Old Arabi Marketplace, known for its wine and cheese party nights, will return after a one-year hiatus this Thursday, March 25 at 5 p.m. Guests can enjoy complimentary wine, beer, other beverages, cheese, and hors d’oeuvres while they peruse the antique gallery’s latest offerings. There will prize drawings starting at 5 p.m.
Lynda Catalanotto, proprietor of Old Arabi Marketplace, states: “We’ve missed you terribly! It’s been over a year since our last party and you don’t want to miss this one. We’ve expanded in so many ways.” One of the ways they have expanded is with an all new annex, showcasing even more of their reasonably priced antique wares which include living room sets, dining sets, French antiques, and much more. The annex now boasts 7,500 square feet of indoor galleries showcasing furniture, art and collectibles, rugs, lamps, gifts, and more.
Social distancing protocols will be in place and masks are required. Small purses are encouraged as the store is packed with various wares that may be easily damaged.
Hidden South, which specializes in art, oddities, and antiques, will open their gallery of vintage clown/circus items, unique “tramp” art, “good v. evil” folk art, taxidermy, vintage handcrafted furniture, dolls, photos of the South and wood carvings at the same location March 26 to 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
“I spend my life traveling the South searching for stories,” says owner Brent Walker, whose website contains transcripts from his encounters. “The stories come from the outsiders that I meet, the disappearing places that I find, and the interesting items that I collect and bring back home. Once a month I open up my studio and sell many of the art, oddities, and antiques that I find along the way. This month I have hundreds of items including folk art from South Louisiana’s Tee Beebe, Alvin Batiste, and prison art from Angola.”
Old Arabi Marketplace is located at 7124 St. Claude Avenue at the corner of Lebeau Street in Arabi. The store is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Thursdays remains open until 7 p.m. Sunday hours are noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call (504) 682-2721 or visit here.
