What's in a name?
Saracen Landing and Lake Saracen are named in honor of Chief Saracen, chief of the Quapaw Indians. Saracen and the Quapaw tribe were residents of Jefferson County when Pine Bluff was first settled in the early 1800s.
Saracen earned the admiration of his neighbors when he rescued two children kidnapped from settlers by a Chickasaw raiding party. The picture above is mural at Main and Barraque Streets in Pine Bluff commerating the rescue.
Saracen died at age 97 in 1832 and is buried in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetry in Pine Bluff just a few blocks west of Saracen Landing.
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Saracen Landing: A great
dream
that came true
The concept of the pavilion was introduced in March 2003 when Simmons First National Bank presented the City of Pine Bluff a $100,000 gift in recognition of the bank’s 100th anniversary. Along with the gift came a recommendation that the funds be used as seed money to construct a new home for the Farmers Market.
Working together
During the following year, the City of Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, the Lakeshore Pavilion Project Association, Pine Bluff Downtown Development, Inc., Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County, Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District along with Pine Bluff businesses, community leaders, the state Game and Fish Commission, and the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department worked together on funding for the project.
The funding comes together
In October 2005, the federal Economic Development Administration awarded the City of Pine Bluff a $1.5 million grant for the project. This $4.2 million project was a collaborative effort of Federal, State and local private funding.
Farmers Market and much more
The grand opening celebration for Saracen Landing was on June 16, 2007. Besides housing the Saracen Landing Farmers Market, the facility also hosts weddings, receptions, concerts, reunions, car shows, cook-offs, and other special events.
Focal point
Lake Saracen serves as a major focal point for Pine Bluff’s Central Business District and is a natural amenity for the heart of the city, making it the perfect location for a downtown event venue and farmers market. In just a short time, it has become the premiere location for outdoor events in the Pine Bluff area.
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