Second Saturday Art Walk - June 2020

Saturday, June 13, 2020

The Main Street entrance to Parrot Head Bar and Grill

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 June "Hot Spots"  Parrot Head Bar & Grill (111 Court Street) and Bay Life Gifts (112 S. 2nd Street). Read more about these featured businesses below! 
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- stories by Caitlin Bourgeois

Over the past twenty-six years, the monthly art walk has become one of the most popular events in the region. Old Town stays lively all day, with many merchants and restaurants offering specials. 

​The pace picks up from 4 pm to 7 pm, when gallery openings and live music keep the streets humming with activity. ​

​Each month, two businesses are spotlighted and designated "Hot Spots."  Read about the June Hot Spots below! 

This Second Saturday Artwalk column
is sponsored by

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Parrot Head Bar & Grill
111 Court Street
Bay St. Louis
(228) 363-1290
Website

 
There’s a special ambiance that the Parrot Head Bar & Grill has that seems to set it apart from other eateries in Bay St. Louis. Palm trees sway, and Reggae music bumps through the speakers as guests enjoy a cold drink on the back patio. Kayaks and paddle boards line the back yard with golf carts stacked in the alleyway, waiting for their turn to ride through town. 

​The restaurant/bar is located in a tropical peach-colored building known as Bodega at 111 Court Street. Enter from Court Street, or from the public parking lot on the 100 block of Main Street. The building houses the Parrot Head Bar & Grill, Bodega Spirits Liquor, LOFT Yoga and Bodega Adventure Rentals – all in one convenient location. Pop in for a morning yoga session, grab a delicious lunch and a margarita, rent a golf cart for a day on the town, and then grab a bottle of wine to finish off your evening. 
 

Bodega building at 111 Court Street houses the Parrot Head Bar & Grill.

The Parrot Head Bar & Grill offers libations along with a simple menu to fit all tastes. It includes local dishes from Gumbo or Shrimp Remoulade Salad to an array of hearty sandwiches. Vanessa Lewy, Bodega representative, says customers often rave that the sandwiches are the best on the Coast.
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The secret to that “best” label is Chef Rickey Peters, who headed up the beloved Rickey’s Restaurant in Waveland (and later Bay St. Louis). The New Orleans/Cajun cultural imprint of his dishes is strong; Rickey started his career working with the renowned chef Paul Prudhomme. 
 
The Parrot Head Bar & Grill has resumed their regular hours and is serving their full menu. They have added tables outdoors and will observe social distancing guidelines while their staff members wear masks.
 

 
The Parrot Head Bar & Grill will be one of the Second Saturday Hot Spots on June 13. They will host live music 7-10 from the balcony, part of their “From the Balcony Summer Music Series.”
 
Lewy encourages guests to bring their own folding chairs and to limit groups to no more than six people. Parrot Head will have complimentary Rum Punch and Pirate Booty snacks for patrons who come to celebrate with them.
 

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Bay Life Gifts
112 South 2nd Street
Bay St. Louis
(228) 304-0636
Website 

Janice Guido welcomes customers to Bay Life Gifts.

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Viewing the historic Century Hall from across the street helps you understand how it can host 16 shops. The building is three stories high, with a beautiful porch and balcony and its own parking lot for customers. When you step in from Second Street you find the most welcoming committee of shop owners you could ever want to meet.
 
Step down a few steps to be greeted by Janice Guido, the owner of Bay Life Gifts. Janice is warm and energetic, with a memory that’s a marvel – no cheat sheet needed. She guides customers through her shop, giving the background of each piece that she touches, explaining its origins, introducing its artist. Her energy is infectious and makes a customer want to dive right into all of the incredible goods she has to offer.

 
Janice brought Bay Life Gifts to Century Hall after running the shop on Main Street for three years. “I love to be in this historic building. It’s a real survivor,” Janice said. The building may be a century old, but the artwork lining the walls of her shop lends a contemporary feel. Janice spends a lot of time seeking out the artists she represents, like locals Tehle McGuffee and Kathy Bensabat. 
 

 
Janice admits she’s a sucker for a good table setting but also fills her three-room shop with home décor and gift items If you’re stumped on a gift purchase, Janice is a guru at whipping up the perfect gift basket for just about anyone and any occasion. Bay Life Gifts also offers a wedding registry for couples who want to be locally mindful.
 
The community benefits from the same energy and creativity that Janice brings to her shop. She sits on the Hancock County Tourism Board, works with the Hancock Chamber of Commerce and is organizing the 2nd Annual Hancock Parade of Homes with her co-chair, Regan Kane. 
 

 
Bay Life Gifts will be one of the Second Saturday Hot Spots on June 13 as the Old Town district begins to bounce back from COVID-19. Bay Life Gifts will be keeping it lively with Joy Mehrten’s Ukulele Band playing on the front porch of The Shops of Century Hall, weather permitting, from 4:00 to 6:30 pm. Janice will be providing complimentary bottled water and Hershey Kisses because, as she put it, “everyone just needs a hug right now.”
 
Check out The Shops of Century Hall’s new website here: www.shopsofcenturyhall.com