11 Arts Walks, Crawls, and Markets Worth Putting on Your Calendar

Across Louisiana, creatives are bedecking their communities for arts events this spring.

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Our region has always held our locality in distinction, celebrating our own and all of our dynamic quirks with pride. The arts have long been an aggressively effective vehicle for displays of identity and tradition within our communities, while also setting the tone for creative growth to expand and explore those same identities and traditions. In our experience, perhaps one of the most accessible and exciting venues to embrace and support the arts in our local communities is through art markets and artwalks. These events, held in big cities and tiny villages across our region, invite the public into the eclectic spaces of our local artists and makers in a collaborative and celebratory setting that often feels something like a community-wide party. And if we’ve learned anything over the last year, it’s that shopping small has enormous implications for everyone involved. As more and more of us are vaccinated and the spring grows ever more lovely, many of these events are making a festive return alongside some altogether new pop ups to explore. Here, we’ve rounded up a handful of our favorites. If we’ve missed any, please reach out to us at editorial@countryroadsmag.com. We’ll be sure to add them to our online listing.

NOLA First Saturday Gallery Openings

Every First Saturday

Next Up: May 1

 6 pm on Julia Street

artsdistrictneworleans.com

On the first Saturday of each month, the galleries and museums decorating the New Orleans arts district throw open their doors at the chance to introduce their newest artists and exhibitions. Art lovers and makers are invited to embark on the self-guided tour of Julia Street, popping in and out of nationally-acclaimed galleries like LeMieux, Jonathan Ferrara’s, Arthur Roger’s, Callan Contemporary’s, and more—plus the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the National World War II Museum. Often, opening receptions include the chance to meet the artists themselves (and sometimes there are snacks!).

Covington Art Market

Every First Saturday

Next Up: May 1

10 am–2 pm on Lee Lane

sttammany.art/arts-market

On every first Saturday of the month, the St. Tammany Art Association, in partnership with the City of Covington, hosts a market featuring carefully selected makers and artists in downtown Covington. Ranging from photography to fiber art—the treasures are the draw, but visitors will stay for the charisma of Old Covington, bursting with history as well as with imagination. Step into the area’s many local restaurants, the Art house, the museum at J.J Smith & Sons General Store—or stick to the market and meet the individuals behind the Northshore’s creative spirit.

Baton Rouge Arts Market

Every first Saturday

Next up: May 1

8 am–noon between 5th and Main Street

artsbr.org

The Capital City’s monthly arts market draws makers from far beyond the Red Stick. Meander the open-air downtown area to discover a vast diversity of products from creatives who travel from Mississippi, Texas, and Florida to set up beside the Great River. Juried by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, the market promises to delight with items that you could never have imagined you needed. Set up alongside the weekly Red Stick Farmer’s Market, the event features local musicians to brighten the vibe, as well as a children’s activity center set up all morning.

Madisonville Market

Every Sunday

This Month: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

10 am–3 pm at Madisonville Park & Playground

madisonvillemarket.org

This relatively new local market was started in the tumultuous summer of 2020 by the Northshore Maker’s Market Foundation as a way to support over 154 “Very Small Business Owners,” offering products from all natural soaps to handmade puzzles to visual art. Located in the heart of Madisonville, the market has become quite the community gathering place on Sunday afternoons, frequently taking the opportunity to also spotlight local musicians on the Madisonville Park’s amphitheater.

Abita Springs Art & Farmers Market

Every Sunday

This Month: May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

11 am–3 pm at the Abita Springs Trailhead

townofabitasprings.com

In the quintessentially charming little town of Abita Springs, a collection of local farmers and artisans settle in at the community gathering place: the Trailhead. There, live music sets the tone for an afternoon of shopping specialties such as: baked goods, olive oils, locally-grown medicinal plants, hand-crafted jewelry and soaps, wooden postcards, and fine art. There’s nothing quite like a sunny Sunday afternoon in Abita Springs, but if it rains the show goes on anyway. townofabitasprings.com.

Mid City Makers Market

Monthly

This Month: May 7

6 pm–9 pm at Circa 1857

midcitymakersmarket.com

Started by the Baton Rouge makers from Mimosa Handcrafted, the Mid City Makers Market began as a trunk show that emphasized community. Over the past five years, the market has grown to include and inspire over sixty creatives from around the state—all pursuing their passions and supporting each other along the way. The spirit of hyperlocal eclecticism is only enhanced in the Mid City Makers Market’s new location at the Mid City Antique store Circa 1857, where the group of performers, crafters, and cooks will convene once a month for an event that has become as much of a neighborhood party as it is a marketplace.

Artwalk Lafayette

Every Second Saturday

Next up: May 8

5 pm–9 pm on Jefferson Street

downtownlafayette.org

Downtown Lafayette is well known for its eclectic community of small businesses centered around Jefferson Street (read all about it in this feature from our May 2021 issue: "I Wanna Be Where the People Are"). But once a month, the Heart of Acadiana’s most creatively-inclined convene to participate in Artwalk, a showcase of the cultural district’s lively medley of museums, galleries, studios, craft stores, and restaurants—who participate with special events, grand openings, and installations. The brick and mortar businesses are joined by independent artists and organizations from around the region in booths set up around the Downtown area—including the Lafayette Arts & Fleas market in Parc de Lafayette and Marché Sans Souci in Parc Sans Souci. Exploration is encouraged, and friendships often made in the spirit evoked from beautiful things and community celebration. Stay up to date by following the “Artwalk Lafayette” Facebook page.

Olde Town Slidell Art Market

Every Second Saturday

Next up: May 8

Noon–7 pm at Green Oaks Apothecary

facebook.com/greenoaksapothecary

In the historic little town just outside of New Orleans, Olde Towne has been a cultural center for the community for over a century. And on the second Saturday of the month, the lively neighborhood comes alive all the more with its concentration of the area’s distinct cultural identity at the Olde Town Slidell Art Market. Hosted by Brandée Santini at the Green Oaks Apothecary, along with the Olde Towne Slidell Association, the Market promotes itself as expressly “leauxcal” and features exhibits by regional artists and artisans, all against a backdrop of tunes by local musicians.

Giddy Up Folsom Market

Every Second Saturday

Next Up: May 8

1 pm–4 pm at Giddy Up Folsom

giddyupfolsom.com

At Folsom’s newest coffee shop and eatery, the environment fostered by the cozy outdoor deck just screams community. So it was hardly a surprise when the owners started markets on their property. In conjunction with their now weekly Farmer’s Market, Giddy Up Folsom is also hosting a Second Saturday crafts market, where makers from across the region will convene with goodies and gadgets galore. In this tiny village on the Northshore, the charm maxes out at Giddy up, and there’s hardly a better place to be on a Saturday than in the depths of small town America’s creative scene.

Downtown Lake Charles Spring Art Walk

May 8  

3 pm–7 pm on Ryan Street

artscouncilswla.org

To say it’s been a difficult year for the people of Lake Charles would be an understatement. So the chance to gather together in celebration of all things local and creative will certainly be well-received by all. After a far-too-long hiatus, the Art & Humanities Council of SWLA and CSE Federal Credit Union are thrilled to once again host the Spring Art Walk along Ryan Street, which will bloom with pop up galleries in spaces all over downtown, art markets, live entertainment and more. Then, of course, there are the Art Wars, where artists of all talents are invited to create a live mural in only an hour’s time. This year’s theme is “The Life and Legacy of Nellie Lutcher,” a Lake Charles musical legend who has been named an influence of Nina Simone.

West Monroe Downtown Gallery Crawl

First Thursday of every other month

Next Up: June 3

5 pm–9 pm at Art Alley

downtowngallerycrawl.com

In the charming downtown area of West Monroe, the Downtown Arts Alliance celebrates its local arts scene by hosting a community artwalk six times a year, featuring the many galleries across Art Alley in the downtown district, including The Outside Gallery, Sugar Gallery, The Rialto, and more. With diversity as a pinnacle and the arts utilized as a uniting force in the West Monroe community, the Alliance fosters this event as an environment for free interaction and education about local fine art, and an opportunity to support the creatives living in North Louisiana as a whole. The event also features food trucks, a featured live music artist, and other events like art auctions and crafts.