Lucky Rabbit to open next week

Hopping to downtown Hattiesburg, a new, unique business, The Lucky Rabbit, will be opening its doors March 14-17 for a huge market kickoff block party on Saturday, March 16th.  The opening weekend will be full of activities for the Hattiesburg community.  Locally brewed beer from Gordon Creek Brewery, food, live music, homemade popcorn, activities for kids and much more will all help celebrate the grand opening.

The Lucky Rabbit is the brainchild of University of Southern Mississippi graduate Abby Thaxton and Los Angeles native Abigail Lenz, who created the business fueled by a love of the Hattiesburg community and local art.

“I’m trying to bridge the gap between Oak Grove and downtown through arts and crafts,” Thaxton said. “As I like to say, The Lucky Rabbit is bringing Hattiesburg together through art.”

The store’s main focus is its marketplace. The Lucky Rabbit will open its doors to the community on the first Thursday through Sunday of every month.  Over 50 local vendors from the area will showcase their unique goods, such as vintage clothing, house wares, home décor.  

One of these vendors will be handmade dresses, accessories and home goods from The Fancy Fox.

USM students Kayla Gates and Haley Ford wanted to get involved with The Lucky Rabbit as soon as they heard about it.

“We were really nervous that we wouldn’t get picked to be a vendor,” said Gates, a junior public relations major. “Thankfully, the owners loved our stuff as much as we love what they are creating downtown.”

Both Gates and Ford saw the opportunity to expand their business after their success at festivals and events.

Other than the marketplace, The Lucky Rabbit will also host a number of classes throughout the offtime in the market schedule. Dance classes for kids as well as a swing dance class for adults are all available to inspire a community of dancing in Hattiesburg. Saturdays are packed with fun classes with a yoga/Pilates fusion class in the morning and a craft class in the afternoon.

The rustic and beautifully refurbished warehouse that is home to The Lucky Rabbit will also be open as a venue space for events for sorority and fraternity functions as well as formal occasions. Future plans for the space are to incorporate an outdoor area and bar for these special occasions.

The Lucky Rabbit is currently booking events and accepting class enrollments. Vendor applications are always welcome to add more unique pieces to the store’s list of goodies.

Thaxton encourages USM students to get out and get started with their business ventures.

“I graduated in 2009, and I’ve already started two businesses,” Thaxton said. “Keep a positive attitude and work hard and you can decide your own destiny.”

To learn more about the Lucky Rabbit or The Fancy Fox, check out their Facebook pages.

-www.theluckyrabbit.com

-thefancyfox.storenvy.com

-twitter.com/thefancyfoxx

-instagram @thefancyfoxx