Shoppers looking for holiday gifts with a cause behind them can head to Southeastern Louisiana University this weekend, where Roomie’s Merry Market returns for two days of vendor booths, Santa photos and live music. The event runs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pennington Center on campus, with proceeds benefiting students in the school’s recovery program.
According to The Advocate, the market is hosted by Southeastern Louisiana University’s Lion Up Recovery program and is billed as a two-day festive shopping event. Southeastern’s own event listing confirms the market will take place at the Pennington Center on the university’s campus, running with more than 80 vendors. Admission is $5 at the door, and the university says the market is open to the public.
Where the Money Goes
Funds raised at the market will support scholarships and programming for Southeastern students in the Lion Up Recovery program, per the university’s listing. The Advocate reports vendors will include boutiques, cosmetics, gourmet foods, art, children’s clothing, festive décor and Southeastern-themed merchandise, giving shoppers a wide range of options while supporting the cause.
Annette Baldwin, the market’s chair, told The Advocate that shoppers should check out the Kendra Scott give-back event and arrive early. Southeastern’s listing also notes the Kendra Scott give-back event as a feature of the weekend, though specific terms were not detailed beyond its inclusion in the market’s lineup.
Freebies, Food and a Shopping Bag Discrepancy
Lunch will be available for purchase both days through a partnership with the Lab School Dads, the university’s event page states. Shoppers should also know there’s a giveaway tied to attendance, though the exact cutoff is unclear: The Advocate reports the first 600 shoppers will receive a free shopping bag, while Southeastern’s own listing says the giveaway is limited to the first 500 shoppers. The discrepancy wasn’t resolved as of publication.
Santa and his elves will be available for photos Saturday morning, according to The Advocate, with the photo opportunity included as part of admission. The Southeastern Community Music School is scheduled to perform a holiday concert at 11 a.m. Saturday, adding a musical backdrop to the shopping.
How the Market Has Grown
This year’s market builds on a similar event the recovery program hosted last November, when WBRZ reported a schedule running Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Nov. 2 from noon to 4 p.m. That earlier market featured photos with Santa, live music from a KSLU Radio DJ and a concert from the Southeastern Community Music School, the station reported at the time. WBRZ also described a Holiday Dance Workshop held that Sunday at 11:45 a.m., where kids ages 5 to 13 learned a festive routine before performing for the crowd at 3:45 p.m.
Shoppers can find more details on vendors, hours and admission through Southeastern’s event page at southeastern.edu/admin/counseling/lionup-recovery/merry_market, which the university maintains as the official source of information for Roomie’s Merry Market.
