Get ready, shopaholics—Merry Market is now in March.
The popular fall shopping event is doubling down on its efforts and is expanding to the spring season for the first time this weekend, March 9-10, at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center.
The three-year-old market has quickly become a staple experience for seasonal shoppers and holiday keepsake lovers. Attendees can find gifts, holiday-themed decor, hand-made jewelry and more at the event’s more than 250 booths, featuring local and national vendors.
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Merry Market owner Anne Ogea has been in the promotion business for 24 years and grew Merry Market from her previous experience as a promoter and a small business owner. She says the inaugural Merry Market in March will take on a seasonal holiday theme.
“It will have a spring fling to it,” Ogea says. “Instead of Christmas items, we are going to be selling spring and summer items. We are going to focus on holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and all holidays coming up. … We will have plenty of Easter gifts. There will be food and sweets. We will have bows, candles and skin care—something for everyone.”
In addition to the shopping, there will be several Easter-themed activities at the event that kids and adults can enjoy. The Easter Bunny will be on-site, and there will also be a petting zoo featuring a baby kangaroo on Saturday.
Ogea’s expectations are high for the inaugural Merry Market in March. She says she hopes to attract about 5,000 shoppers.
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“Our expectation is that we are to have a fabulous, knockout show. We had over 10,000 shoppers at our Christmas show. I would be happy if we even had half of those numbers at our inaugural event,” Ogea says.
Merry Market in March will be on Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday, March 10, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. VIP shopping begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Tickets start at $10 for general admission, $15 for a weekend pass and $20 for VIP entry.
This market will be held indoors at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. Saint Landry Ave. Kids ages 10 and under enter for free, and strollers are allowed. Find the full list of vendors, pre-purchase tickets, and more information here.