Robertson said onion mums may be sold as well.

She said SLECA began the festival in 1988 to help out local crafts makers. That year was a bad one economically.

“The Farmer’s Market allows SLECA to give something back to the community,” Robertson said.

For more information, call (985) 876-6880.