Ascension Fresh Market relocates to Airline Highway site


Published: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 9:05 AM CDT


Shoppers parouse wares at the Ascension Fresh Market last year. The open-air farmers' market will have a new home begining next month, as it will move to a new location on Airline Highway. The market had been operating at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. File Photo

The Board of Directors of the Ascension Fresh Market has agreed to move the seasonal farmers market from the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center to a parcel within an existing retail location at 14040 Airline Highway, near the intersection of Hwy. 621 and has signed a lease agreement with the property owner for the new location.

The location is within the property where This, That and More Antique Store and Mail Express are located and is next to the newly built Mansions at Ivy Lake Apartments and An Elegant Affair.

Market times will remain the same from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, starting April 26.

"We appreciate the tremendous assistance from the Parish and SMG to help the market at Lamar-Dixon but parish residents told board members and our vendors that the location was isolated and difficult to get to during events held at the Expo Center," said Tommy Kurtz, Chairman of the Ascension Fresh Market, "This location is on a major highway in the parish and is located near major concentrations of residential subdivisions in the parish."

More than 10 vendors with many of the existing vendors with the market will participate at the new location including artists from the River Region Art Association and local tenants at the Louisiana Edible Creations Center.

The board had preliminary discussions with Tanger Outlet Center officials about moving the market to the Gonzales shopping center, but negotiations broke down in the last few weeks with Tanger officials, Kurtz said.

Recent traffic counts conducted by the Ascension Economic Development Corporation indicated approximately 3,000 cars pass the new location on Saturday mornings. Traffic counts are available on AEDC's Web site at http://www.ascensionedc.com/traffic/february2008/US_61_n_o_LA_621_nb.pdf

For more information or to become a vendor in the market, call 675-1750 or visit www.ascensionfreshmarket.org