It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Edgar and Deshea Guzman. The hard-working and creative duo are the reason the old Sportran bus terminal on Crockett Street is now something cool, fun, and funky. Unfortunately, Covid has affected us all and the Holiday at The Lot event planned for this weekend could not promise the level of safety the Guzmans wanted to provide. They posted this message on their site-

Due to the extreme rise locally in COVID-19 cases, we are postponing our event to a better time where it’s safer for everyone. Thank you so much for your interest in this event. All vendor fees will be refunded. We were hoping to create an opportunity to showcase some smaller and local businesses for last minute Christmas shopping as well as get musicians an opportunity to be able to get out and play again. But all we can do is remain compliant, stay as safe as possible and keep moving forward. Be on the lookout for when we are allowed to do something at The Lot next!

In the meantime, the Guzmans are using The Lot’s Facebook page to promote other local events, products and businesses and encourage everyone to support and shop local.

 

Previous story posted Nov. 20, 2020
First, let’s get to the really good stuff. The opening weekend of The Lot Downtown SHV was BIG. Vendors loved it, the bands loved it, the people who attended loved it and folks behind it- Edgar and Deshea Guzman- loved that everyone loved it.
There was SO MUCH love floating around that two big things came of it. Edgar is close to securing a lease on the old Sportran property until 2022, and a second event at the The Lot is in the works. This one, planned for three days, will be a holiday celebration featuring lights and trees and Christmas music; just the type of event the end of 2020 is screaming for.  In addition, the Guzmans are offering the space for private and company parties.
The compliments keep rolling in about the inaugural weekend for The Lot Downtown SHV. The reimagined former Sportran bus terminal at 400 Crockett debuted as a new food truck court,  live music and vendor venue on Fri. and Sat. November 20-21. The opening weekend was a learning experience for business owners Edgar and Deshea Guzman, who were exhausted after running on roughly 3 hours’ sleep a night, but thrilled with the response.

Edgar and his wife Deshea.

“I was really happy with the response,” says Edgar. “We got great feedback from the people who showed up; (musician) Brian Blade told me The Lot was his new favorite venue!” Guzman’s eventual plan is to have plugs for the food trucks so generators aren’t needed, but he understands that right now, the generator noise is off-putting. He plans to make some layout changes to deal with that prior to the next event, and bring in some fancy portalets…all things that are part of the learning experience. He also plans to make space for more vendors. He currently has a wait list for those wanting to be a part of The Lot’s action.

D.A. Anderson of Special Reserve Roasting Co.

Donna Anderson spent the inaugural weekend vending her Special Reserve Coffee Roasters java. She was thrilled with the steady foot traffic, the laid back atmosphere and the diverse crowd. “It was an eclectic group of people,” she told me. “They all came out with the same purpose; to have a great time. I had a blast talking and serving my coffee to many of my regular coffee family members as well as adding more to our family.”

 

Drummer Curtis Joseph of Jr. the Third.

In addition to vendor interest, Guzman says he also has a list of musicians wanting to take part in future events. For attorney/musician Curtis Joseph, the event was a homecoming of sorts. Joseph was  celebrating his birthday on Saturday and chose to spend part of the day with his musical friends and fans; the lure of playing music for a crowd in this year of Covid was simply too compelling to pass up. He, like so many, has looked at the old Sportran property and imagined what could be done there. “I’m so pleased that this project is underway,” he said, “I think The Lot will enhance our quality of life and serve as a tremendous benefit to our downtown.”

 Local businessman Grant Nuckolls, his wife Ann and two young daughters were all smiles as they walked through the vendor area but Nuckolls, a musician himself, was blown away by Shreveport legend Brian Blade. “The highlight for us was seeing Shreveport legend Brian Blade – it was a very comfortable environment to watch the set, and the sound quality was perfect. We look forward to returning to The Lot soon!”

Musician Joan Nerrittig of The Joanitones.

Caddo commissioner Mario Chavez was in the crowd, too. He loves the conversion of the former terminal into something that the community can enjoy. “I am so thrilled Edgar has chosen our city to invest in and look forward to this being the catalyst for many more downtown events.” We do, too.
So there you have it. Smiles, praise and compliments all aimed at a young couple, Edgar and Deshea Guzman, who took a dream, worked hard and made it real. The first event shows there are legs for their concept, and we look forward to what they- and The Lot- come up with next.