Nostalgia, which continues to nip at the public’s heels, was on full display as vendors and patrons gathered to attend Brickyard South’s Thrift-Yard. With fashion and media forever evolving, some are still drawn to the magic of what once was.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown Baton Rouge, Brickyard South Bar + Patio hosted Thrift-Yard, its own spin on a classic thrift market. Brickyard hosted the pop-up on Saturday, Feb. 28. An endless list of vintage vendors, live music and a satisfying selection of food rendered a scene of community underneath the Horace Wilkinson Bridge.
Starting at 6 p.m. and lasting until midnight, the event’s attendees could begin the night by stopping by a few vendors directly in front of the bar itself. From VHS tapes to decades-old first edition books, the market’s first few vendors reeled guests in with their items of the past; analog media never dies as long as people yearn to hold something as physical to their hearts as they do in their memories.
Past Brickyard’s entrance and toward gleaming fairy lights, market-goers would then see a Nova Bus parked right off the grass next to the bar. An unusual sight as there is not a designated bus stop at the exact location, people would then come to discover it was a mobile streetwear store.
The public-transportation-turned-thrift-store is called Transit, and 17-year-old New Orleans native Valen Purvis is the founder of this thrifts-on-wheels. Purvis came up with the business while on vacation with his family in Alabama when they saw the transit bus parked on the side of a road with a “for sale” sign.
“We’re curious people, so we stopped,” Purvis said. “I was looking in the bus, and I was like, ‘the front and the back. People can come from the front, exit the back, streetwear store.’ So that’s how I got the idea.”
When Purvis and his family met with the owner to buy the bus, he pitched his idea, and the owner decided to lower the selling price from $3,500 down to $2,000. They found the bus in September 2024, and Purvis opened his shuttle doors on May 17, 2025.
With eight months of prep work and help from his parents, he had the business driving up thrift sales in no time while traveling the lower United States.
Purvis finds his store’s products through his connections within the New Orleans and Texas vintage scene. He explained how picking what pieces to sell all comes down to his own taste. He decides what’s in and what’s out.
Purvis then emphasized what makes thrifting so special.
“It’s the hunt,” Purvis said. “You never know what you’re gonna find, or when you’re gonna find, or how long it takes you to find a special piece.”
Purvis is a high school junior, and he describes himself as a student entrepreneur.
After happy buyers got off at their stop and stepped into the belly of the market, they were met with rows of canopies, all filled with vintage clothing and trinkets guaranteed to fill up one’s tote bag.
As patrons walked past racks of halter tops and low-rise jeans, some would have found none other than LaBelleThreads residing under a pink canopy.
Founded by tax accountant and LSU alumna Lillian Nguyen, LaBelleThreads is a Y2K vintage brand that carries a variety of Coach bags and all-size types of women’s clothing. She started her business in October 2025.
Based in Lafayette, Nguyen said that she has been thrifting since middle school, and she has always been into fashion. Nguyen started her business because she wanted to make thrifting more fun and sustainable rather than overstimulating, as one would find the Goodwill bins to be.
Nguyen curates her pieces through highly detailed research of popular thrifting trends with a mix of valuing
“I’m scrolling through Pinterest, TikTok. I’m gathering what’s in, what’s going to be in, and that’s how I base off what I’m going to buy from the thrift store,” Nguyen said. “And I also look at the material content as well. If it’s stained, I’m not scared of stains. I’m a laundry queen; I also upcycle, I mend the clothes, I do it all.”
Nguyen’s business is not just fueled by her personal hobby, but it is also fueled by the opportunities it provides for family bonding. She runs her business with the help of her two sisters, a friend and her boyfriend. Nguyen emphasized how her business would not have been able to grow as big as it is if not for the love and support from her family.
Her family also helps her locate one market after the next to advertise her shop. With pop-ups done in Lafayette and Baton Rouge markets, Nguyen is nothing short of occupied with expanding her vintage venture.
Nguyen highlighted the best part of running her niche enterprise.
“I love seeing everyone’s outfits. Here, everyone expresses themselves in fashion and with fashion. I really feel like it’s part of your confidence and it makes you who you are,” Nguyen said. “When you look your best, you feel your best.”
Besides the various kinds of vendors, Thrift-Yard was made up of a wide range of customers, most of whom were already sporting vintage-like outfits and simply searching for pieces to add to their closets. Hands were frantically searching through $5 bins, and eyes were perusing racks filled with years-old LSU merch.
While most came to shop till they dropped, others came to check out the social scene altogether. Junior broadcast journalism major Katharine Sherrett decided to check out the pop-up when she and her friends saw advertisements on social media for the event.
Sherrett isn’t a typical thrifter, but she mentioned that her favorite booths were the ones with sufficient lighting and labeled clothing sizes. Since the event was held at late hours of the night, it was difficult for buyers to see all of what the vendors had to offer.
Sherrett shared her thoughts on the community aspect of the event, leaving something to think about for all looking to get more involved in the city of Baton Rouge.
“I think events like this could really bring out the creative people, people who make their own clothes or like to upcycle; just bringing out the creative community,” Sherrett said.