The second year and it's bigger! Great food places from all over the state! A great way to try new…read morethings and find new friends. Great that it coincides with the LA marathon, so after a run, you can eat!

Excellent variety of blues artists. The outdoor venue is wonderful and extremely accommodating as…read morewell as relaxing.

The Blues Festival is a great event in April in downtown Baton Rouge that has a little something…read morefor everyone. Some years there are some really big names that come in, others it is more local talent exposed. I've tried to get down there every year, and it's fun to see how the event has blossomed. There are more local artisans selling down there now which is great. There are also numerous food trucks and vendors so you absolutely will not leave hungry. There are four stages where you can set up and catch all sorts of groups. It's a very friendly vibe all around. I did feel like there was a disconnect this year with communication. I did not see as much advertising around the city until the week of, and I know several past attendees who were not aware of the date and missed it due to scheduling conflicts. It was also not publicized more than a day or two in advance that the bike corrals would be there again with a safe spot to leave your bike if you chose to ride down there. I spoke to the group over that and they hadn't been given much notice either. I tried to ask a couple of questions on social media but the link it kept sending me to was either broken or I wasn't sure if it would send me where I needed to go. Overall, it's a great event that exposes you to lots of talent, and I do look forward to it every year!

Great event! Great music, great food trucks and drink options! Nice atmosphere! My 14yr old and I…read morereally enjoyed. We parked in a paid parking lot that was $10 for 6 hours. We didn't need that much of time but that was the max and the minimum was $8 for 2 hours. I can't wait to attend again!

Scheduled around the months where it's not crazy hot or questionably cold, Friday nights in…read moredowntown Baton Rouge are filled with live music, dancing, and great vibes. Live After 5 has been a BR event for decades now, highlighting local musicians and artists. Several food and alcohol vendors are set up if you need something, there's a VIP area, and the Davis Rhoer Plaza has a large lawn for seating. This year (Spring 2025), they have added some special touches, including presentations from the Baton Rouge Music Studio artists, young students who are learning to hone their skills showcase their talent for the attendees. Well behaved animals and children are welcome. They discourage you bringing your own libations, but just don't be obnoxious about it, and you're fine. Parking is all over downtown, the garage, the streets, lots (be sure you pay if you park in a lot). And then once the music wraps up, just head to any of the local bars as they usually have more live music to extend your day!

The Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival is just one of those quality of life events that make living in…read moreBaton Rouge more fun. This year it was held at the Main Library on Goodwood, and was a great event in spite of the rain. Due to the inclement weather some things that would have been outside were held in the auditorium, so everyone was making the best of it anyway. Of course the main attraction to a soul food event is the food! There were a number of food trucks in the parking lot, and specialty vendors in tents outside, or one could get a meal from the serving line inside. I picked the latter, and the line offered fried chicken or fish, yams, greens, red beans and rice, and cornbread. This was truly a soul food experience! Following my main meal I went outside and got a decadent cupcake from Leydon's House of Sweets for dessert. It made the perfect add on to an excellent meal. In addition to the food, there was a line up of great musical and performing artists. There was soulful blues, jazzy tunes, and while I was there there was a performance by the Baton Rouge Belly Dancing school. Definitely a varied mix of entertainment! There were also community business tables, Indivisible Baton Rouge had a voter registration table, and there were merchants selling arts, crafts, and clothing. It was indeed a well-rounded Festival, and one Baton Rouge should be proud of!

The weather was perfect for this event this year! There were so many more merchants than last year…read moreso I'm pretty sure it's getting bigger and bigger every year. Live music, good food, artwork, cool jewelry, fresh honey, soap, belly dancers, this was an amazing event. Definitely something to look forward to every year. And the best part.....it was free!

This is an event where the Mid-City neighborhood opens up to local artists. There is talent…read moreeverywhere: popped-up in front yards, side yards, backyards and even surrounding businesses. Come out with the community and experience the Ogden Park Prowl. Welcome the Fall with this family-friendly event that is FREE to the community. Casually stroll through yards of hosting homes to view an abundance of talent displayed by your Baton Rouge community of artists. You can even buy art to take home with you! It's just that grand. Hungry? Local food trucks and food vendors have food for sale. Thinking about attending? Visit their website: http://www.ogdenparkprowl.org to find out when the next event will be. Gather your family, friends and social network to get them out into the Mid-City neighborhood and show your community!

This was the 10th anniversary of the North Gate Music and Arts Fest. There were lots of vendors…read morewith food, jewelry, paintings, leather masks and other cool stuff. The bands sounded good and it looked like there was a pretty good turn out. It was from 4-11 pm and I didn't get there until later but it seemed like people were still showing up at around 10pm. Overall it was a good time.

Another successful event in the Baton Rouge's Mid-City District! I love how this neighborhood comes…read moretogether, with businesses joining together to open up to the public bringing live music, free food & drink (at some locations), pop-up shops, artists showcases and so much more. Very similar to the White Light Night Event (during the holiday season), it's free and something for the whole family to come out and enjoy. If you want to try to hit up the neighborhood from end to end, you may have to start as soon as they get going, map out all the businesses you are going to hit (with the help of the Yelp bookmarking feature) and time everything precisely. There is a lot to see, a lot to explore and so many awesome folks to meet. Tonight I met many influential people in the community including Mr. Mayor himself, Kip Holden, who is always a pleasure to run into. Don't forget to ride the shuttles to help you get from point A to point B. I know there are always a bunch of events happening in Baton Rouge now, but this is definitely one not to miss. I look forward to next year!

I wasn't sure what to expect because this was our first time coming! We were greeted by boy scouts…read morewho handed us a map and fans. They had booths all over the grounds and the smells of all the different foods were amazing! I could have sat for hours listening to the zydeco music. So we walked around visiting the different vendors. They had sugar soap, sugar rum, paintings, face painting, a petting zoo, cake walk, bake sale tent...along with blacksmith demonstrators, tea cake making, coffee making, net weaving, and embroidery. The huge sugar harvesting vehicles were on display. You could taste sugar cane. Tons of food and drinks. It was a really nice day out!

Experience living history, where the past meets the present. This was in celebration of the annual…read moresugar cane harvest that made for a sweet time for all that attended. It was set at the West Baton Rouge Museum in Port Allen, LA. With lush greenery, beautiful trees and a huge open space, it made the perfect spot for this huge community festival. Of all the years I lived in West Baton Rouge and now East Baton Rouge, I have never been to this event and I could hardly believe it! It was so much fun and was the perfect way to step back into history and get a taste of how life was back then. There were multiple demonstrations showcasing various artisans and crafters, local food vendors, historical home tours, live performers, open hearth cooking, dancing, a sweets contest, live animals and so much more. This year marked the 20th annual SugarFest, so it made it all the more special. Make sure you tune into all that The West Baton Rouge has to offer all year round.

This was an awesome Mardi Gras Festival put on by the Henry Turner, Jr. & Flavor and The Ultimate…read moreLouisiana Party! From start to finish, there were live musicians and dancers (from Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee and more). I am a huge supporter of what Henry Turner, Jr. does for the music culture of Louisiana. His music and the artists he brought on board were truly talented, which amplified his love for the city of Baton Rouge. I know how hard he worked to make this show happen and I would love nothing more than for it to grow bigger each year. This festival happens yearly before, during and after the largely popular Spanish Town Parade in downtown Baton Rouge. Plus, it is family-friendly and is in the giant open space of Galvez Plaza on North Blvd Town Square. Food, retail vendors and even some entertainment for the kiddos made for a great way to spend the day celebrating Mardi Gras! If you missed this party, please check the photos for this page and you will think to yourself how in the world you were not there! If you'd like to see more of what Henry Turner, Jr. does around town, be sure to visit him at his Listening Room (located at the Belle Of Baton Rouge on Thursday nights) and check out his website: http://www.henryturnerjr.com/. Did you know he even wrote the theme song for Baton Rouge? Here's the link: http://ultimatelouisianapar.wix.com/brthemesong. "Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge"... perfectly fitting!

More spread out than last year, more food and better lighting ! It was awesome beer selection was…read moregreat and the people were all enjoying themselves ! Go Brew at the Zoo!

This was my first year attending this event and I enjoyed myself sooo much!!! The parking was easy…read moreand the door to get in ran very smoothly. All the vendors here were friendly and they gave information about the different beers. I'm not much of a beer drinker but I absolutely learned a lot. The food vendors had some really good quick food. The egg rolls from bulldog was my favorite. The music was good too:-))) What impressed me the most was how clean the place looked even after the 2 hrs of being there. Guys this was a great event and I truly had a great time thank you Baton Rouge Zoo for hosting such a great event!!