PONCHATOULA - Thousands of antiques and crafts shoppers flooded the streets downtown Saturday and Sunday for the Antique Trade Days & Crafts Fair.

Don Allen, who coordinated the event for the Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce, estimated 7,500 people attended over the two days of the event.

Sunday was the biggest day, possibly because of the music, including Ponchatoula's nationally recognized Elvis Presley impersonator, Brandon Bennett.

“He drew about 500 or 600 people,” Allen said.

An estimated 3,500 visitors attended on Saturday, and 4,000 to 4,500 on Sunday.

Police Chief Bry Layrisson said the weather was great and so was the crowd.

“We had no problems,” Layrisson said. “It was an overall good crowd both days.”

Allen said 101 vendors signed for the fair, which was staged at the commuter parking lot in downtown Ponchatoula. About 90 percent were elated with their sales. A memorabilia and collectibles vendor was so pleased with his sales he paid his fee for the March event before leaving Sunday.

The 101 booths represent more than three times the number at any previous fair.

Overall, Allen said there were few complaints from the vendors. He anticipates a return rate of 70 to 75 percent for the next fair.

He plans to circulate a survey form to downtown merchants for their input and opinion about the fair.

The food vendors seemed to do especially well, Allen said. A vendor selling shrimp prepared four different ways “really tore ‘em up,” he said.

Paul's Cafe was open for both days of the event, as was the Speakeasy Restaurant, he said.

The average age of the visitors seemed to be mid-30s and up. The fewest was the 18-30 age group, that is until Bennett performed. Allen said Bennett drew a large crowd of that age group.

“There were a lot of children age 10 and down,” Allen said. “The Ponchatoula High School FFA had its petting animals there, and the slide never seemed to stop.”

Plans are to expand activities available for children, he said. Hopefully, that will give parents more incentive to attend.

Some local merchants had booths in the commuter lot. Allen said he spoke with four. Two said they had a good day at their booths and two said they did not.

An effort will be made to have 150 vendors for the March fair, he said.

The fair has been staged for about three years, but because of the weather and other events, it never got off the ground. This year, $15,000 was spent to advertise the fair in surrounding states, he said.

“We were actually shooting for 60 booths for last weekend and ended up with 101,” he said.

Every inch of available space was used, he said. Mayor Bob Zabbia has agreed to allow the chamber to use the second large commuter lot south of Oak Street for the March fair. That should accommodate about 200 vendors, Allen said.

“But based on last weekend, I don't believe that 300 is an unrealistic goal in two to three years,” he said.