The Parlor at La Maison Fête
Mahjong has taken the area by storm… it’s a reason to connect. Tactile, social, unhurried, and just competitive enough to keep things exciting. And now, there’s a new gathering space tucked behind La Maison Fête’s shop at 617 Old Post Road - a quiet respite from busy lives, and a place for people to come together and have fun!...The tiles are clicking, the conversation is flowing, and it is, by design, the opposite of scrolling alone.
Brett Cameron and Deanna Marano are the duo behind La Maison Fête - the premier event planner in Bedford and its surrounds, renowned for orchestrating the community’s most memorable moments with seamless execution, attention to detail, unique styling, and a signature effortless and elegant feeling. …They are established local tastemakers, and their store on the corner of Court Road and Old Post Road in Bedford is a curated shop for the home, entertaining, and beautifully considered hostess gifts.
“We are in the memory making business and we wanted to make a physical space for this entire community to gather and enjoy…” Brett shares.
“People are hungry for connection and a reason to celebrate - not just at weddings and big summer events, but on a regular basis. ...So we opened The Parlor at LMF this spring as the answer.”
“We’d hosted a mahjong night at the old Bedford courthouse and it sold out immediately! We discovered that there are lots of women in our community playing mahjong, and lots more interested in getting started, so we continued hosting events - which were very well received.” Deanna recounts. “We’d also hosted a ‘Party Series’, which included events with varied themes such as the perfect dinner party, designing stationary, and exploring caviar - and everyone had a great time getting together…and kept asking that we offer more programming and more opportunities for folks in the community to socialize - in person, and not digitally!”
“The Bedford Historical Society owns many of the charming old buildings in town, and it’s been part of the organization’s mission to foster more community engagement through their spaces,” Brett explains, “so when space adjacent to our shop became available the idea kind of came together naturally… a place where we could gather with our community.
“We’re event planners - what we do best is create experiences, and that has a lot to do with what we’re doing with The Parlor at LMF,” Deanna shares. “We want this space to be activated and used as often as possible. It’s designed for connection. Where gathering, play, and learning all comes together. The space is intimate and welcoming. And we’ve focused on the details, like vintage bowls to hold the snacks and custom playing cards. The Parlor at LMF feels upscale, special, and curated, but totally open, approachable, and fun at the same time. …In every sense, it’s a La Maison Fête production!”
Threading through all of it is the mahjong programming that started everything. A robust series taught by local expert, Ali Barbera, runs throughout the year. Mahj 101 is offered for absolute beginners, Mahj 102 has guided play, and then there are strategy classes for those ready to sharpen their game. …Members can drop in for open play of their favorite table games - mahjong, bridge, backgammon, a simple game of taboo- or visit through flexible drop-in options.
“We’ve also relocated our ‘Party Series’ to The Parlor at LMF,” Brett reports. “In June, the Party Series will include a collaboration with Gather Vintage focused on Shibori - a traditional Japanese indigo-based dyeing technique for vintage fabrics. We’re also hosting a book signing in June, in collaboration with Bedford Books, to celebrate the publication of The Art of The Clash, by Sophie von Oertzen Williamson with photos by Andrea Ceraso.. And we’ve got lots more in the works. …Another example of the kind of events we’re doing is the ‘Off to the Races’ event we hosted for Derby Day - where local Emily Bushnell, owner of the 2024 Kentucky Derby competitor Resilience and breeder of the 2026 Kentucky Derby competitor Potente, gave a primer on how to read a racing form, while guests also enjoyed a bourbon tasting and other Derby delights.
“We’ve also started a ‘Pop-Up Series’ to bring carefully selected brands into The Parlor at LMF for single-day shopping events,” Brett continues. “There are a lot of brands that have local connections, and more generally we love being able to connect fashion designers and brands with our community. Mccoolstyle starts on May 1st, and Calypso, the iconic St. Barth’s–born brand, will be showing its fresh spring collection in June. The sustainable label Rentrayage also joins the calendar in June with handcrafted ready-to-wear and artisanal home pieces.”
“We’ve started to host some private events at The Parlor at LMF as well…” Brett adds, “we want The Parlor at LMF to be available to our guests and members as much as possible, so we’re trying not to interrupt that programming too frequently, but we’ve already had a lot of our regulars ask to do their birthday gatherings at The Parlor at LMF - and it’s a fun opportunity for us to put our LMF stamp on entertaining. It’s definitely a refreshing way to gather… and it could be centered around mahjong, cards, bingo, or any kind of class or workshop. It feels so much more social and interactive than the typical dinner. Jenn Streicher from Duchess actually came to us and asked us to host an unboxing party for her new beauty boxes a few weeks ago and we had 16 women in the space for a special afternoon.”
Photo: Rana Faure
“It brings us joy to help bring people together - and to take the stress out of hosting,” Deanna says. “We love helping people connect and making introductions, cultivating direct social interactions, and seeing friendships bloom…and we’re thrilled to be doing all that at The Parlor at LMF. We’re offering a place where people feel comfortable getting together, and the opportunity to actually socialize!”
“…Our one house rule at The Parlor is that everyone has a good time!”
Reservations, memberships, and a full events calendar are available at lamaisonfete.com.