During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!

This month we are featuring some of Bay St. Louis's best hotels, inns and B&Bs, rather than one or two local businesses. For a week at the beach or a romantic weekend getaway, check out this list of the "best of the best."
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- stories by Caroline St. Paul, photos by Caroline St. Paul and Ellis Anderson

Bay Town Inn
208 N Beach Blvd.
Bay St Louis, MS 39520
(504) 421-0960
Website

This adorable bed and breakfast, located on Beach Boulevard, is one of the best on the Gulf Coast.  With a view of the Bay St. Louis Marina, the beach, and just minutes away from the great shops and restaurants in Old Town, you cannot beat its location and charm.
 
The inn is also beautifully decorated at all times by owner, Nikki Moon. Stay in this luxurious bed and breakfast and enjoy all that Bay St. Louis has to offer. Walk to the shops and discover something unique for your friends and family, and enjoy delicious food and drinks at one of the many local restaurants.
 

 
Bay Town Inn features ten guest suites of over 500 square feet which each include a kitchen and living area, full bath and bedroom with a king bed. Many of these king suites offer a beautiful view of the pool and courtyard as well.
 
There is also the poolside accessible room which features two double beds, a large bathroom, and a kitchen area. The second floor "Lighthouse Room" is over 700 square feet with a queen bed, sofa-sleeper, full bath and kitchen area. This spacious room also features its own private deck.
 
In true bed and breakfast fashion, the Inn serves full breakfast room delivery on Saturday and Sunday, and a lighter breakfast during the week. Enjoy a homey atmosphere and relax in a luxurious waffle-weave robe which you will find in each room, as well as fresh flowers during your stay.

 
Every room also features complimentary Wi-Fi, a small refrigerator and freezer, a microwave, coffee maker, and an iron and ironing board. Each bathroom offers a full size tub and shower, and shampoo, soap, lotion, and a hair dryer. You will find practically everything that you may need.
 
There is a minimum 15 year-old age requirement for guests and visitors, and a limited number of dog-friendly rooms, so make sure to check availability.
 
Countless testimonials speak for the charm and luxury that you will experience when you book your stay at the Bay Town Inn. You can visit the website at baytowninn.com for more information and booking. Nikki Moon will make it her pleasure to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. You are sure to experience the best of the best here and fully enjoy Old Town Bay St. Louis! 
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Bay Cottages
305 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS  39520
(228) 466-4793
Website

​The Bay Cottages, owned by Ronnie and Sandy Robert, are the perfect place for you to stay if you would like to experience Old Town Bay St. Louis like a local!
 
This historic 1920s stucco double is known for its spectacular location and Spanish style exterior. It is just steps away from Main Street, where you will find shopping and dining galore. There are two apartments available for rental, named “Southern Comfort” and “Latitude Adjustment.” 

 
Besides its fantastic location, these apartments are ideal for families to rent for large gatherings such as weddings. “It’s the perfect place for extended families because they can rent both sides” Sandy Robert explains.
 
The couple began renting out the cottages several years after Hurricane Katrina, and since then, have had many wonderful guests. A lot of these guests have since decided to purchase homes in Bay St. Louis themselves! This was Sandy’s ultimate goal, so she is more than pleased with the success of the charming cottages.
 
Enjoy “beautiful hardwood floors, beaded board walls and ceilings,” and comfortable furniture, and make yourself at home in one of the apartments. Each apartment features one full bath with a tub and shower and one half bath, a fully equipped kitchen, including cooking utensils and dinnerware, a washer and dryer, cable, flat screen television and DVD player, and Wi-Fi. 

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​In the Latitude Adjustment accommodation you will find one bedroom with a queen bed, one bedroom with two twin beds, and two twin size sofas in the living room. In the “Southern Comfort,” sleeping arrangements include one bedroom with a queen bed, one bedroom with two twin beds, and one queen sleeper sofa in the living room. There is also a shared front porch and back deck for you to enjoy the outdoors.
 
This location is perfect, as you can view all of the action right from the front porch or walk into town to experience the one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants all within blocks of the cottage! The cottage is also two blocks from the waterfront and less than a half mile from the public beach and fishing pier.
 
Bay Cottages will allow you to experience Old Town Bay St. Louis in the best way possible. The combined comfort and location make for the perfect vacation rental. You can visit the website at baycottagesllc.com for more information. Book your stay today! 
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Carroll House B&B
304 Carroll Ave.
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
(866) 300-2704
Website
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Carroll House Bed & Breakfast is owned by Jane Alford-Kulpeska and can be found on Carroll Avenue in Old Town Bay St. Louis. Find “warm southern hospitality” at this lovely Victorian style home built in 1890.
 
Jane grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and fell in love with B&Bs after living in Europe for a few years. She lived in Bay St. Louis for 20 years and worked in healthcare for 25 years before opening the Carroll House B&B. She also owns Bay-Tique, a boutique located on Main Street.  
 
“It was a life dream of mine to own and operate a bed & breakfast,” Jane says. She bought the home in 2006, renovated it, and brought it back to its original splendor. She then lived there until 2011. After moving into the cottage next door, she was ready to open the B&B for business.

 
The home is on the National Register of Historic Places and features three bedrooms, each with a private en suite and a large claw foot tub. Each room is furnished with lovely antiques, luxury linens, free Wi-Fi and DirecTV. There is also a separate beach cottage on the grounds, which features one bedroom and a full kitchen.
 
A full gourmet breakfast is served each morning for guests, which they may enjoy in the dining room on fine china, or in the privacy of their rooms. “I love gardening," said Jane, "so we grow a good bit of what we serve for breakfast.”

The home features large front and back porches as well, great for gatherings or relaxing and reading a good book. "I have walked up on the back porch many times to find a guest napping on the porch sofa,” Jane recalls.
 

 
Carroll House is conveniently located within walking distance of all of the shops, galleries, and restaurants of Old Town, and just two blocks from the waterfront.
 
Jane enjoys entertaining and making her guests feel welcome, and the biggest compliment that she receives is just that. “We have found over the years that many of our guests fall in love with Bay St. Louis and end up moving here or purchasing a vacation home here.” This is something that she takes great pride in.
 
“We take our role as ambassadors to Bay St. Louis very seriously and strive to treat each guest with the warm, Southern hospitality that embodies our little beach front community.” One stay at the Carroll House will prove this fact for you. Visit their website at www.carrollhousebnb.com for more information. 
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Manieri Real Estate
501 Main St #3, Bay St Louis, MS 39520
(228) 466-4793
Website

“Manieri Real Estate manages a number of vacation rentals in Bay St. Louis. These properties are listed on VRBO.com,” explains Joey Manieri, manager.
 
These VRBO listings include: VRBO #1506453, VRBO #36901, VRBO #49042, VRBO #960130, VRBO #1543165, VRBO #735458, VRBO #497992, VRBO #1455843, VRBO #313124, VRBO #400259, VRBO #987619, VRBO #1034190, VRBO #909248, and VRBO #639097, with three or four more vacation rentals to be expected to join soon.

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Each one of these properties ranges from two to five bedrooms. Guests from all over the United States come to stay in Bay St. Louis at one of Manieri Real Estate’s properties. Even a few from other countries choose to visit as well. Winter guests include snowbirds.
 

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“Manieri Real Estate LLC offers quality service and comfortable living at a competitive price. It is our goal to provide our customers an enjoyable visit to Bay St. Louis” Manieri says.
 

Gulfview Properties
111 Court St.
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
(228) 344-3004
Website

Gulfview Properties LLC is managed by Kevin Jordan, the owner, and Tammy Petone, property manager. Their office is located in the Bodega building on 111 Court St. “We have been in business since 2005, managing vacation rental properties in the Bay St. Louis area.”
 

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Gulfview Properties currently manages and owns five vacation homes, which includes The Bungalow Bed & Breakfast and The Abode Guest House. “Our specialty is older classic homes in the historic district,” Kevin explains.
 

 
In addition to these properties, they manage vacation rentals for other owners, also in the Bay St. Louis area. All of the properties are listed on the website, gulfviewproperties.net , VRBO, and Airbnb. For more information, they can be reached by phone at (228) 344-3004.

Heart of Old Town
View listing
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The Heart of Old Town, owned by Ed and Sylvia Young, is a charming place to stay. Get the full Bay St. Louis experience in this vibrant apartment, truly in the “heart” of Old Town.
 
This two bedroom, two bathroom vacation rental apartment is located next door to Antique Maison, the Young’s antique shop. It is also within walking distance of the other shops, restaurants, galleries, entertainment, and the beach. 
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One bedroom contains a queen bed, while the other has two full size beds. There is also a trundle bed in the living room, a rollaway twin bed, and a crib. The apartment comfortably fits six, so it is perfect for a family or a larger gathering.
 
There is an outdoor patio with a 6-person table, a gas grill, and a 3-person rocking bench, so that you can enjoy warm summer evenings and the company you are with. Grill some food, pour some wine, and unwind after a long day.
 
Inside, you will be welcomed into a 1,300 square foot interior decorated with lovely decor and colorful walls. There is an HD TV in the living room and a fully equipped kitchen for meal time.
 

 
The apartment features air conditioning, Wi-Fi, 2 flat screen HD TV’s with DirecTV, Showtime, and Starz, a DVD player, washer and dryer, toiletries, a high chair, four driveway parking spaces, boat and trailer parking, and much more.
 
You can check out this vacation rental on both Airbnb and HomeAway. Book your stay in the true heart of Old Town today! 

Life’s A Beach Cottage
Website

Life’s A Beach Cottage got its name from a simple phrase that owner/operator, Nona Morlan and her friend used at the time she was debating opening a vacation rental. Ever since then, it has been a lifestyle.
 
Nona and her husband, James Morlan, moved to Bay St. Louis in 1982. Since she has been here, she says that she “was made to feel at home by the locals” and has “developed long friendships” with them. The couple lived in the cottage for 15 years before opening their doors as a vacation rental.

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The cottage “has ingress and egress on Ulman Avenue in the back of Old Town Presbyterian Church’s parking lot, but is actually located on the back of a Carroll Avenue property.” Life’s A Beach Cottage is almost 1000 square feet and can “comfortably sleep six.”
 
There is one bathroom, two bedrooms, and “a queen sleeper sofa in the living room.” The cottage also “has a full kitchen with a dishwasher and access to a washer and dryer.” There is also a convenient outside shower to wash off in after the beach, perfect for children. The house is “handicap accessible with a large shower that would fit a wheelchair.”
 

 
“It is close enough to the downtown area that walking to the restaurants and shops is an easy trek. It’s far enough away that the loud noises some locals complain about isn’t an issue” Nona points out. There is also a view of the Bay Bridge from the front porch swing.
 
Nona’s favorite part about owning and operating the cottage is meeting new people and having return guests. Visit www.lifesabeachcottage.com for more information, or check it out on Facebook. 

Rose Cottage
​View Listing

The Rose Cottage, owned by Ann Hager, is conveniently located on deMontluzin Street, just a short distance away from the shops and restaurants of Old Town, and of course, the beach. It is known for its rose-colored exterior, which sets it apart from all of the other homes in the area. The surrounding roses of the same color exude joy and serenity, and this is just what you will find when you book your stay at the Rose Cottage.
 
This fully renovated, modern cottage from the 1950s offers all of the comforts of home. Your stay will be made comfortable with the central air, ceiling fans, cable television, Wi-Fi, and washer and dryer.

​There is also a wrap-around deck and furnished front porch to enjoy your evenings on. Sit back, relax, and watch the world go by in this quiet, residential neighborhood.  The home also features a BBQ pit, and a shaded picnic table for a peak southern living experience. A charming picket fence surrounds the uniquely pink home, and one of the best features of this vacation rental is the two-car carport.
 
There is an open living area, which includes a living room, a full-sized kitchen, and a sit-down dining room where you will enjoy your meals. The Rose Cottage has two full bathrooms and two bedrooms.
 

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The entire family can make themselves comfortable in the two bedrooms offered at the Rose Cottage. One features a queen-size bed and a TV, while the other has a full-size bed. For additional sleep options, you will find two full-size futons in the living room, as well as extra linens.
 
The past guests of the Rose Cottage have nothing but joyful things to say about their stay here. Relax, explore, eat, shop, and enjoy your stay at the unique Rose Cottage. You can find it listed on VRBO. 

Sandy Feet Retreat
View Listing

This charming townhouse located on de Montluzin Avenue in Old Town is the perfect family friendly getaway.
 
Nikki Moon, owner of the Bay Town Inn across the street, renovated and opened the townhouse for Cruisin’ the Coast in October, 2018. “I wanted something that was family friendly… people with children could come in and enjoy the beach, enjoy Old Town,” she explains.
 
The townhouse is completely renovated and fully furnished. It features two bedrooms, one with a queen-size bed, and one with two twin beds. There is also a full bathroom with a tub on the second floor, and a full bathroom featuring a shower on the first floor.
 

 
There is a fully furnished kitchen, washer and dryer, two televisions, Wi-Fi, and two parking spaces for your stay.
 
One of the biggest advantages of staying in this townhouse is that you can walk everywhere. It is located half a block from the beach and one block from bustling Main Street, which features shops and restaurants. 

 
The townhouse is listed on VRBO, where you can check out more details on this charming vacation rental. Book your stay at the Sandy Feet Retreat today!
 

The Trust B&B
204 Bookter St.
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
(800) 331-9046
Website

“Gracious living of a bygone era on the Mississippi Coast.” This is the essence of the Trust Bed & Breakfast, which is unlike any of the others. It is family-oriented, historic, elegant, and a place where you can truly enjoy the company that you are with.
 
Hilton and Joan Eymard bought the bed & breakfast in 1970. The New Orleans natives stumbled upon the property while they were visiting their eldest son who was boarding at St. Stanislaus.
 
The home had been closed for 15 years before they discovered it. It was run down and needed a lot of work. Nevertheless, they saw the potential, and asked if it was for sale. “We made an offer, and the following day we got it,” Joan recalls. 

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They originally saw the home as a great place for their sons to stay in with Joan’s mother while they were attending school nearby. The couple renovated one room at a time and slowly but surely restored it to its original glory.
 
Once the boys graduated, “The house stayed vacant for a while, and finally we said, ‘We could open a bed and breakfast here, and we did!’” Joan explains. The Trust Bed & Breakfast opened its doors in 2000.
 
During Hurricane Katrina, Hilton and Joan found refuge in the bed & breakfast, which was ruined during the storm. They once again had to renovate the home. “We were able to get it back in full force about two years after the storm,” Joan explains.
 
Located on Bookter Street, this historic home, built in 1850, is 10,000 square feet and has seven bedrooms, each with a private bath. Children are welcome here, as it has been a family home for years. It is also located close to the shops, restaurants, and beaches.
 

 
“What we have tried to do here is keep the house in character of the years that it’s been here,” Joan explains. In the home, you will find lovely period antiques that the Eymards have taken special time to collect.
 
The heart of the Trust Bed & Breakfast is family. It is unique in the fact that it was a family home long before it was a bed & breakfast, and it was not built recently simply to become one. As Hilton Jr. explains it, the home belonged to a family that was holding it together and then “turned it into a B&B after everyone got older and left.”
 
Hilton and Joan are also extremely accommodating, and they go above and beyond to make sure that their guests are comfortable and have everything that they could need.
 
“It’s more of a family experience than going in a hotel room and being alone,” Hilton Jr. explains. The Trust Bed & Breakfast is a place where you will truly immerse yourself in your peers and share experiences amongst one another. Call 228-467-5715 for more information.

A few times a year, the iconic Second Saturday Artwalk event in Old Town Bay St. Louis adopts a theme.  The “Souper Mudfest Second Saturday Artwalk" - one of the most popular events of the year in Bay St. Louis - will take place March 9, rain or shine.

​- Stories by Caroline St. Paul, photos by Caroline St. Paul and Ellis Anderson
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Bowls for March 9th's Souper Mudfest Second Saturday Artwalk will be sold on the green space at Main and Second Street beginning at 3:30pm. A wristband will be given to all who purchase the official bowls. 

Bowls have been handcrafted by more than a dozen local potters and sell for $20 each.  Bowl-buyers are provided with a list of local merchants where they’ll be able to sample gourmet soups throughout the evening - for free!  Just show your wristband and hold out your bowl.  

As usual, two Hot Spot businesses will be featured:  the Ulman Tea Room, 317 Ulman Avenue,  and Dan B's Restaurant and Bar, 109 South Beach Boulevard.  Read more about them below!
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Ulman Tea Room 
317 Ulman Avenue
Bay St. Louis
(228) 344-3128

The Ulman Tea Room is truly one of a kind. This hidden gem is a tea room and antique store combined. There are so many beautiful antiques here, but what is most special are the teas, homemade desserts, and high tea service. 

Antique Maison Ulman Tea Room opened in June 2014. Since then, the community has enjoyed many a tea party there. The Ulman Tea Room is owned by Sylvia and Ed Young, who own the antique shop located on Second Street as well. They were inspired to create another antique store, but even more inspired to create “the only tea room on the Gulf Coast.” 

​At this special spot, you can experience a true high tea, similar to those in England. Transport yourself “across the pond,” and make reservations for The High Tea Windsor, which includes a pot of tea, finger sandwiches, mini quiches, mini potato salads, mini artichoke delights, chocolate covered strawberries and cherries, mini ambrosia salads, and mini scones with lemon curd. 
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High tea reservations must be made 48 hours in advance. This scrumptious experience costs $20 per person. The beautiful main room accommodates 35 guests and the private party room accommodates 20. “We do have an outside eating area under the historical tree in the back deck that you can eat under in the springtime,” Missy Geisel explains. 

Sylvia and Missy strive to make sure that their guests have a lovely time in the tea room. There are even hats, pearls, and gloves available for use to complete the full high tea experience. 

Everything is homemade by Missy Geisel, Sylvia’s right hand woman. She does all of the cooking and cleaning for the tea room, and has made it her passion to create an experience for the guests through her tasty creations. She makes a new dessert each week, so that there is always something new for guests to devour.
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​A little known fact is that you can come in for just tea, scones and dessert without a reservation. Tuesday through Saturday from 10am-3pm, the tea room offers a casual tea, where you can choose from one of their many delicious options, including the ginger peach tea, for which they are especially well known. 

“You can come in and have high tea and then shop, too… not very many places you get to eat and shop,” Missy says. After you experience the Ulman Tea Room, you can take a look around the antique shop to discover one of the many treasures that they have to offer. The antique room is open Monday through Saturday from 10am-5pm and features “nautical decor, vintage jewelry, antique furniture” and much more. 

For this month’s second Saturday, Ulman Tea Room will be serving chicken and sausage gumbo as their offering for Souper Mudfest. There will also be a band performing, sponsored by The People’s Bank, Hancock Whitney Bank, and The First. ​

​Dan B.'s Restaurant and Bar 
109 South Beach Boulevard
Bay St. Louis
(228) 231-1778
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Dan B. Murphy’s Restaurant and Bar is the perfect casual spot for delicious food, tasty drinks, and live music with an even better view. 

Daniel Murphy was inspired to re-open Dan B’s after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the original, which opened in 1981. “We bought it from my grandparents in 2005,” he explained. In October 2017, he resurrected a classic, bringing back all of Old Town’s favorite dishes, including his grandmother’s roast beef po’boy, which she created thirty years ago.

“We saw what it was like before the storm, and we just wanted to bring it back.” For Daniel, it was about bringing back and carrying on the “life-long family business.” 
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The atmosphere gives off a casual fishing camp vibe, “nothing fancy,”  with expansive dining rooms on the second and third levels. The ground-level hosts the main bar and stage area.
 
A variety of food is served at Dan B’s, most of which are Daniel Murphy’s own recipes. “Here, everything’s homemade.” Some of the most popular and best-selling items on the menu include the traditional roast beef po’boy, fish and shrimp tacos, gumbo, pizza, and more. They also have an extensive wine, beer, and signature cocktail menu. Daniel recommends the gumbo, which is popular in the winter, describing it as “to die for.” 

For Daniel, the most rewarding part of owning and operating Dan B. Murphy’s is the local clientele that keeps coming back. The view of the harbor and the water is not bad, either. “It’s a nice little quiet town, and it rocks in the spring and summer, of course.”
 
Every Friday and Saturday night, enjoy a live band to accompany your food and drinks. They strive to host local bands to play at the restaurant. For the Second Saturday Art Walk on the 9th, enjoy live music by the “All Nighters” sponsored by The People’s Bank, Hancock Whitney Bank, and The First.
 

 
Dan B. Murphy’s is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 11am - 8pm, Tuesdays from 11am - 2pm for lunch, Saturday from 7am for breakfast until 9pm, and Sunday from 7 am, also for breakfast, until 8 pm. On the weekends, enjoy bottomless mimosas with your brunch from 7am - noon. There are daily lunch specials as well as boiled crawfish every weekend. On Friday and Saturday, dine in and order one of their dinner specials of either pasta, steak, specialty quesadilla or pizza.
 
Daniel B. Murphy's is a great place to experience casual dining and great atmosphere in the heart of Old Town Bay St. Louis. Enjoy them as a “hot spot” all month!

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" The French Potager (213 Main Street) and 200 North Beach (200 North Beach Boulevard).  Read more about these featured businesses below! 
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- stories by Caroline St. Paul, photos by Caroline St. Paul and Ellis Anderson

The French Potager, voted Best Florist/Floral Designer in Mississippi by Mississippi Magazine, and named the best antique mall and best antique jewelry by the M-List, is owned by Martha Whitney Butler.

Butler, who is also the lead floral designer, opened The French Potager in November of 2012 “after taking a leap of faith.” This leap, as well as some classes provided by the Chamber of Commerce, allowed her to be able to “develop a sturdy five-year business plan.” 
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She began as a small antique mall. Soon, the shop evolved to offer full-time floral services. “This business would allow me to travel to procure goods, have vendors with a diverse selection of antiques and gifts, and also create floral arrangements.”

Since then, the shop has evolved even more. They now deliver all across the coast, and create floral designs for weddings and any other types of event. “The flowers come from all over the world, and we also sell as many local flowers as we can get our hands on.”

Martha is an artist, and her floral arrangements exude creativity and beauty. “My floral designs are largely inspired by the nature around me,” she says. Her inspiration for the shop comes from 17 years in the antique business and her travels, but she always makes sure to stop and appreciate the splendor of the world around her in order to stay inspired.
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“My current designs embody a backyard garden feel, but according to what I’m inspired by, they could be completely different the next week. I try my best to accommodate the visions of my clients, but in reality, people get my best when they give me creative freedom, and I’m always hoping that they are choosing me as their designer based on my talents and style like they would choose any other artist.” 
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She is incredibly “honored and grateful to have appeared in several major and local publications.” The awards speak for themselves, that this floral shop is the best around, and the community embraces it, just as Butler embraces the community.

“My favorite part about owning my shop is being a part of this beautiful community, its art scene, and being appreciated for my artistic talents. I’ve never lived in a place where I felt so celebrated, and every day that I wake up in Bay St. Louis is a gift. The people here are some of the most resilient, loving, and talented people I have ever come across, and I feel like I’m a part of this community’s fabric.”

Butler’s favorite events to design for include large-scale events for corporate accounts, weddings, and elopements. Being a floral designer is very personal, as they are really there for their customers from birth til the end, and Butler is honored to be a part of these events every day.

“A florist is for life, and we are here to enhance all of your major life events, and share with you the joy of flowers. This is our calling and our privilege.” 
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In the realm of antiques, you will find so many unique treasures inside the shop. “We have several different antique dealers from all walks of life giving us great variety of goods to sell.” She makes sure to do everything she can to send each special piece home with the right owner.

Whatever event you may have coming up, make sure to call Martha to create some floral art for you and visit her shop, located on Main Street, for some unique items that will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

February means Valentine’s Day, and Valentine’s Day means flowers, and The French Potager, is the place to get them for your loved one. For February 9 Second Saturday, enjoy live music at the shop, sponsored by Hancock Whitney Bank. 
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Dining in at 200 North Beach is quite a luxury. Located on Beach Boulevard, this restaurant gives you the fine-dining experience that you are looking for on the Gulf Coast.
 
Mike Fusco became manager in September after having worked at a restaurant in the French Quarter for five and a half years. “I love Bay St. Louis,” he says with a big smile on his face. Fusco’s favorite part about being manager of 200 North Beach is getting to know the customers. Of course, looking at the beach every day is a plus.
 
“Every place I’ve worked at has been very high-paced and you don’t really get to know the people that come in. In Bay St. Louis, you see a lot of the same people over and over, you get to meet them all.  You get to know about them, where they’re from, what they do, as people, versus just as customers,” he says.
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The restaurant just celebrated its seven-year anniversary. It is no wonder 200 North Beach has been such a hit, as it offers delicious American Creole food, drinks, and daily specials that keep customers coming back for more.
 
Each day there is a special, as well as a new lunch special every week, brunch on the weekends featuring $4 Bloody Marys, mimosas, and sangria, daily drink specials, and a daily happy hour from 4-6, during which oysters and drinks are half price. The oyster special is the “best happy hour in Bay St. Louis,” Fusco says. All of these specials are created to bring people in, and it is definitely working.
 
Another unique feature that sets 200 North Beach apart is the upstairs Balcony Sports Lounge that opened in September. It is “unique in that it’s the only sports lounge in Bay St. Louis,” according to Fusco. Patrons can enjoy a drink while watching a football game on one of the six televisions in the comfort of this luxurious lounge, featuring a bar and large, sleek couches. It “creates more of an atmosphere where you can enjoy yourself,” Fusco says. 
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It definitely is a destination, offering sweeping views of the bay. The Balcony Sports Lounge is open every day except Tuesdays. Wednesday night is ladies night, when women can have some time for themselves and enjoy $2 off glasses of wine and a drink special. The space is available to rent for events as well.
 
In addition to 200 North Beach being a February “hot spot,” they also have some things lined up for the month to accompany their usual offerings. There is a Valentine’s Day menu that is already online, which includes a complimentary glass of champagne with your meal. The chef will be creating a “winter to early spring” menu to go with the new season, and an early bird special starting this month. For Second Saturday Art Walk on February 9, enjoy live music outside sponsored by Hancock Whitney Bank. 
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There is a lot to come for 200 North Beach as they move onto their eighth year of business, so do not wait to dine in for an incredible experience you will not get anywhere else. 

A few times a year, the iconic Second Saturday Artwalk event in Old Town Bay St. Louis adopts a theme.  Of course, celebrating the arts!  For the past four years, Dolly Parton has been the focus during January, the month of the music star's birthday.  It's called "Dolly Should," as in Dolly-Should-Come-And-Spend-Her-Birthday-In-Bay-St.-Louis.  

The day boasts a bevy of country-themed events with the grand finale being an extraordinary - and VERY competitive - Dolly Look-alike contest.  Stay tuned for complete details!  

Be sure to check out this month's "Hot Spot" businesses:  Mezzo Mezzo, 
300 South Second Street and Wild Gypsy Boutique, 131 Main Street.  Read more about them below in stories by Caroline St. Paul.  

When Sonny Wright bought The Cypress Cafe in June 2017, he knew that he wanted it to be something that Bay St. Louis had never seen before.

“I want it to be something completely different,” he says, and that is exactly what you get when you dine in this authentic Italian and Greek restaurant located in the old City Hall building. 

Wright was retired when he first visited Bay St. Louis. “A friend brought me here, and he said, ‘You’re gonna like this place.’” Sure enough, Wright fell in love.

“Six months [after retiring], I was bored out of my mind, so I said, ‘I have to find me something.’” Sonny previously owned a restaurant in New Orleans, so this type of business was something he knew and loved. 

He opened Mezzo Mezzo in April 2017. A restaurant so unique had to have a unique name. Mezzo Mezzo translates to “half and half” in Italian, just like he is. (His mother was Greek and his father was Italian). 

Sonny completely remodeled the space, bringing Italian influences and simplicity to the restaurant’s interior.

“The Italians, they make it simple, not aggravated.” This is reflected in his food as well. “We make things just right; just enough.” Sonny serves Italian and Greek food, always fresh, never frozen. “I like to go shopping everyday,” he says, explaining that almost everything that he buys is local.

In the kitchen, Sonny is the only one cooking. He says, “I don’t want help.” This allows him to cook delicious family recipes that are all stored in his head. Some of his specialties include stuffed cauliflower, Greek salad, spinach and lobster ravioli, pizza, hummus, cappuccinos, and baklava made with pure, local honey. 

When asked if the community is enjoying the food that he makes, he shakes his head and says, “They’re really impressed with the food the way it comes out.” He adds that he never leftovers.

The biggest accomplishment for Sonny is when he sees his customers enjoying his creations.

​“It’s like a million dollars. That’s my reward when I see somebody bragging about the food.” ​​

For the January 12 Second Saturday Art Walk, visit The Wild Gypsy Boutique and enjoy entertainment sponsored by The Peoples Bank, and get some glitter highlighter while you’re there! 

The Wild Gypsy Boutique is “your one-stop shop for everything beach!” This hip and fun shop is owned by mother/daughter duo, Karina and Brittani Carver. 

Karina and Brittani opened what they call a “beach vibe” boutique on Main Street in February 2018. They carry all things beach, but more specifically,  brands like Simply Southern, Natural Life, Victoria Lynn Jewelry, Original Mermaid, Glister, Buddy Love, Swan Creek Candles, Tab Boren Pottery, and Yellow Box.  

​The shop also carries an amazing array of sunglasses, sun hats, beach towels, bath ​bombs, flip flops, tees and tanks, glitter sunscreens and lotions.​

You are sure to find something special and fun at their adorable shop. There is always mermaid merchandise and glitter to be bought; some of their best sellers include glitter lotions and sunscreens, which make going to the beach even more enjoyable, Super Cool Tees, and Simply Southern merchandise. 
​
“The best part of owning the shop is that we get to do exactly what we have always wanted to do in the place where we wanted to do it!” Their shop fits perfectly in Old Town Bay St. Louis, as it is just a short walk to the beach. ​

For the upcoming spring season, they are adding a lot of new products and lines to the boutique, including “a large selection of girls youth tees…  We will be starting the New Year off with oodles of cool Mardi Gras and crawfish tees with matching jewelry and koozies.” 

After an initial dampening of spirits, a favorite Bay St. Louis  holiday happening gets another chance on Saturday, December 15th! ​

Locals who were saddened by the wash-out of Second Saturday in Old Town Bay St. Louis on the 8th will be thrilled to learn a second Second Saturday will take place on December 15th, from 10am – 7pm.  Click here for complete details!   

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Antique Maison (111 N. Second Street) and Smith & Lens Gallery (106 S. Second Street).  Read more about these featured businesses below!  
​
​- Hot Spot stories by Caroline St. Paul

“Something for everyone.” That is what owner Sylvia Young says Antique Maison, her shop on Second Street in Old Town Bay St. Louis, offers customers. Shoppers find this to be true once they step inside and discover the labyrinth of booths containing an amazing variety of finds. The main room features stalls by several vendors, and toward the back of the building, customers will discover even more treasures.

Sylvia and Ed Young moved to Bay St. Louis from New Orleans in 1991. Ed grew up buying and selling furniture for his family’s business, Young’s Furniture, that was located on Magazine Street. Sylvia was in the real estate business in Metairie for 30 years. The couple opened Antique Maison on January 1, 2007, after they renovated the building that was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. Antique Maison, LLC became a mall that rented booths to dealers who had lost their own antique malls to Katrina. Soon, the business became a success, providing dealers with their own business, and offering a variety of merchandise to customers. 
 
“We have everything from industrial furniture and decor, to steam punk creations, nostalgia, vintage, and antique furniture, hand-crafted, vintage, and new silver and gold jewelry, home decor, a variety of art, books, historical collections, tools, a large collection of vinyl records, record players, light fixtures, toys and games, hunting equipment, tree bottles and driftwood, custom-made, hand-crafted wood items, handmade signs, and much more,” Sylvia says. Each time you visit, there is sure to be something unique, as new and interesting merchandise arrives to Antique Maison daily, says Sylvia.

Sylvia’s loyal customers include buyers, tourists, local and out-of-state interior designers and vendors, people who scout and buy for others, and buyers for second homes on the coast. Whether you are in the market for antiques, or simply want to browse, Antique Maison is not to be missed. 

Smith & Lens, a gallery located on Second Street inside a quirky little building, gets its name from its owners. Sandy Maggio, a smith, and Ann Madden, a photographer, work to bring art to the community. 
 
The two first met when they were paired up during Nora Wikoff’s limited business, and then showed their art inside of the same building that we know and love today. When that particular business closed, Sandy and Ann took over, and everything “happened very quickly,” according to the owners. Fast forward five years, and the gallery is better than ever. ​

Each month, a different artist is featured inside of Smith & Lens, along with Sandy’s metal jewelry and Ann’s photography. These artists never fail to bring inspiration not only to the gallery, but to everyone who comes in and browses.

Sandy and Ann feature local artists that they already know, ones they find from social media and art fairs, and ones who simply “walk in off the street and want to show us their work.” They enjoy all of the artists, and especially enjoy finding new ones and watching them grow and gain a following. When they do their pop-up gallery each year, they love to check in with artists they have known and see how much their art has evolved. They hope to keep their support and continue to support all of these artists. Both Maggio and Madden also hope that art lovers continue to visit the gallery and that the gallery turns more people into art lovers. ​

Works from the current show, Trio de Femmes, with art by Jan Auleta, Stacey Johnson and Nonney Oddlokken.

The two cite the community as their favorite part of owning the gallery. “It feels like we’re really participating in our community and the community has embraced it and it is very satisfying…the way that it’s been embraced sort of reiterates all that we really love about Bay St. Louis,” Madden says. Maggio agrees, saying that she wants the gallery to be a place “where people want to come and hang out and spend time,” adding, “the people of Bay St. Louis have been super super good to us.” 
 
Two events that Smith & Lens features each year are Frida Fest in July, and Dolly Should, coming up on January 12. These are not to be missed events, as they are truly unique to Bay St. Louis and have “grown in an exciting and wonderful way.” 

Gallery 220
220 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS

Bay St. Louis-For a taste of local art and creative energy, check out Gallery 220 (220 Main Street), always an epicenter of activity during Second Saturdays. The cooperative art gallery is home to twenty-five local artists and will feature two of its talents on Saturday, December 8, 2018. Join Carol Bowman and Holly Boynes as they present their most recent works on canvas and in clay from 4-8 pm in the gallery center aisle.

The gallery offers something for everyone at all price points. Refreshments will have a Caribbean theme and the festive atmosphere is sure to put all in the giving spirit. 

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Gallery 220 (220 Main Street) and Bay Books (131 Main Street).  Read more about these featured businesses below! 

- stories by Grace Wilson, photos by Ellis Anderson 

​As visitors and locals drive down Main Street into the heart of Old Town, it’s hard to miss Gallery 220. The vibrant Coca-Cola mural on the side of 220 Main literally welcomes visitors to Old Town Bay St. Louis.
 
Inside the Art Deco building, art lovers discover the work of 25 local makers, and at least one of the artists will be in the gallery greeting guests. Gallery 220 is a true co-operative where the artists work in the shop at least one day a month.
 
Gallery 220 features a wide variety of artwork including painting, sculpture, jewelry, mosaics, textiles, pottery, photography and more. Truly there’s something for every interest, every age and every budget at this eclectic gallery.
 
Jenise McCardell and Mark Currier acquired the building just before Katrina from local artist Vicki Niolet, who had a wide network of artists.

​“All of the artists of Bay St. Louis were suddenly adrift and needed a home base, so that’s why we opened as a co-op,” said McCardell.
 
Before Katrina, shoppers will remember McCardell’s “Funky Rose” dress shop. Currier and she also opened their Clay Creations studio and shop in the back, where it remains today.
 
The gallery’s artists also often host workshops to teach people tricks of their trades.
 
Every inch of the gallery oozes art. In addition to the iconic Coca-Cola mural on the north side of the building, there’s also a mural of a tree on the beach side of the gallery that faces California Drawstrings and the other shops and restaurants of the 200 block.
 
“We hosted a contest with the local school – the winning design was by a team of 4th graders who proposed a huge tree called Old Faithful,” said McCardell.

​McCardell loves surrounding herself with art and creativity. She used to live in the French Quarter. When her daughter Devon turned three years old, she found the Bay as an alternative to the creativity New Orleans offered, but with a small town feel.
 
“My favorite thing about Bay St. Louis is the people – lots of them are artists with New Orleans ties,” McCardell said. “We are funky with a Mayberry feel.”

Jeremy Burke, owner and operator of the local independent bookstore Bay Books sees his job as putting smiles on faces and talking to everyone. 
 
Kay Gough, founder of Bay Books, put the store up for sale in 2011 when her husband's work took them out of the country. There was the potential the business would close. 

​“When my wife and I bought this place, we couldn’t see Bay St. Louis without a bookstore,” said Burke.
 
The way Burke sees it, people from all different walks of life and political views can find books that suit them in his shop. “We’re a bit of a think tank,” he said.

Bay Books is certainly a wonderland of new and used books with a large selection of goodies children. The shop also specializes in local authors and has a great selection of cookbooks. 
 
If there's something a customer doesn't see on the shelves, Burke is always happy to order it. 
 
“The majority of our customers are kids or people wanting to buy stuff for children,” Burke said. “As long as people of all ages want to continue to think and get lost in their imagination, there will always be a place for books.”
 
Saturday is the busiest day of the week for Bay Books. “Everyone loves to shop on a beautiful Saturday afternoon,” said Burke. 
 
Second Saturdays are especially popular as Burke often hosts book signings during the busy season. Bay Books is open Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Second Saturday, of course, when Main Street shops are open well into the evening. 
 

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Magnolia Antiques (200 Main Street) and Trapani's Eatery (116 North Beach Blvd).  And be sure to stop in at Gallery 220 (220 Main St.) to see new work by Julie Nelson and Tommy Lewis. 

- stories by Grace Wilson, photos by Ellis Anderson 

To celebrate their "Hot Spot" status this month, on Second Saturday, Magnolia Antiques will host live music by Hadley Hill from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. with light refreshments. ​

“Grandma had it. Mom threw it out. I bought it back.” This sign hangs in Magnolia Antiques, and of all the treasures for sale, this sign is not. The smiles and laughs it brings to customers is priceless. 
 
Walking through the doors of Magnolia Antiques makes memories come flooding back. It’s truly a world of the past. There are 3,000 square feet of furniture, instruments, trinkets and more – all from another, simpler era.  
​
Glenda and Jack Schornick originally opened Magnolia Antiques on Highway90 at Dunbar Avenue in January 2005. Magnolia Antiques re-opened in Picayune in late 2006, with the owners’ dream of returning to the Bay. In 2008, that dream was realized and Magnolia Antiques opened at 200 Main Street in Old Town. In 2013 Schornick’s daughter, Shay Coss, relocated from California and became part of daily operations.  
 
She now serves as the store manager, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the store and antiques generally – especially mid-century modern pieces. 

Magnolia Antiques is one of the cornerstones of the town, right on the corner of Main and Second streets, and is one of the shops that have made Bay St. Louis known for the some of the best antiques on the Gulf Coast.
 
Locals will remember their spot as Jerome’s Department Store for over 50 years.  “Everyone from the Bay shopped there at one time or another, especially for school uniforms, shoes, jeans, dancewear, and everything Boy Scouts,” said Glenda.
 
It’s still a department store of sorts. There’s the kitchenware department, the linen section, the kid’s toy area, the Depression glass display, the jewelry department and the music booth. There’s specialty items like the vintage cameras, and the quirky knick-knacks spread throughout the aisles of vintage and antique furniture.

Magnolia Antiques also features the late Betty Stechmann’s photography postcards from Bay St. Louis and the surrounding area.  Betty was a lifelong resident of the Bay and very involved in community arts and theater.  She passed away in 2013, but her spirit lives on as Magnolia has the bulk of her remaining stock.
 
The shop also boasts “the largest collection of playable ukuleles on the coast,” according to Jack, who is a bit of a ukulele expert.  With his knowledge and passion for ukuleles, he has stocked the shop with a grand selection, whether you’re looking for your first one or a prized one. The store also features lots of mid-century modern furniture thanks to Coss' keen eye.  It’s a family affair at Magnolia Antiques, which makes for a wide variety of finds stocking the shelves.
 
 “We are the epitome of recycling,” Glenda said. “We have all the things you loved in your grandmother’s, aunt’s and mom’s house, bringing the best of memories right from your heart to your home.” Indeed, there’s something for every interest from every time period.

Trapani’s is a Bay St. Louis staple. Although the beachfront is now known for food and drinks, Tony Trapani has been on Beach Boulevard since 1994.
​
“Our family has been down here a long time,” Trapani said. “My grandfather started a bar across the way called Trapani’s Knock Knock. My uncle took it over and Camille moved it to the highway.” ​

Thirty-five years, later, Hurricane Katrina took Trapani’s on the beach, too, but Trapani never questioned leaving. 

 “I love it here,” he says. “Whenever I go somewhere else, I can’t wait to come back.” Like many, he had to relocate temporarily, but now the restaurant is housed in a hurricane-resistant structure on the lot where the business had previously stood. 
​
Locals cheered the reopening as another sign of rebirth after the storm. Today locals and tourists alike line up for their fresh seafood and fresh innovative dishes.  And recently, Jimmy Buffet named Trapani's as one of his favorite beach bars.  

“It’s all homemade and handmade here,” said Trapani. “You won’t find pre-cooked sauces here.” Some of the house specialties include Trapani’s Spaghetti and Meatballs and the Eggplant Delacroix - both family recipes that Tony brought to the restaurant.

In addition to fresh seafood and traditional Italian fare, Trapani’s is known for Cajun favorites, steaks, and appetizers like fried green tomatoes topped with crabmeat and hollandaise, crab cakes, fried calamari, and homemade onion rings.
​
There’s also a crowd favorite called Shrimp Ecstasy, which is bacon-wrapped shrimp with cream cheese and jalapenos. Asian-inspired dishes are also a hit – wasabi tuna, tuna nachos and poke salad are all fresh favorites. ​

Each day there’s a $10 lunch special and on Thursdays, locals love the oyster special featuring raw or chargrilled oysters for $10 a dozen. Tony said they don’t have a proper happy hour, but every hour is a happy one at Trapani’s. 

The Blue Marlin Bar upstairs is the perfect hideaway to have a cold drink, an appetizer (or a few!), grab a comfy chair and sit down for a nice, relaxing conversation. 

The upstairs is also perfect for hosting your next party. It features a balcony with some of the best views of the Bay and a fireplace for chilly nights. 
​
Trapani’s Eatery is doing everything it can to stand heads and shoulders above the competition. It’s a slice of authentic Bay St. Louis. You never know who will be bellied up to the bar or buried in a booth behind a delicious plate of food. Jimmy Buffett often eats at Trapani’s when he’s in town.

Three artists will share the focus at Gallery 220 Main during the month of October, presenting their latest work at the cooperative art gallery located in Old Town Bay St. Louis, MS. The talent of Armand Douroux, Tommy Lewis and Julie Nelson will be featured during the Second Saturday art walk on Oct. 13 and throughout the month in the front window. Meet the artists and see how each explore their mediums with enthusiasm; Douroux’s photography, Lewis’ wood turning and Nelson’s pottery.
​
Armand Douroux grew up playing among the surrounding bayous and waters of his New Orleans home. His boyhood adventures, full of family and love, created a foundation that has become the basis of his photography. In his “BayouByMe” series, the memories come alive as he captures the colors of a sunset or the cotton-like swelling of clouds. His photos depict images of the Gulf Coast surroundings that has now become Dourouxs’ playground. He now calls the bayous and beaches of Bay St. Louis, MS his home and has imbued into his images the natural beauty of his neighborhood.

Tommy Lewis spent his career as a building contractor, retiring in 2015. That’s when he started turning bowls. Using wood from trees such as Box Elder and Ash, he creates purposeful objects that reveal the natural beauty of wood. Finding the right wood is always a challenge for Lewis, but when he comes across the perfect piece, he reveals nature in all its beauty. His wife talked him into entering some art shows and behold, in the two years he’s been showing, he’s won two second place ribbons, one third place and a coveted “People’s Choice Award”.

The wife Lewis mentions above, is pottery artist Julie Nelson. The couple have been together for 17 years. Nelson asked Lewis to join her and enter a show together. Both were entering in a 3-D category and would be competing against one another. “Once Tommy started turning wood I talked him into entering some of his pieces in shows, thereby pitting us against each other. It has been great fun with a happy competition” says Nelson.

Nelson was introduced to pottery in 1998 when she took throwing lessons from gallery artist, Regan Carney. She began working in clay full time in 2010 and has won several awards for her hand-crafted raku pottery. Recently, she has been exploring hand building, experimenting with new glazes and creating more mixed-media pieces. Nelson’s work is constantly evolving, which makes her pottery so interesting.

Gallery 220 Main invites all to stop by between 4-8pm on Second Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. There will be refreshments, creative energy and new art. Find us at the corner of 220 Main St. and Tolume St. in Bay St. Louis, MS. Call 228.466-6347 if you need more information. Visit our Facebook @Gallery220.

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Alice Moseley Folk Art & Antique Museum (1928 Depot Way) and Bay-Tique (125 Main Street).  And be sure to stop in at Gallery 220 to see Spencer Gray's new work. You can read all about the happenings below!  

- Hot Spot stories by Grace Wilson

“There should never be a price to look at art.” Alice Moseley
 
Bay St. Louis has long been known as a place that attracts and inspires artists. 
 
In 1988, Alice Moseley found Bay St. Louis while attending the Beach Front Festival. She was 79 at the time, having begun her art career at 65.
 
According to the Alice Moseley Folk Art & Antique Museum, it was while driving over the Bay Bridge that Miss Alice said to herself, “This is it. This is where I’ll spend the rest of my life.” 

Indeed, she spent the rest of her years in Bay St. Louis, capturing the city in her painting and the hearts of its residents and visitors. Many folks have fond memories of visiting her at her Blue House near the Depot District where Miss Alice would invite anyone who passed by to “visit a spell.” 
 
“She was a character,” said Lonnie Falgout, a personal friend of Miss Alice who has lots of fond memories of spending time with her and is a champion of her legacy and the Alice Moseley Folk Art & Antique Museum.
 
Today the museum resides in the train depot, near a big oak tree that hosted Miss Alice’s memorial in July 2004. 
 
Visitors are welcome to come learn about Miss Alice, other local folk artists and see her family’s collection of antiques Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
 
The newly renovated museum lends itself to up close and personal self-tours of art and antiques, and also offers daily guided tours. Tour groups and school groups are encouraged to call in advance to schedule an appointment.
 
“The original layout of the museum was more a replica of her house,” said marketing director Shannon Wooten. “The new renovation has made this a museum that everyone is proud of.” 
 
In addition to Miss Alice’s 47 original works, the museum features art by Bob McGraw and Henry Stiller. Art coordinator Lilliana Gandour hopes to work with more local artists to host special exhibits. There’s still a corner of the museum dedicated to showing Miss Alice’s life as it was in her house, complete with her vest, hat and a nod to her trusty little dog, Herman.
 
The Moseley Museum is also becoming more involved in the community. Over 1,000 art and music lovers attended the inaugural Alice Moseley Fun Festival. The museum will also bring Miss Alice into the classrooms and continue to invite classes to tour the museum.
 
Tim Moseley, Alice’s son, has been a driving force of the museum and has created a foundation to contribute to its growth, including providing the Alice Moseley Pavilion on the lawn of the train depot. It’s also Mr. Moseley’s personal antique collection that is a highlight of the museum tour.

“We are curating Mr. Moseley’s collection to show art history through glass and pottery,” said Wooten.
 
Alice Moseley found solace from a tough time in her life through the power of creating artwork. The museum hopes to inspire others to find therapy through art. 
 
“We are the only art museum in Bay St. Louis - and perhaps in Hancock County,” Wooten said. “We celebrate Miss Alice, but also other artists, and our mission is to inspire all artists, no matter your age.”

"Slightly edgy, always fun."
 
Jane Stricker Kulpeksa used to overhear her guests at the Carroll House Bed & Breakfast say that while they founds lots of antiques and treasures in Bay St. Louis, they had trouble finding shirts, hats and other Bay-branded items to bring home as souvenirs. 
 
She got to designing and Bay-Tique was born on July 4, 2013, carrying mostly her now iconic Bay St. Louis and Bay Rat apparel for men and women.
 
“The staple of our business is the Bay St. Louis tees, hats, gifts and souvenirs,” she said. “That’s something I’ll never let go of.”

Since then, Bay-Tique - and Bay St. Louis as a whole - has gained a reputation for carrying some of the best women’s apparel on the coast. 
 
“Old Town Bay St. Louis has a wonderful reputation for having wonderful women’s boutiques,” said Kulpeksa. “We work together to sell different types of clothing in each shop and not duplicate each other, which is very unique and says a lot about Bay St. Louis.”
 
She travels the country to go to markets trying very hard to find U.S. made, locally made and socially responsible products. Some of the proceeds of goods, like postcards made by local artists, go to benefit local organizations like the Friends of the Animal Shelter.
 
“I do lots of research before I go to market,” Kulpeksa said. “It’s important to me to understand vendors’ fair trade practices.”
 
In addition to local artists and makers, Bay-Tique carries popular brands like Sanuk footwear, Hobo Bags + wallets, Quay sunglasses and more. Other popular items include the recycled canvas bags and Dune Jewelry made with sand from Bay St. Louis.

“It’s not easy,” said Kulpeksa. “Finding fair trade goods is a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I’ve set the bar really high for myself and my shop to have a large percentage of socially responsible goods.”
 
Kulpeksa credits her right-hand, Karen Grumbine, for the prosperity of the shop. “Finding Karen was part of the key to the success of Bay-Tique,” she said. “She’s so passionate, organized, and enthusiastic, and she loves the shop like her own.”
 
The Bay-Tique tagline is slightly edgy, always fun.
 
From baby boomers to millennials, the shop carries something for every taste. In fact, many times it’s the same taste across both ages.
 
“I’ll see a retired woman come in and buy a kimono and a 17-year-old comes in and falls in love with the same kimono,” said Kulpeksa.
 
No matter the age or aesthetic, another thing Bay-tique clients have in common is their love of the atmosphere and comfort they feel while shopping.
 
“My favorite thing is being in the store and seeing people come in and having fun,” said Kulpeksa. “Oftentimes they are running around trying on hats, shoes and clothes, prancing around in our vintage-inspired swimwear and having a blast.”

Gallery 220, one of the oldest artist cooperative galleries in the state, is excited to announce that house artist, Spencer Gray, Jr. will be showcased for the month of September.

Join Spencer and other Gallery 220 artists during the Second Saturday Art Walk on September 8, 2018, from 4-8 pm. Spencer will reveal his most recent 3-D cartoon characters that are uniquely created from found objects such as household pots and pans.

Spencer’s animated storytelling is sure to be “Bear-y” delightful. The annual event at Gallery 220 showcases his imagination as he shares an original story each September.  Accompanying Spencer during the evening will be musical guest, Cooper Elliot Lemons. Cooper is the talented ten-year-old grandson of Spencer.

 Call 228-466-6347 for additional information.

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!  The good times roll year around with this family-friendly event celebrating life and art in the Bay. 
- stories by Grace Wilson

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Art, Collectibles and Antiques  (442 Main Street) and The Loft Yoga (111 Court Street).  You can read all about them below!

Loft Yoga will host an Open Studio on the evening of August 11 for Second Saturday. Patrons should enter at Bodega and the Parrot Head Bar and Grill and go upstairs to tour the studio.   For Second Saturday, August 11, everything in Art, Antiques and Collectibles will be 25-75% off with special $5 and $10 tables. ​

Bay St. Louis has long been known for antiques. If you are a collector coming into the heart of Old Town looking for treasures, you won’t want to miss Art, Antiques and Collectibles, the 4,200 square foot showroom at 442 Main Street.
 
Phillip La Grange and Herbie Pursley are at the helm of this breathtaking collection, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. 
 
La Grange and Pursley have been collecting and restoring fine antiques and art for over 30 years and are bringing a lifetime of acquisitions to the Bay and Pass Christian for one final sale, which they anticipate will take two years or more to liquidate.
 
“I came out of retirement to help and here I am,” La Grange said.
 
Many know La Grange from his former antique spots: he had one of the first antique shops in Old Town on Court Street, another called Magnolia Place at the corner of Main Street in the old Ramsey building and the Blue Rose in Pass Christian, which in its heyday was a restaurant where waiters donned tuxedos and patrons could browse antiques before and after a multi-course dinner.
 
“People would fly in from all over the country to see us - including Michael Jackson’s mother - and we’d ship worldwide,” said La Grange.
 
Both Pursley and La Grange have collections and talent that would be lauded in Los Angeles, New York and beyond, but the pair have proudly made their career in the Bay and Pass Christian.
 
“By popular request, we are reopening the Blue Rose this fall, which will be 10,000 square feet of select merchandise - rare, quality antiques and fine art.”
 
Being in the business for over three decades, La Grange said he’s seen the roller coaster of demands when it comes to collectors. With older generations downsizing and children often having no interest in their family’s heirlooms, the past years have been more about collecting than selling, but that is changing.
 
“There’s good news for sellers on the horizon,” La Grange said. “I’ve been talking to some of the most prestigious appraisers, and there is now beginning to be a tremendous resurgence in collectibility.”
 
In the aftermath of Katrina, from Florida to Texas, there was lots lost to the storms of that season. 
 
“In recent years there have been floods across the nation like the ones we saw near Houston, massive fires in California, and so on,” said La Grange. “As people are replacing these rarities the pieces are bringing in higher prices than ever.”
 
Even young people are starting to take a second look at these collectibles, if for nothing else than investment, explains La Grange.
 
Many antique shops are made up of many booths from different collectors, but as you walk through Art, Antiques and Collectibles on Main Street with La Grange, you realize quickly these are all his personal treasures, each with a story or unique feature that he’s passionate about sharing. ​

La Grange helps shoppers look deeper at each piece, noting the intricate details, pointing out the hours of craftsmanship - much of it a lost art.
 
“It’s more than just property to me,” La Grange said. “I feel as if I’m preserving the craftsmanship and the labors of love. Even today I look at these dining sets and am still in awe of the years of dedicated craftsmen and hand carving - that artistry is gone.”
 
La Grange’s interest in antiques happened a bit by accident. After college, he saw many of his friends were making a mint buying, renovating, and selling real estate.
 
His first property was a house on the Jourdan River bought in the 1970s for $3,500. 
 
“I got courageous and started buying in New Orleans - Uptown and the Garden District,” La Grange said. “Lots of times the houses would be filled with old furniture which was just thrown in with the sale.” 
 
He used the furniture to stage houses for selling and saw the interest in the antiques. 
 
“I was a complete novice at the time, but learned really quickly when I saw the value of antiques,” he said.
 
The Bay and his place on the Jourdan River was always a place for La Grange to de-stress from the hustle and bustle of the city.
 
“This was my refuge way back,” said La Grange. “It was laid back like it is today. There was great serenity of being on the water and getting away from the nightlife and partying in New Orleans.” 
 
La Grange is looking forward to retirement once more. 
 
His antiques and art - including one of the world’s largest collections of ancient blue and white Chinese porcelain - have been stored across the country, but will soon return to the Bay to be sold in an area that has been longing to replace treasures lost in the storms.

​“Yoga is not about touching your toes. It is what you learn on the way down.” Jigar Gor
 
Christine Neese and Alyssa Dausman are on a journey to create a different kind of yoga studio in Bay St. Louis.
 
Loft Yoga, on 111 Court Street on the second floor of Bodega, is a power yoga studio, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer the basics.
 
Dausman and Neese both discovered yoga as a way to release stress and strengthen, but both were skeptical about the ancient practice at first.
 
A scientist who came back home to work on the oil spill, Dausman began looking for an outlet from the high-stress job.
 
“I never went to yoga because I thought it was for crazy cuckoo vegans,” Dausman said. “Yet, when I tried it, I felt better. I kept going and started learning the science behind it.”
 
Yoga is a lot about breath work, but it’s not just hot air. There’s a reason for all the controlled breathing.
 
“Breathing is the only voluntary way we can control our nervous system,” Dausman explained. “It’s the most important thing you can do to calm your nerves.”
 
By day she was an oil spill restoration scientist and by night a yoga devotee who wanted to share her newfound knowledge and techniques with others. 
 
Today she teaches yoga during the week at Stennis where she’s a Naval Special Warfare yoga specialist, but her passion for yoga has bloomed into something more with Loft Yoga.
 
“Yoga is not just for thin people or people who have been physically fit their whole lives, it’s for everybody,” she said. “If you can’t do it - modify. It’s all about taking care of yourself.”

Neese is a massage therapist who practiced yoga for a year before telling anyone or entering a studio.
 
“I was in to running marathons and lifting weights,” Neese recalled. “I was looking at 40 and this was very hard on my body, but I thought if it didn’t hurt it wasn’t worth the workout. No pain, no gain.” 
 
She found herself teaching her massage clients about self care, stretching and stress management.
 
“I realized I was teaching them yoga, which I had no interest in and I was leading my clients in a direction where I truly needed to be,” Neese said. “I didn’t admit to anyone, but I was doing yoga in the morning - just five poses I found on the internet — I couldn’t believe the difference it made.”
 
Her mood was better. Soon, she couldn’t imagine starting the day without her five poses.
 
“Almost a year later I went into a studio and found it was so amazing sharing my yoga practice with others,” Neese said.
 
Dausman agrees, many people don’t come to a yoga studio because they are too afraid or intimidated. Perhaps the Loft Yoga studio is made more approachable because it's above one of Bay St. Louis' newest watering holes and restaurant: The Parrot Head Bar and Grill.
 
"Who says you can't have it all?" Dausman laughed. "My favorite food in the whole world is pork rinds. You don't have to be a health nut to love yoga. There are different levels of poses, so it’s all about stretching and how to preserve your lower back,” Dausman said. 
 
Loft Yoga has something for every level, from light stretching to handstand and inversion workshops. 
 
“Sunday morning is the most advanced class you could ever go to, and the most basic entry level is on Sunday evening,” said Dausman.
 
The pair are noticing that power yoga is where Loft Yoga stands out in the community.
 
“The type of people that come to us want something a little more rigorous and physically challenging,” Neese said. “We focus on more of the strengths part of it.”
 
Hot Yoga is also in the horizon at the Loft. 
 
That doesn’t mean that entry level students should shy away.
 
As the famous quote goes, yoga is not about touching your toes, it’s about the journey getting there. When Dausman started, she couldn’t touch her toes, but now she can stand with her hands under her feet.
 
“You have to start somewhere,” said Dausman. “My motto is: ‘Power Yoga, we’ll get there together.’” 

This specially themed Second Saturday artwalk in July - Frida Fest - celebrates the birthday of iconic artist Frida Kahlo with an extraordinary costume contest and a fiesta of other special happenings!  

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Bodega Spirits & Liquor (111 Court Street) and Manieri Real Estate (501 Main Street).

​- stories by Grace Wilson

On July 14, in honor of Second Saturday and Frida Fest, Bodega Spirits and Liquors will host their first free wine tasting experience at 111 Court Street. The tasting will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Parrot Head Bar, in the same building as the spirits ship and the rental store. 

Nestled in the heart of Old Town Bay St. Louis is a new liquor store. Don’t be fooled by the small footprint - this well-stocked store has over 200 labels of wine and 250 brands of liquor.
 
Located in the same building as Bodega Adventure Rentals and Sales and the Parrot Head Bar and Grill, Bodega Spirits & Liquor has brands you want and prices you’ll like at a convenient location.
 
“We picked out our own favorites,” said owner Kevin Jordan. “If you are a regular and you want something we’ll get it.”  
 
Jordan knows his spirits and wine. His family owns a vineyard in California that sells grapes to some of the most popular labels in the United States.
 ​

“We have a lot of great connections in the wine business and are looking forward to bringing in educators to host wine classes and tastings,”said Jordan.
 
Look for an upcoming schedule of classes and tastings.
 
Larry Main is often behind the counter at Bodega Spirits and Liquor to impart his knowledge of wines, liquors and - if needed - local fishing spots. 
 
Truly a one-stop-shop, everything a vacationer or local could need for an afternoon of fun and food is under one roof. Bodega Liquor Spirits is also pet-friendly and Main has a stock of doggy treats and also features local pet celebrities on Bodega’s social media channels.
 
There are discounts for purchases by the case, and Bodega Liquor and Spirits also has a wholesale license, so they can deliver wine and spirits to local businesses.

Manieri is one of the most familiar family names in Bay St. Louis, and in real estate, people want a name they can trust.
 
The family has been in business in Bay St. Louis, in one form or another, since the 1870s. Manieri’s Restaurant was once known as one of the oldest businesses in town.   
 
"Our roots are in the restaurant business, but at our core we are hospitality through and through," said Joey Manieri. 
 
As a native of this area, Manieri truly enjoys meeting newcomers and sharing his love of this special place with them, which is why real estate is a perfect fit for the family. 
 
Their team has been meeting real estate needs for over 25 years. From sales to vacation rentals and property management, Manieri Real Estate, LLC is a one-stop-shop in Bay St. Louis. 
 ​

"Our Main Street location is like open house every day,” Manieri said. "We never know who’s going to pop in just to say hello. People enjoy the atmosphere we’ve created here as we strive to keep it light and easy." 
 
Many vacationers end up calling Bay St. Louis home, and the Manieris say the real estate market, especially in Old Town, has been heating up in the past couple of years.  But Manieri remembers a time before Katrina when there was barely an empty lot to build on.
 
“We are certainly coming back faster than after Camille. I was 16 years old and lived a block off the beach, as I do now,” said Manieri. “Believe it or not, there are still people out there who are waiting for the right time to come back.”
 
In the meantime, Manieri has seen lots of new people discovering the Bay. 
 
“We have a unique thing in Bay St. Louis that people don’t come across in other vacation spots,” he said. “We’ve got an easier lifestyle, It’s more laid back, and we don’t have the traffic the bigger beach cities have. People are beginning to find out more and more about that.”
 
Manieri takes pride that his agency - comprised of him, his wife and two other agents - works on a different philosophy than bigger franchises. 
 
“We are consultants, troubleshooters and problem solvers,” said Manieri. “Most people don’t realize what a good agent will do because much of it is behind the scenes.”
 
The agency runs dozens of vacation rentals and features about 30 long-term rentals, so whether someone is looking for a quick getaway to the Bay or a second home, Manieri Real Estate is a team - and a name - you can trust. ​

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!  The good times roll year around with this family-friendly event celebrating life and art in the Bay. 
- stories by Denise Jacobs

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Bodega Sales and Rentals (111 Court Street) and California Drawstrings (216 Main Street).

On Second Saturday, June 9, California Drawstrings will give away a pair of sunglasses with every purchase. The Renegades, a five-piece variety band that plays classic and current dance, rock, contemporary, and country music, will perform from 4pm to 8pm.

Linda Keenan, owner of California Drawstrings, 216 Main Street, will tell you her boutique specializing in cotton, linen, and silk doesn’t have much to do with California. In fact, her company has been firmly rooted in the Gulf South since Keenan had her entrepreneur moment at the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans.

“I was working in real estate in North Carolina when I saw this fabulous line of linen clothing at a boat show,” said Keenan. “I knew I wanted to continue my real estate career and move to New Orleans, but I thought people visiting for the World’s Fair weren’t going to understand the heat and humidity. I thought I could earn some extra money by selling this cool clothing line in the French Market, and it just really took off.”

In the beginning, California Drawstrings focused on two or three lines of clothing, and now it stocks about 50 vendors.

"We are always looking for what’s new and different in the marketplace," Keenan explains. "We still carry old standbys like Flax and Matchpoint, but we have found other great boutique lines like Cut Loose, April Cornell, and Fridaze's wrinkle-resistant linen. We have the largest selection of linen and cotton on the Gulf Coast.  We’re a niche retailer. We’re not everything to everybody, but in the natural fiber clothing line, we have a huge selection, and various sizes."

Keenan quickly outgrew her French Market booth and moved into the French Quarter and Covington, La. Today her store on Royal Street in New Orleans is a well-known spot for men and women to pick up the best in resort wear—shirts, pants, shorts, dresses, skirts, outerwear and accessories. No matter how high temperatures rise, California Drawstrings has something for everyone to be comfortable and stylish. 
 
“One day Nancy Moynan of Lulu's called me saying the mayor of Bay St. Louis told her about my shop and they thought it would be a good fit for Bay St. Louis,” Keenan said. “I went to see her space at Maggie May’s and opened a Bay St. Louis branch in 2012.”

​ Just as Keenan faced the familiar problem of outgrowing the space a couple of years later, she heard of a business for sale on Main Street. She saw the building and immediately made an offer. 

"We have so much more space in our Bay St. Louis location - and lots of parking, too,” she said.

"We get a lot of repeat customers, and it is not unusual to sit down with customers and just chat late in the afternoon."

Besides being a picturesque beach town, what she loves about Bay St. Louis is the people. "The people I meet in the store are probably the most rewarding aspect of owning the shop,” she said. 

Bay St. Louis, she said, is a place she wants to spend the rest of her life. “I’ll never really retire, but the pace is so much easier here than in New Orleans.” And after a while, she said, you just appreciate not having to worry about things like parking.

“I feel like I have the greatest sales team and the greatest managers,” Keenan said. “They look after the stores as if they were their own. The greatest compliment you can give me is that you love my staff. They are truly like family to me, watching out for what’s best for all of us. I can’t be in three places at once."

Betty Krieger has been with Keenan since she opened the Bay St. Louis shop and when she retires in June 2018, Stephanie Cooper will take over as manager. 

"And to think I literally started with two tables and $1,500 at the French Market.” ​

As a Second Saturday Hot Spot, Bodega will serve up specials on coconut margaritas and other tropical drinks and a Cuban Special by Chef Rickey.  ​

Located in the heart of Old Town Bay St. Louis, the Bodega is a recently renovated multifaceted complex featuring everything you’ll need to get the best out of this lively and charming town.

Looking for a way to get around town during your stay? Don't have a bike?  You can rent them at Bodega (just off Beach Boulevard at 111 Court Street).  Feeling more adventurous?  You can also ply the local waters with kayaks and paddle boards, also available for rent there.  Bodega Adventure Rentals and Sales has just what you need.  

The idea for Bodega evolved over time. Visionary entrepreneur Kevin Jordan bought the building from the city when it went up for auction several years ago. “I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with it,” he said. “I often put the cart before the horse when it comes to real-estate decisions.” 
​
The property was in excellent shape, having been renovated by the city after Hurricane Katrina, if not a little staid. Jordan and crew went to work using reclaimed Katrina lumber, stucco, and paints. The building’s first iteration was to house the offices of his Gulfview Properties before making the transformation to beach hangout. 
​

Jordan rented bicycles first and then golf carts, followed by kayaks and paddle boards. Then he built a bar, subdivided the first floor for a liquor store and converted the second floor to a loft for yoga. 

Jordan recently teamed up with chef extraordinaire Rickey Peters, who has developed an enormous Gulf Coast following in the past 20 years. Out back, a deep French Quarter style balcony is being added to the building and will offer a covered area for dining below.  Inside, the 1,000-square-foot bar and dining area is adjacent to the kitchen where Rickey serves up his specials.  

Bodega gets its name from the town of Bodega in Northern California, home of Hitchcock’s thriller film The Birds, and one of Jordan’s favorite places to visit when he is at his family’s vineyard in Napa Valley. El Bodega is one of Jordan’s favorite bars in Havana. Jordan explains that in and around New York City, the term is used to refer to a convenience/liquor store, and that seems to fit, as he hopes to eventually carry beach and convenience store items. 
​

More than anything, Jordan would like to see Bodega become a local destination. After all, “everyone wants to go where the locals go.”  Conveniently located half a block from the beach, the Parrot Head Bar and Grill is the perfect hangout to relax and unwind, and Jordan seems to be off to a very good start. 

Bodega Rentals & Sales is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Parrot Head is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until closing time and is closed on Monday and Tuesday. 

George Mills and the Invisibles performs at Bodega each Saturday from 6 p.m.  until.
​

Everyone is invited to join in the creative energy at Gallery 220 Main, home to over 25 local artists. June Second Saturday at the Gallery offers live music from Dave Holt and Friends, delicious food and good company. Find us at 220 Main St., Bay St. Louis, MS, just two blocks north of the beach. Call 228-466-6347 for additional information.

June in Bay St. Louis brings hot temperatures, sandy swimsuits and the taste of saltwater. It also brings together two of the Bay’s top artists, painters Barbara Brodtmann and Janet Densmore. The pair will be featured the entire month at Gallery 220 Main.

Barbara Brodtmann creates unique impressions of life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Her subjects range from horn blowing Jazz musicians to beach strutting Sandpipers, all the while capturing the unique colors and light with her favorite mediums of watercolor and acrylic. In addition to her paintings, Barbara has a long history of teaching art, to both children and adults and many have attended her popular Wine, Women and Watercolor sessions. 
 
Janet Densmore will be showing more of her acrylic altered landscapes and beach scenes that change color by means of transparent pigments and minerals. Some images shift from vibrant neorealism to linear abstraction as the viewer moves closer to the paintings. In her smaller paintings and sculptures, Janet pushes the classic genre of still life to hilarious extremes in works she likes to call “Food For Thought,” with titles like “Confronting GMO” and “Cutting Down On Fats.”

Also at Gallery 220 on Second Saturday

Gallery 220 Main, located in old Town Bay St. Louis and MAP (Music, Arts and Practicality) of Hancock Co. have been working together since last March, when the co-operative art gallery had its grand re-opening.

​ Artist Amy Kramer created an acrylic on canvas banner that has been featured in the front window of the gallery since the re-opening. Knowing the window would be reset for summer, Kramer and gallery artists decided to raffle the painting, with all funds going to the MAP summer camp program.

 The $5 raffle tickets will be available for purchase until the drawing, which will take place on Saturday, June 9 at 7 pm in the gallery showroom.

MAP states its mission is to, “provide an enriching environment at no cost for children in grades K-12 and to explore and learn Music, Arts, and Practicality (Life Skills) by establishing a multicultural Children's Theater and Children's Choir.”

This year’s production is, “Shrek, Jr. the Musical” and will be performed later in the summer. MAP is a 501c3 non-profit organization and operates with a volunteer staff. It offers a four to six-week summer camp experience for children who would not normally be able to attend camp due to finances.

MAP representatives and children, along with Gallery 220 artists invite you to join us for this special event. Please call, (228) 466-6347 for additional information or visit our Facebook page for current happenings.

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!  The good times roll year around with this family-friendly event celebrating life and art in the Bay. 
​- - stories by Denise Jacobs, photos by Ellis Anderson and courtesy C&C Bistro

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" C&C Bistro (111 Main Street) and The Arts, Hancock County (they'll be headquartered for the evening at the French Potager, 213 Main Street).

As a featured Hot Spot during the Old Town Merchants Association Second
Saturday celebration on Saturday, May 12, Cork & Cleaver will provide live music by Serabee, with bar specials between 4pm and 8pm.

Chef David Dickensauge, Jr., owner at C & C Bistro, which features upscale, casual, authentic Italian cuisine, is a happily busy man. The chef is assisted on the financial side by his business partner and father, David Dickensauge, Sr., and appreciatively so. 
 
“Dad is retired Air Force," Chef David notes, “with no clue about the day-to-day operational part of a farm-to-table restaurant. We both do what we're good at, and it works out perfectly."
 
As operational manager and chef, Dickensauge handles sourcing food, planning menus, preparing food, or managing the restaurant.

“We’re not warming things up here,” the Chef notes. “No big truck pulls up to make deliveries here. I’m busy with marketing, cooking, making sure the restaurant is running, the food is perfect, and the kitchen meticulous. I design everything here, and I run it.”  

And it shows. Lisa Monti, restaurant reviewer for the Shoofly Magazine, stated it perfectly in her February 2018 review of Cork & Cleaver—“Dickensauge has crafted weekly specials that might make you want to double down for lunch and then back for dinner in quick succession.”
 
While the menu changes eight times a year to reflect the availability of fresh foods from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, the fare is always true Italian, the pasta is always made in-house, and the pizza prepared in a special gas-fired brick oven.
 
Weekly specials are popular with the local crowd, a crowd that enjoys special Happy Hour deals from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., as well. Monday draws beef lovers for the $20 ribeye and/or sirloin filet, each served with black truffle ricotta salada and twice-baked potatoes.

Pasta fans enjoy the $10 Tuesday homemade signature pastas and/or a selection of artisan pizzas. Wine Down Wednesdays are becoming quite a big deal, in part because of the great selection of wines by the bottle at half price and because of the freshly shucked char-baked oysters that sell for $8 a dozen.

Thursday deserves a paragraph of its own. That’s when evening diners should prepare themselves for a four-course set dinner option for just $38 a person. The menu varies, but a recent Thursday, Chef David prepared a first course of roasted cauliflower with a goat cheese and feta spread, a second course of  seared scallop over scallion mashed potatoes with roasted red pepper sauce, a third course of coffee-crusted tenderloin (4 oz.) with grilled polenta and sautéed vegetables, and a fourth course of ricotta cheesecake in a Mason Jar with fresh blueberries and lavender.
 
On major holidays, Chef David offers six-course meals with a seventh-course lagniappe.
 
There’s really no excuse not to try C&C Italian Bistro at least once. The weekly specials make it easy, but don’t stop there. The menu itself guarantees one of the finest dining experiences on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. You'll be back. 

The Arts, Hancock County, a fast-growing, active organization that offers sponsorship and genuine support in the form of shows, classes, events, and other instructional ventures, boasts over 300 members—all of them either artists or lovers of art.

If not butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers, The Arts, Hancock governing board is comprised of business owners, a photographer, an architect, a teacher, potters, a writer, and professional volunteers. This diversity reflects the spirit and rapidly growing membership of a non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting art in everyday life in Hancock County.
​
The vision spearheaded by Steve Barney, president of The Arts, Hancock County and founder of the STEAMpunk Pottery Project—an educational program for children—is to “reinvent the organization to support the entire spectrum of artists and capture the artistic buzz centered in Hancock County.”

The buzz goes beyond traditional forms of art to include all types of creative expression and performance. For example, the 2018 ArtsAlive! festival, the largest annual Arts, Hancock County undertaking, highlighted the burgeoning scene of artists, makers, and performers from across the region.

Happy festival-goers found an abundance of live demonstrations, hands-on activities, and artist showcases/marketplaces, from musical performances to poetry readings to belly dancers. At hands-on MakerSpace stations, fest- goers practiced the art of screen printing and drum-making, and volunteers of all ages engaged in public art projects such as the one at Ruth’s Garden on Court Street.

Other participatory art experiences included on-site painting of beach-bound trash cans and the creation of a public mural.

During Arts!Alive, some members of the Old Town Merchants Association hosted artists and artisans at storefront locations throughout Old Town where some artists demonstrated their work while others were simply on hand to talk about their creative process. 

Bay Life Gifts owner Janice Guido, a previous Old Town Merchants Association board member and current Arts, Hancock County board member, noted that Arts!Alive drew an upscale, art-wise, sophisticated clientele eager to buy. By all reports, local artists and the merchants who sponsored them fared well.

At the center of Arts, Hancock County is a 7,500-square-foot industrial building on the corner of Washington and Central, the Bay St. Louis Creative Arts Center (101 Central Ave.).

Since Barney purchased the dilapidated building in 2017, it has become a gathering space in an emerging art district. The building is the seat of monthly Arts, Hancock County membership meetings, the Raw Oyster Marching Club's oyster-painting central, the home of workshops from pottery to flower arranging, and even a space in which Mardi Gras floats are constructed.

The most active part of the Bay Creative Arts Center, however, is the 1,200-square-foot pottery studio, which partners with Lazy Magnolia Brewery and offers adult classes and after-school classes for children. 

Having moved to Old Town, an historic district extending from Beach Boulevard to St. Francis Street and Washington Street to Ulman Avenue, Arts, Hancock County is tapping into the creative economy in Hancock County, expanding into Waveland and the Kiln, and exploring partnerships between local businesses and artists.

As of this writing, Arts, Hancock County boasts overlapping exhibits at four business and civic entities—200 North Beach, Bay St. Louis City Hall, Waveland City Hall, and the Ground Zero Museum in Waveland.

“In the early days of the organization,” Barney notes, “the goal was to help artists re-establish themselves in the aftermath of Katrina. We are circling around, going back to our roots.”
​
To join Arts, Hancock County, visit https://hancockarts.org/join-us. Alternatively, talk to organizational VP Ann Dinwiddie Madden, co-founder of Smith & Lens Gallery (106 S. Second Street, Bay St. Louis), or Treasurer Alicein Schwabacher, owner and manager of  the Mockingbird Café (110 South Second Street, Bay St. Louis).

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!  The good times roll year around with this family-friendly event celebrating life and art in the Bay. 

To celebrate its Hot Spot status, during the Second Saturday Artwalk on April 14, the bakery will extend its hours to 8:00 p.m.

If you stop by between 4 and 8pm, you will be treated to samples of the Coast Roast coffee so beloved by locals - along with goodies brought to you via the creative imaginations of Al and Vivian Jensen, and their bakers and baker’s helpers.  You will be glad you did. Seriously! 

If you blink while passing, you could miss the place, but you will be sorry if you do.
Nestled behind Bay Books, at 131 Main Street, Serious Bread Bakery (131 Main St., Suite D) is a beloved attraction for locals and visitors. All are welcome.
 
“We like our city and, most of all, we enjoy our customers,” say Al and Vivian Jensen, proprietors.

Al Jensen is a retired oceanographer who traveled around the world during his career, sampling breads in every country he visited.  Frustrated by the lack of artisan breads on the Gulf Coast, this staff-of-life connoisseur later decided to solve the problem by becoming a baker himself. Jensen pursued his new vocation “seriously.” 
​
After several workshops with a world-renowned baker in Vermont, the Jensens began selling their loaves in regional farmers’ markets and, for four and a half years, provided the Mockingbird Café with sandwich bread.

 Finding that their offerings were snapped up by a public hungry for more, the couple opened Serious Bread and never looked back. They still sell their goods at Long Beach and Ocean Springs farmers’ markets and have expanded into other enterprises of late.

In its latest phase of wholesale marketing, Serious Bread has teamed with the Kiln’s Lazy Magnolia Brewery. The Brewery’s menu creations—from chicken and vegetarian pizzas to cheese-dip bowls — rely on brat buns, bread bowls, crostini, Bavarian style soft pretzels, and flatbread provided by Serious Bread.

“Our world is about change, and so is our bakery,” notes Al.

Some things, however, like a reliance on King Arthur Flour and other wholesome ingredients, remain the same.
​
A key technique isn’t about to change either: the bakery continues to soak grains for eight to ten hours to dissipate phytic acid and make minerals and nutrients more available. This time-honored way of baking bread results in healthy, easily-digestible, and delicious loaves. 

Serious Bread, a Jensen family affair, has daughter Renee serving as manager, buyer, and scheduler. In addition, the Jensens are “phasing in” new bakers who add new goodies.

Jose “Pablo” Paz, trained with an “old-time” French baker, and comes from a long line of bakers. In addition to the artisan bread he bakes daily assisted by apprentice Phillip DelValle, Pablo rustles up cinnamon rolls, shoe soles, turnovers, and seasonal King Cakes—the latter so spectacular they were featured on WGNO TV News with a Twist during Mardi Gras.

The Jensens understand the importance of staff. Rose Gooding has been part of the “work family” for five years.  She is the creator of the all-natural energy bars which are a favorite of athletic types who swear the healthy snack sustains them during long runs and bike rides.

Sara Hahn assists Rose in the creation of scones, muffins, cookies, the occasional cake, and an assortment of luncheon items like tabbouleh, hummus, chicken salad, and other mouth-watering foods. 
​
In the spirit of progress and change, Al adds, “We are giving serious thought to offering a mini flatbread and soup meal.” The lucky Mudfest patrons that sampled the Jensen’s 100-year-old family recipe, lentil- and goat-sausage soup, will approve.
Serious Bread is open Tuesday through Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
 

The Porch's owner, JoAnn Saucier, invites you to grab your BFF and head over on Second Saturday, April 14, for drinks, snacks, and live music. While there, take advantage of many shops under one roof in Century Hall and ample on-site parking.

​Sit a spell. Feel happy and good. 

The porch—wraparound or screened in—we love it and can’t seem to imagine living without. Some of us live for and on our porches, especially in the summer months.
 
JoAnn Saucier created The Porch at the Bay, one of the Century Hall shops at 112 S. Second Street, Bay St. Louis, to reflect the “easy feel” of the front porch. “When people walk in,” she says, “I want them to feel happy and good.”
 
Shoppers will find an eclectic mix of farmhouse-meets-industrial. Lovely chalk-painted pieces, both large and small, fill The Porch. Saucier rehabs the “worst-looking stuff” she can find, meticulously restoring and repainting it from one of the many luscious chalk paints she keeps on hand in the shop.
​
“In fact,” she notes, “I would like to offer classes on chalk painting soon.” 

An array of handy kitchen items with a farmhouse look rounds out the merchandise. Think “uncommon goods for creative ideas,” like grain-sack material that Saucier describes as “perfect for turning into table runners or covering a chair seat,” adding, “the possibilities are endless!”
 
Beautifully woven baskets adorn the walls and, below, them, fabulous planters that look like baskets but are made from cement. Saucier confides laughingly that she might just have a “basket addiction.”

The Porch, which opened in 2017, is a relative newcomer to the Bay. Before moving to Bay St. Louis, Saucier ran The Porch on Magazine Street in New Orleans. With a background in art, Saucier first opened a booth on Magazine Street with a fellow student at New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts. 
​
Over the years, Bay Life Gifts owner Janice Guido, friend and neighbor (before Guido relocated to the Bay), encouraged Saucier to move to Bay St. Louis. With husband in tow, Saucier began visiting the Bay increasingly often and, as she tells it, “The more we came here, the less we wanted to go back.” In 2014, the couple began making plans to move to the Bay in earnest. 

​In 2017, Saucier opened The Porch in Century Hall. A year later, Guido moved Bay Life Gifts from Main Street to Century Hall, and the two are neighbors once again. The Porch is downstairs on the left, and Bay Life Gifts is downstairs on the right. It’s a double delight!
 
Saucier loves being in the Bay—"The people, the atmosphere, the slower pace . . . it all just makes me happy.” And she has found her perch in Century Hall.
 
Saucier says she loves bouncing ideas off “fun and energetic” shopkeepers like Guido and Susan Peterson, Bay Elements proprietor and manager of Century Hall. “Other shopkeepers always have great ideas,” she says.
 
The future holds all kinds of possibilities. Saucier looks forward to adding a few more food products to flesh out the jellies and spices she already carries, and, perhaps most importantly, Saucier is looking forward to returning to her artwork and displaying it in the shop. 
 
Saucier’s most recent development takes the form of an online series entitled “Meet Me on the Porch Monday.” The series of inspirational porches can be found only on Facebook at @ThePorchattheBay. 
 
The Porch is open 10 to 5 Tuesday through Saturday, 11 to 3 on Sundays, and is closed for business on Mondays. 

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music. The March one is always a favorite because of the Souper Mudfest celebration. What?  Don't worry, we've got all the details.  

Be sure to visit Hot Spot businesses ​Antique Maison Ulman and Tea Room, Garden, 317 Ulman Avenue and Green Canyon Outfitters, 108 South Beach Blvd.

- stories by Denise Jacobs, photos by Ellis Anderson and Denise Jacobs

 
In July 2014, Sylvia and Ed Young opened the Antique Maison Ulman and Tea Room on 317 Ulman Ave. The Ulman branch of Antique Maison (on Second Street) is managed by Missy Geisel and is an ideal place for private events like showers, graduation parties, and wedding receptions.

Once owners of a business on the 2000 block of Magazine Street, the Youngs relocated to Bay St. Louis in 1990. A year later, they opened a tuxedo, bridal, and costume shop on Second Street. After Hurricane Katrina wrecked its havoc on the Second Street building, Sylvia and Ed renovated and reopened it as an antique store—Antique Maison.

The Antique Maison Ulman and Tea Room came later, as did Sylvia’s latest vision—an outdoor garden. In the center of the garden stands the Heavenly Tea Garden Tree, an historical tree dedicated by Father Jim of St. Augustine Seminary located next to the store.

In addition to two tea rooms, one private with seating up to twenty, the expansive main dining room which holds thirty-five, and the garden and deck area, which adds seating for thirty-five, is the store itself. The Ulman branch of Antique Maison features three large display rooms housing antiques, nostalgia, and vintage in quality furniture, home décor, art, collectables, jewelry, china, and crystal.

If guests do not find what they are looking for, Sylvia will happily walk them into the Quonset hut dedicated to special sale items and overflow. Treasures abound!

Sylvia delights in operating the Ulman site. She explains that many of her customers are just passing through. Some are visiting. Some are lost. Some just got off the highway and found themselves at the store.

“I always play tour guide,” she says. “I take out the map and tell folks where things are, where to eat, and so forth.” Sylvia notes that her first-time customers often fall in love with Bay St Louis. Sometimes they mention buying a house, and she calls upon her 35 years in real estate to give them information.
​
The Antique Maison Ulman and Tea Room is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Tearoom offers a wide assortment of hot and cold teas, iced and hot coffees, soft drinks, and desserts. High Tea Windsor is offered, as well, by reservation only. Reservations are requested 48 hours in advance.
 
Whether you are a frequent visitor, a newbie to Bay St. Louis, or have lived here all your life, do stop by on Second Saturday, March 10, between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Sylvia and Missy will be serving soups from the High Tea menu to those with proof of Mudfest purchase along with samples from the High Tea menu. ​

For Brennan Marlowe, sole proprietor of Green Canyon Outfitters, 108 S. Beach Blvd., right above Cuz’s, the best part of owning a business in Bay St. Louis is the opportunity to give back to his home community.

Brennan, a Waveland native, elaborates: “When I was at St. Stanislaus just before the Katrina era, I would have to drive to Gulfport or Biloxi to get what I needed. So, when I opened Green Canyon Outfitters, I said I would have access to things I couldn’t get before. I didn’t go into the business thinking I would become a millionaire, but if you can keep it alive and rolling to give back, that’s the point.”

Green Canyon Outfitters specializes in high-end, affordable outdoor apparel and accessories. As might be expected, most of the business comes from locals, including St. Stanislaus students, between March and July.

Brennan is happy to report, though, that many repeat out-of-state customers make yearly trips to the store. “From the beginning,” he explains, “I wanted to make sure that the customer-service experience exceeded the customer’s expectations.”
​
Indeed, the online reviews of the store are all positive and range from “Great company with an amazing selection of products to choose from,” to “Pricing is great, and customer service was outstanding,” to “This is the go-to place for cool outdoorsy styles.” Brennan likes to say that the store focuses on Southern hospitality. “We’re friendly,” he says. 

As a buyer, Brennan chooses to focus on items that give back “somehow or some way.”

This includes the Parks Project and tentree clothing lines. For each Parks Project item purchased, a percentage of proceeds from the sale goes to one of over 30 conservancies across the United States to provide funding for national parks. For every item purchased at tentree, ten trees are planted. This is the sort of thing that excites Brennan, who explains the allure.

“Not only are you buying something; you’re buying some thing,” he says. Other, more mainstream products include Patagonia, Hard Tail, Royal Robbins, and a line of sunglasses to die for: Maui Jim, Olukai, Ray Ban, and Shwood. 

Brennan graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in exercise and physiology with an emphasis on pre-medical studies, but he had this idea for the store, and he just wanted to try it.

“A lot of people have ideas,” Brennan explains, “and I thought to myself, well, why not just do it? If it fails tomorrow, I will still be young enough to try something else.”  Admirable courage.
​
Stop by the Green Canyon Outfitters on Second Saturday, March 10, between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., for special Hot Spot sale items.  Stock up on your favorites. Feel good about yourself in the process. 

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music. 

Be sure to visit Hot Spot businesses The Mockingbird Café, 110 South Second Street, and Strandz Salon, 203 North Second Street. 

- stories by Denise Jacobs, photos by Ellis Anderson and Denise Jacobs

The Mockingbird is so integrated into the fabric of the community, that it is sometimes hard to tell where it begins and where it ends. That’s especially true when the cafe collaborates with neighboring Smith & Lens to host art shows, the Mr. Atticus’s Night Market, and festivals such as last month’s Dolly Should look-alike contest. The Bird has evolved from a group of people gathered to rebuild the city after Katrina into a lively community hub.

More than just a coffee shop, “the Bird” has been dubbed the living room of the Bay. It is a place reminiscent of the house in which Alicein Wonderland Schwabacher, sole proprietor, grew up, a Bay St. Louis home overflowing with colorful out-of-town travelers who taught Schwabacher that she was a citizen of the world. 

While the Mockingbird is more than a coffee shop, it does serve a great cup of coffee. Beans are roasted at Coast Roast in Long Beach for a special Mockingbird blend. “We aren’t a cookie-cutter town, so we aren’t a cookie-cutter coffee shop,” says Schwabacher. “If we can source anything nearby, from coffee to art to live music, we do that. That’s important to us.”

Schwabacher credits her success to the people who have supported her and the business along the way, noting that, “Since we opened our doors, Laura Hurt and Whitney LaFrance have been key to the success of the Mockingbird.” 

Schwabacher says, “Our Mockingbird team gets it—we are all ambassadors of Bay St. Louis.” She adds that the Bird’s success is also due to her supportive partner Rebekah and her tireless work.

No time is a bad time to experience the Bird’s menu, and the weekend brunch is especially popular. Signature alcoholic drinks such as a trio of mimosas made with fresh seasonal juice, Lushy Lemonade, Irish coffees, and the Tequila Mockingbird are always available but are hits with the brunch crowd.

The idea behind the Mockingbird is that a community is stronger if everyone works together—from staff to city planning. That idea still holds. “We may not all want exactly the same thing,” Schwabacher says, “but we can always find common ground.” 
​
With that, she invites everyone to stop by on Second Saturday, February 10, between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. “All are welcome," she says. “We welcome any and all neighbors.” 

​• Delivery from the Mockingbird is available within Old Town on all orders $25 or more between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily. 

• The Mockingbird is now taking Mobile/Online orders! Check it out at https://squareup.com/store/mockingbird-cafe-llc. 

Strandz Salon
203 N Second St
Bay St Louis, MS 
 (228) 216-2460

On February 10, Second Saturday, Strandz will host an open house between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Stop by for a snack and introduce yourself. 

Not one to struggle with what she would do with her life, Brenda Curet Cuevas, sole proprietor of Strandz Salon, began her career as a hair stylist and business owner right out of high school in 1976. She never looked back. 

Cuevas says that owning a business was never that important, that it just happened. Nevertheless, she says that it takes business acumen and loyal customers to sustain a business through a hurricane the proportions of Katrina, a diagnosis of breast cancer, and single parenting. Cuevas has done just that. 

Strandz was originally housed on Highway 90 near Hancock Medical Center. At that time, Cuevas employed seven stylists. When Katrina hit in 2005, the building flooded. Rather than admit defeat, Cuevas moved her salon into her house.

​She continued there and operated a full-service salon for ten years before moving to her current location on the corner of deMontluzin and Second Street in the same building as The Ugly Pirate. 

“You have to have a town to have a business,” Cuevas says, “and this is my town. This town helped me maintain a business as a single parent. It helped me through my battle with breast cancer, and I am happy to say that I am a 13-year survivor. My customers support my business, and I appreciate every last one of them.”

Cuevas loves working in Old Town, taking walks around town, and meeting new people.

Strandz is a full-service salon featuring Joico and Matrix professional hair care and hair styling products. Cuevas offers haircuts, color, perms, blow dry, flat iron, and relaxers.

Prepare to flaunt both of your inner divas — Country AND Western! — during a themed Second Saturday Artwalk in Old Town Bay St. Louis on January 13.  “Dolly Should.  The monthly art event takes on a Nashville spin by celebrating Dolly Parton's birthday with an art show, hayride, square dancing and an astonishing costume contest! 
​
- stories by Denise Jacobs, photography by Ellis Anderson 

Here's a full schedule of "Dolly Should" activities in Old Town on January 13

• 10 am - 8pm - Michael Foster tin types at The French Potager, 213 Main St.
• 11 am - 6pm - Dolly Should eat at Starfish Cafe, 211 Main St.
• 12pm - 4pm - Hayrides at BayTique, 125 Main St.
• 12pm - Dolly themed Pop Up on the Patio, fine art show opens at Smith & Lens, 106 S. 2nd St.
• 4:00pm - Bay Ratz Marching Battery performs all over Old Town
• 4:00pm - 6:00pm - Pop Up Beauty Shop on the patio at Smith & Lens, 106 S. 2nd St.
• 5:00pm - 6:00pm - Square dance NOLA at the green space on Main at 2nd, 161 Main St.
• 5:00 - 7:00 - Dolly Look Alike contest registration, in costume, please, at Smith & Lens, 106 S. 2nd St.
• 6:00 - Hadley Hill LIVE at the Mockingbird Cafe and Dolly's Favorites on the dinner menu, 110 S. 2nd St.
• 7:30 - Look Alike Contest begins on the porch of the Mockingbird Cafe, mc'd by the amazing Reba Douglas and dj'd by superstar DJ Bella with celebrity judges (Melanie Spencer, Monique Champagne and DJ BELLA) 110 S. 2nd St.
• 8:30ish Clearbranch Cloggers for Christ take the stage at the Mockingbird during deliberations
• 9:00 - Dolly themed karaoke contest and after party at Gabbie's Bar, 119 Main Street 

Carroll House B&B
304 Carroll Ave. 
Bay St. Louis
​866.300.2704

Carroll House will be hosting an open house on Second Saturday, from 4pm - 6pm.  Refreshments will be served. 

​For Jane Kulpeksa (formerly Alford), owning a bed & breakfast was a long-held dream. When the big house on Carroll Avenue, an historic seaside home in the heart of Old Town, became available after Katrina, Jane, who lived around the corner on Toulme at the time, bought the house. She also bought a camper trailer, which she lived in while making renovations on the Carroll House. It was a bed & breakfast in the making.

About a year and a half later, the house was livable, and Jane moved in. However, she continued making renovations, including the addition of two bathrooms. Then, in 2011, Carroll House Bed & Breakfast opened its doors. Jane notes that the house was one of only a few accommodations open in Old Town at the time, so she developed a loyal customer base from the beginning.

The house is a short stroll to the center of Old Town and the beach. In addition to overnight or long-term stays, Carroll House is an elegant setting for an intimate wedding and/or baby and wedding showers. Be sure to check out the Carroll House online for a gallery of photos.

​Guests can enjoy an early morning cup of coffee on the private porch as the birds serenade them, or join other guests in the parlor for friendly conversation. Most often, guests gather to eat breakfast together, a traditional bed & breakfast element that Jane holds dear. Sometimes guests even congregate in the kitchen to chat as breakfast is prepared. It’s that kind of place.

​Jane cooks with the vegetables she grows in her garden, and she serves and sells lemon, satsuma, and kumquat marmalades made from the fruit trees grown around the house. “It’s a beautiful home with a comfortable atmosphere,” Kulpeksa explains, and “people tell us that they feel at home here.”

Originally from Louisiana, Jane has lived in Bay St. Louis for 21 years. She attributes the success of Carroll House to her capable, loyal, and trustworthy staff—a bit of a challenge to find in the early years but entrenched now—and to her involvement with the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.

According to Jane, repeat customers turned friends have made her bed & breakfast a dream-come-true. In fact, Jane is gratified to report that many of her previous guests are now permanent residents of the Bay.

​“They come here and fall in love with the area,” she says. “I like to think we here at Carroll House had something to do with that.” 

Hancock County Historical Society
108 Cue Street
Bay St. Louis 
​228.467.4090

Bring one-page bio sketches (see below) with you to the Second Saturday Open House between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Your name will be entered in a drawing for a copy of Bay St. Louis: Celebrating The First 300 Years. In addition, your bio sketch will be featured in one of the monthly newsletters. 

For Charles Harry Gray, it was love at first sight.

The year was 1984. The event was the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge. Gray, now director of the Hancock County Historical Society, had driven in his Rolls Royce from New Orleans to the Bay to observe the annual sailing event. Within a week, he had purchased his first home in his new hometown.

Not long afterward, Gray attended a meeting of the Hancock County Historical Society, became a member, and was made vice president the very day he joined.  This was before the Lobrano House was bestowed to the Historical Society, a time when members held their meetings at local restaurants. 

Gray knew all about restaurants. He had operated Corinne Dunbar’s restaurant in the grand parlor of her home on St. Charles Avenue. At Corinne Dunbar’s, customers were treated as if they were dinner guests at a party in her home. I suspect that those who visit the Hancock County Historical Society experience a similar sense of welcome. 

The society is headquartered in the Kate Lobrano House, described on the Historical Society’s website, as “a delightful 1896 shotgun cottage that was donated to the society in 1988 by the grandchildren of Katherine Maynard Lobrano.”

The original house at 108 Cue Street is used as a turn-of-the-century museum while an addition to the rear of the house provides office and storage space. Depending on the day of week, guests will find either Gray or Eddie Coleman, newsletter editor and staff person, running the operation along with one of the society’s officers or a community volunteer.

Membership in the Hancock County Historical Society is 1,000 strong, and membership is nationwide. In fact, Gray marvels that a contingent of out-of-state members commit to months of volunteer service onsite while vacationing in the Bay area.

In the pre-Katrina years, visitors traveled to Hancock County regularly via tour bus, often to visit the 728 Bay St. Louis houses on the National Registry. The Hancock County Historical Society functions in many ways as a guest or travel center for those who want to know what to see and do while in the area.

At its heart, however, the Historical Society collects, preserves, and maintains a collection of documents, photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts designed to help future generations understand their heritage.

As a private institution with no state funding, the Hancock Historical Society relies entirely on charitable contributions and memberships and is only as strong as its community involvement. To that end, the Historical Society has a standing invitation to anyone who has lived in Hancock County to share their family histories.

​If you bring in photographs, volunteers will copy and file them in color-coded binders labeled Waveland, County, People, Tony Scafidi, Hurricanes, Cemeteries, Registered Trees, Bay St. Louis Houses, and so on. The photos will also be scanned and saved online. 

As any survivor of a natural disaster can tell you, few things are as important as preserving personal artifacts, memorabilia, and stories. With that in mind, the Hancock County Historical Society invites those whose loved ones have lived in Hancock County to complete a one-page bio sketch of a deceased loved one or family member with roots in Hancock County.

It would be appreciated if you would follow the suggested template. Label and attach a photograph, and include your contact information. All original photographs will be returned to you.
​
A word to the wise: Don’t let the “Story/Anecdote” section intimidate you. Your story might be a paragraph long and focus on a family holiday, a childhood memory, a rite of passage, a military experience, an encounter with nature, a sports triumph, a religious awakening, or a professional accolade. 

Suggested Bio Sketch format

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music.  The December one offers a magical family experience, with lots of holiday lighting, decor and good cheer!

Be sure to visit Hot Spot businesses Gallery 220, 220 Main Street, and  Southern Accents Boutique, 125 Main Street!

Special Holiday Happenings for Second Saturday

Caroling through Old Town by Coast Chorale

Gallery 220 - A December Hot Spot:  work by 20 artists, refreshments and live music:  220 Main Street

Southern Accents - A December Hot Spot:  125 Main Street

The Mockingbird Café - Hadley Hill performs 6pm - 9pm: 110 S. Second Street

Smith & Lens Gallery Pop-up on the Patio - Gallery A Go-go with work by 20 artists! Amanda Bennett show in gallery: 106 S. Second Street

The Shops at Century Hall - hot chocolate bar w/cookies: 112 S. Second Street

Gallery Edge (inside Century Hall) - Special Off-the-Edge Holiday Shop: 112 S. Second Street

Starfish Café - Selfies with Santa, porch of the Starfish Café, 4pm - 6pm! Free, but accepting donations for Food Pantry: 211 Main Street

First Baptist Church - Christmas program of sirited music by the adult and children's choir, 6pm:  141 Main Street

Bay Books - Alex North signing his 2018 calendars: 131 Main Street

Bodgea Spirts & Liquor - Beaujolais wine tasting 5pm - 7pm: 111 Court Street

Bodega Parrot Head Bar - George Mills & the Invisibles, 7pm til...: 111 Court Street

Misfits Classic Car Club - Cruise-in at the Bay St. Louis Harbor, generally held in the afternoon.  ​

​Now an Old Town fixture, Gallery 220 was conceived on the heels of Katrina and born out of necessity to accommodate the many artists who lost their studios to the storm.

Within two months of Katrina’s arrival, Jenise McCardell created a space for Gallery 220 in the front of her Clay Creations building, and an artist’s cooperative was born. Eleven years later, the concept remains the same: member artists rent space and give time. 

The business model supports the artists--all 25 of them. As artists take turns working one day a week, visitors may stumble upon clay, wire, paint, or mosaic in process. McCardell credits this interaction between artist, craft, and customer as a real draw.  “Customers love to watch a work in progress,” she says. 

McCardell marvels that 25 artists get along so well. In fact, they help each other. When one artist is featured in a magazine or on a television show, he or she invariably promotes the other artists in the Gallery. That camaraderie is one of the aspects of running a business that Jenise finds rewarding. The repeat customers, however, are the most rewarding aspect.

“A lot of customers tell us they have a blank wall. They are interested in a piece of art, but they want it in a different size. Maybe they want it to fit behind their sofa,” McCardell says. “We try to accommodate.” 

Indeed. Shoppers will find a multitude of choices. 

Usually, one artist is featured a month. That artist gets the center aisle. As a Hot Spot, though, every artist will be a featured artist. Be sure to stop by and pass a good time.
​
​Gallery 220 is hard to miss; it's the building with the Coca Cola sign on the side and an eclectic sampling of local art lining the front windows.

​Jenny Shubert, Southern Accents owner, has an abiding love of the Deep South. She always wanted to run her own business. Southern Accents reflects the combination of her two passions: The Deep South and small business ownership. Southern Accents is perhaps the only Southern-themed store on Main Street. 

Shubert opened the Southern Accents about the time her children were in school full time. First housed on Second Street, the shop soon migrated to the old Masonic Temple in the first block of Main.

Jenny, a Pass Christian gal who now resides in the Kiln, says she loves the Bay area and couldn’t ask for a better place to work. She manages the store herself with occasional help from her daughters.

If you ask Jenny Shubert what she finds most rewarding about owning her own business, she will tell you, location, location, location. "I love this quiet, friendly community," she says. 

From the beginning, Jenny knew she wanted her store to reflect the Southern charm that has enveloped her from birth. No surprise there; a browse through the shop will put the most Northern visitor in mind of a sweet iced tea or a slice of pecan pie.

At Southern Accents, shoppers will find local pepper jelly, tees from the Anna Grace Southern Tee Company collection and Southern Accents' own special tee collection, boutique clothing (including plus sizes), hats from the Southern Dog Company, beachy jewelry, soy candles from Southern Accents, frames, and home décor with Southern charm.

As the sign says, "It’s a boutique and more." As such, Southern Accents is the perfect place for visitors to purchase a memento of their trip to the Gulf Coast . . .  and for locals to find that special something for that special someone, especially if that special someone happens to be you. 
​
Southern Accents is housed in the old Masonic Temple, a neo-classic Revival style building a half block off the beach in historic Old Town Bay St. Louis.

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music.  It's the way we throw a family-friendly party here in the Bay and you're invited! 

Be sure to visit Hot Spot businesses Biz-zee Bee, 111 Main Street, and  Social Chair, 201 Main Street!

- stories by Denise Jacobs, photos by Denise Jacobs and Ellis Anderson 

Biz-zee Bee
111 Main Street
Bay St. Louis
228.467.1104

During the artwalk, from 4pm - 8pm,  Biz-zee Bee will be having live music and kid-friendly goodies. 

Biz-zee Bee has been a coastal favorite since relocating to Old Town from Hwy 90 in 2008.  The shop sells children's clothing and accessories - and embroiders.

“Biz-zee Bee is like two stores in one," owner Janelle Graham explains, gesturing toward three high-tech sewing machines behind the register. It’s where Janelle Hilliard, Janelle's aunt, operates the machines, adding custom embroidery and monogramming to items purchased at Biz-zee Bee and elsewhere. 

In addition to the best in seasonal children's clothing, smocked baby clothes, and nautical wear for the young crowd, Biz-zee Bee caters to local dance troupes, with shoes and clothes for ballet, jazz, and tap. And while it is a children's shop, two adult brands are also carried: Charles River raincoats and Comfort Colors BSL T-shirts. Gift-wrapping is free, too, making the shop easy for shower-shoppers.  

​After 12 years of serving the Bay area, Graham and Hilliard are most proud of their small-town personal level of customer service.

"It's what keeps people coming back," Graham says, adding that she has made a lot of friends through the years. "You really can't beat the Old Town shopping experience.” ​

For the latest in children's fall fashions, stop by Biz-zee Bee for Second Saturday hours and enjoy live music and kid-friendly goodies. Beat the rush on your special embroidery needs and holiday shopping. The embroidery drop-off deadline is December 15; don't miss it! 

Social Chair
201 Main Street
Bay St. Louis 
228.466.5853

During the artwalk, from 4pm - 8pm, Social Chair will be having live music, a pop-up park for kids, dip-mix samplings, and a gift w/purchase give-away.  

​At 201 Main Street, Social Chair is an Old Town fixture. Owned by Yuki Northington, who holds degrees in fine art and interior design, the store opened shortly after Hurricane Katrina demolished the town. Despite the devastation that surrounded her, she spotted a niche to be filled, and she filled it. 

Social Chair hums with positive energy year long, and those shopping for their homes will find furniture, tableware, and luxury bedding. Others will find trendy and sparkling jewelry to their liking. During the holiday season, the store sings with an eclectic variety of ornaments and seasonal decor. Yuki is especially excited to offer a new line of handmade Seagem oyster pottery out of Louisiana. 

​Get a jump on your holiday shopping at Social Chair, and stop by for live music, a pop-up park for kids, dix-mix samples, and a gift-with-purchase giveaway. At the end of the night on Second Saturday, some lucky person is going to walk away with a handmade Swarovski crystal creation, one of Social Chair's top-selling pieces. It might be you! 

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music.  It's the way we throw a family-friendly party here in the Bay and you're invited! 

Make sure you visit Hot Spot businesses Heart of Old Town Vacation Rental, 109 N. Second Street and Sonny's Cypress Café, 300 S. Second Street!
- story by Denise Jacobs, photos by Ellis Anderson

Heart of Old Town Vacation Rental 
109 N. Second Street
Bay St Louis
228.493.6316

Be sure to stop by for a tour of The Heart of Old Town Vacation Rental on Second Saturday, October 14, between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Rest a spell on the new balcony and BBQ area, and enjoy the band, songs, and jokes courtesy of Sylvia and Ed. Food and drinks will be provided courtesy of the Ulman Tea Room and Garden. 
​

The Heart of Old Town Vacation Rental, a spacious 1300-square-foot cottage, nestles against the side of Antique Maison  at 109 N. Second Street.
​
Ed and Sylvia Young bought the building as a fixer-upper in 1990 and moved it to its current location. Living in New Orleans at the time, the Youngs embarked on a journey that will resonate with many full-time Bay residents.

After purchasing the home and making weekend trips from New Orleans for two years, the couple moved permanently to Bay St Louis in 1992. The building was fully renovated in 1995 and opened for business.  The vacation rental has been offered since 2009. 
​
Sylvia, the property manager, makes sure that guests enjoy all the comforts of home in her two-bedroom, two-bath, seaside-themed vacation rental. Guests will find a washer and dryer, a full kitchen, and even a crib.

Aptly named, the vacation rental is truly in the heart of Old Town, and guests will find it easy to navigate on foot to the harbor, the beach, and the local shops.

More information about the vacation rental can be found on VRBO.com/25621.

Sonny's Cypress Café
300 S. Second Street
Bay St Louis
228.466.4877

​On Second Saturday, October 14, Sonny’s Cypress Café will provide a band on the patio from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Second Saturday crowd will enjoy appetizers from the main menu. Think hummus, stuffed grape leaves, spanakopita, and caprese. Think delicious! 

Sonny’s Cypress Café is a dream come true. Literally.

When it was simply the Cypress Café, Sonny Wright stopped by every time he visited family in the Bay. Sonny's dream was to one day own the café and revamp it with a strong Mediterranean influence. When opportunity presented itself, Sonny and his wife Denise snapped up the restaurant, located in the historic city hall building.

Recent updates include spacious seating space for more than 70, white-brick walls reminiscent of Greece, black woodwork, and cloth-covered tables. The café lends itself to an Italian and Greek vibe—fitting, as Sonny’s heritage is both. 

Expect a wide variety of mouth-watering choices for every meal. A favorite breakfast entrée is Eggs Shakshuka—eggs cooked in a spicy tomato sauce with sausage, onions, and peppers.

For lunch and dinner, offerings include traditional Mediterranean fare, along with pasta dishes that rotate daily—Pasta Alla Norma, fried eggplant tossed in tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese; Pasta Carbonara, linguine with Bianco cheese sauce, bacon, caramelized onions, and peppers; and Pasta Spinach, sautéed spinach and onions with freshly grated cheese. Gary Veglia, local restauranteur, one of the cafe's first patrons, recommends the moussaka.

Guests can always find vegan and vegetarian dishes and gluten-free pasta. Classic burgers and paninis are also available. Leave room for bread pudding, baklava, or cheesecake.

And don’t forget the wine! Natasha Actuaymi, manager, encourages patrons to bring their own beer and wine for a cork fee of $5.00.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. On Sundays, a special brunch menu is featured from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Parking is plentiful in front of the building and along the side of the building toward the old City Park.

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music.  It's the way we throw a family-friendly party here in the Bay and you're invited! 
​
Make sure you visit our Hot Spot businesses, Bay Elements, 112 South Second Street (inside Century Hall) and Lulu's on Main/Maggie May's, 126 Main Street.  

Bay Elements
inside Century Hall
112 S. Second Street
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
504.810.7772

Inside the 100-year-old historic building, find an electrifying fusion of unique artifacts, repurposed findings, antiques, art, furniture, gifts and much more at Bay Elements.   The genius behind this amazing concept is Susan Peterson.  

​You can shop up and downstairs for furniture and accessories for the home, and seaside findings for young and old.  There is truly something for everybody, from small gifts to magnificently handcrafted furniture. Make sure to take notice of the impeccable craftsmanship of the building that summons the past-life.  

Peterson was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, but married a coastal boy and hasn’t looked back since.  She has been on the Coast for 35 years.  “My heart is here,”says Peterson “I love the people and friendly guests, and there is nothing better than being in Old Town Bay St. Louis.”

At 126 Main Street, Maggie May’s is located in another historic building, one that has been an Old Town art anchor for ore than two decades.  The building contains 5,300 square feet of art, jewelry, clothing, and home décor items.  The beautiful large gallery space is filled with five vendors throughout and showcases over thirty local and regional artists.  

The business features everything from beautiful paintings, sculpture, jewelry, hand-made crafts, unique clothing, shoes, home accessories and so much more.   Nested within is also a popular restaurant named Lulu’s, an amazing eatery.  

At Lulu’s they are cooking up innovative New Orleans influenced cuisine.  Crowd favorites are Moynan’s corn and crab bisque, her BBQ shrimp or “debris” roast beef po-boys, and Betty’s bread pudding, reputed to be the best on the coast.   People are drawn by the restaurant’s unique art gallery atmosphere, as well as the tasty breakfast and lunch.
 
“We’ve got an incredible group of businesses here, in a building that is showing great art,” says Moynan.  “You can feel the positive energy as soon as you walk in.  It’s the ultimate place to ‘shop local."

Stop by Tuesday thru Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. to check out of Lulu’s tasty cuisine.

Moynan, invites new customers and long-time fans in to, “Come and feel the love and passion that I have for food,” she says. “You’ll go home tasting the flavors of the Bay."