Duplessis Park’s playground and large oak trees served as the backdrop Saturday for the Hippity Hoppity Easter Market.
Hundreds of families attend Saturday’s Hippity Hoppity Easter Market at Duplessis Park in Gonzales. The all-day event featured vendors, food trucks and children’s activities.
Families participated in Easter egg hunts while perusing local market and food vendors. The spring event, hosted by Bearded Events, featured 100 market vendors and six food trucks and tents.
The Hippity Hoppity Fest is one of many Chad Brown, owner of Bearded Events, has organized in Ascension beginning with the popular Small Business Owners of Ascension’s Trunk-or-Treat in 2020.
“When COVID happened and the world was shut down, I felt the community needed an outlet to just get out and have an opportunity for the kids to still have fun,” Brown said. “That was the motivation in year one, and, thankfully, we’ve been able to do it ever since.”
Bubbly Botanicals owner Shelly Johnson sold her homemade, all-natural line of soaps and body care during Saturday’s Hippity Hoppity Easter Market.
Bearded Events specializes in event planning and small business advertising. The company also leases tables, as well as providing scheduled appearances from Santa, Grinch and the Easter Bunny.
“I have been very blessed by the turnouts for the events over the five years,” Brown said. “I would like to give a huge thanks to the businesses that have come and setup, as well as the community for coming and supporting.
“I believe that our appeal to the public is that we are community driven, and we put people first. There is a genuine love for supporting local small businesses and bringing people together in an authentic way.”
Trey Hardesty pushes his children, Grace, 7, and four-year-old Curtis, during Saturday’s Hippity Hoppity Easter Market at Duplessis Park in Gonzales. The event featured children’s activities, as well as 100 market vendors and six food trucks and tents.
The spring event gave local small business owners the chance to introduce themselves to the public.
Vendor participant Kitty Landry, owner of Miss Kitty’s Yard Pieces, had a successful day of selling her custom-made Easter-themed yard signs.
Landry, a Sorrento resident, has been designing and creating her polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material signs for 20 years.
For the Easter market, Landry sold her signs under one of the oak trees at the park.
“The setup for the vendors is nice,” Landry said. “I was so excited when he (Brown) told me I’d be able to sell under the tree.”
Activities for attendees scheduled throughout the day included Easter egg hunts, appearances by the Easter Bunny and other children’s activities.
Geismar resident and Bubbly Botanicals owner Shelly Johnson sold her homemade, all-natural line of soaps and body care specifically created for those with sensitive skin.
“Today was well-organized with the way things were scheduled throughout the day,” Johnson said. “The different activities were spread out, so everyone stayed interested all day. Today was an enjoyable day for families to hang out with each other.”
Most of Brown’s Ascension Parish events have revolved around the same annual holidays and seasons, such as the Parks and Recreation Christmas Stroll in the Park.
“I think what makes my events appealing is I try to make each one different from the previous one,” Brown said. “That might mean new vendors, or some creative and crazy idea that popped in my head, each one has to stand alone and be new and fresh.”
Brown said organizing market events takes anywhere between 8 and 12 months in advance.
“I love to plan,” Brown added. “For example, I’ll start my Christmas event ideas in the next few weeks.”
Bearded Events has already scheduled the 2025 Small Business Owners of Ascension’s Trunk-or-Treat for Oct. 11.