Market-goers in Pascagoula had the opportunity to join in some Mardi Gras fun thanks to small business owners across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A total of about 45 of them were delighted to set up shop Saturday, Feb. 20, just outside the city’s Menagerie on Market Emporium to participate in the store’s indoor/outdoor Mardi Gras-themed event that encouraged patrons to shop local while in the spirit of Fat Tuesday. According to store manager Emily Gaffney, organizer of the event – dubbed Mardi Yardi Party Plan B, the festival was held to provide exposure to new and existing small businesses that haven’t been able to participate in normally scheduled events throughout the season due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

“We decided to host a Mardi Gras event this year because Mardi Gras is so special to us and to this community.”

Emily Gaffney, event organizer, The Menagerie on Market Emporium

“The annual Pascagoula parade actually goes directly in front of our store on Market Street, and it’s always so fun to be able to be right in the middle of all the action,” Gaffney said. “Obviously, all the regular Mardi Gras activities and events were postponed due to the pandemic, so we decided to utilize our property and give the community a familiar place to enjoy Mardi Gras, despite how different it is this year.”

Small businesses of all kinds, including veterans, start-ups and direct sellers, were grateful for the supportive platform and network the event provided. Former schoolteacher Elizabeth Michelle Shoemaker Green of Pascagoula was happy to announce that her new business, Ursula Elaine Handcrafted Jewelry – named after her 5-year-old daughter, Ursula
Elaine Green, was started on Facebook this year in early February and had already raked in $1,100 in sales. She is hopeful her attendance at the Market festival will help keep that momentum going. “This is great,” Michelle said of the event. “I think they have a great location here and it’s a great way to attract support for small businesses across the coast. I’ve personally made a lot of connections today.”

Hurley residents Shelly and Richard Mann, owners of Mann Kettle Corn for 20 years, said community festivals like the one hosted by the Market are the key to survival for many locally owned businesses. “It’s hard to compete against the big business world when you live in a small town,” Shelly said. “Small businesses really have to get creative and work together to help keep the community alive. So, we’re truly grateful for the good people here at the Market for recognizing that need, especially right now when so many events that a lot of small businesses rely on have been cancelled because of COVID.”

This is the second festival of its kind to be hosted by the Market. Its first indoor/outdoor event debuted in October 2020 during which about 25-30 small business vendors participated. “We were very pleased about the turnout for the Mardi Gras event, and are looking forward to hosting many more similar events able to let our small community flourish for years to come,” Gaffney said. Gaffney added that while the Market isn’t planning another Mardi Gras event, “as we are ready to get back to a sense of normalcy and have parades once again,” the store has decided to host two outdoor events per year; one in the spring and another in the fall. “We are very excited to continue to see growth and to be able to bring our community together for some fun,” Gaffney said. “We are continuing to grow and get the word spread out across the coast.”

The Menagerie on Market is a family-owned and operated small business located at 2302 Market Street in Pascagoula. It was opened in November 2017 by Tina Hull who co-owns the store with her husband, Leslie Hull, and Brent Thames. The Market is home to over 40 small businesses all operating under one roof. “We wanted to bring something special to our beautiful small town and its residents,” said Tina, who grew up in Moss Point. “We have been truly blessed to be able to be a home to so many wonderful people and hope to be able to do the same for many years to come.”

Leslie added, “Our purpose is to give small businesses the opportunity to grow, without being overwhelmed by high overhead costs and having to do everything themselves. The hope is to be able to provide them with an environment for success so that they can eventually move on from us and open their own store.” The store also features an indoor cafe serving up lunch specials that include soups, sandwiches and salad plates and specialty desserts, with a New Orleans flare. It also offers fresh ground coffee in a French press, cold or hot. And its coffee beans come from a local bean roaster in Jackson, Miss. 

On the Market’s website, Tina describes the passion behind her business. “This area was my stomping ground. I remember the energy of Market Street. I remember the many businesses and restaurants that were anchored here. I remember what it once was, and that is the passion that drives me, and the reason for us bringing the Menagerie to Market Street and Pascagoula. It may not be tomorrow, it may not be in the next five years, but it is going to come back. That is my goal. A goal that I believe can be achieved if we all work together for the good of this city.”

For more information about The Menagerie on Market Emporium, visit
www.themenagerieonmarket.com.

• Photo Album: Mardi Yardi Party at Menagerie on Market Emporium

Amanda Compton-Ortiz

Amanda Compton-Ortiz holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from the University of Mississippi. She relocated from North Mississippi to Long Beach in October 2016. Amanda has worked for more than 20 years in journalism, leading and reporting for various community news publications throughout the state. She has received numerous awards for her editorial contributions from the Mississippi Press Association and placed among 224 universities competing across the United States and Canada for Reach, a personally created magazine for women.