This is a YEARLY holiday event in Baton Rouge. If you haven't been at least once, you HAVE GREATLY…read moremissed out! The last time I went to this was about 7 years ago. My daughter is 9 now and she got to participate in so many of the activities that were available to for the guests to try. It's a bit of a drive back from the entrance from Essen Lane. Follow the signs. Parking is on the grass and you may even walk on gravel road to get to the entrance of the museum. There you pay. This year (2018), adults were $10 and children under 10 years old were free. You can actually walk through the gift shop and the indoor portion of the museum before heading to the outside. A lot of cool exhibits there! Once we hit the outside, there were musicians & exhibitors dressed in time period clothing showing us how they lived way back when. I especially enjoyed the open-hearth kitchen (probably my favorite) because they pretty much made an entire holiday meal. The only unfortunate thing about that was that we couldn't taste any of it. I'm wondering how to get on the committee that gets to eat the meal (LOL). The candle-making is always a hit, but it is a process, so beware when your kiddos (or grown-ups) want to make a full-size candle. Corn shucking was so much fun and they even had time period games for the littles to play. When I last went to this event, there was an exhibitor making cracklins, so I was determined to find them this year. It was almost the conclusion of the event, when the scent of cracklins lead me right to where they were making them. It was $5 a bag and I got the 2nd to the last bag! Score! Before the evening concluded, there was a musical procession that lead guests out to the bonfire pit. The fire was lit and the celebration began to welcome Papa Noel. Super cool experience! It was pretty muddy, so before of that. If you go after it has rained for a few days, wear some rubber boots or shoes that you don't mind getting dirty. Totally enjoyed the event and it's always better with friends or family, so we enjoyed our company that we were with. I will save this under my "Baton Rouge Family Events" collection (check it out: https://www.yelp.com/collection/7NshDanYo9rRHs0aHKJNCA). Happy Holidays!

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!

What an amazing spot! I picked up a brochure for this from the Livingston Parish Tourist…read moreInformation Center, and I am so glad I looked up the details. They are open for tours the first Saturday of each month. There is a section with interactive displays and informational placards, and then a short video to start your tour. The tour is impressive and gives a lot of details about what they do here. I would recommend this for anyone in the area.

The tours are amazing and very informative, would recommend for people who want to pursue…read moreastrophysical science

This is a wonderful dance school for varying age groups. It has been around forever and is quite…read morethe historic prestigious dance school of Baton Rouge. My daughter attended for a couple of years and she loved it. They have a one way screen (so the kids aren't distracted) for parents who want to sit in and wait for their children to finish dance practice. These children are taught many forms of dance including ballet, tap, and tumbling. The prices are kind of high though and so are the picture packages and the dance recital costumes however that's anywhere you go if you're putting your child in dance lessons. Dance recitals are held at The B.R. River center.

Great event! Lots of vendors and food trucks. Plenty of parking. The event was free to attend…read more Great live music! It was hot outside but I found there were plenty of trees to sit under. I would suggest wearing a hat and bringing a small fan. The flyer said no outside food/drinks but I saw a few people with small ice chests. My 11yr old enjoyed the art vendor displays and face painting. The lines to most of the food trucks were long and most moved slow. There was a lot of free information and health bags being given out by different agencies. I hope they return next year! Great job!

This is a wonderful place if you live in the area and have a child interested in dance, musical…read moretheater & performing arts. My daughter's first recital/showcase as they call it blew me away! Such talent our kids have! The instructors are first class, professional, stern, but also very rewarding when the kids do a good job. Unfortunately, my daughter just didn't want to continue on in dance, but had it been her cup of tea I would have definitely let her learn at Center Stage. I was so glad I found a place convenient to my home in Prairieville, that was monetarily feasible (you pay an enrollment fee that I believe was $50/I could be mistaken by that. A monthly $45/class and $150/costume), that also churned out so much talent! I would and do recommend Center Stage to anyone interested in sending their child to dance/musical theater, you'll be amazed at how they are able to dance and sing and entertain! The showcases are loooooong and that's even with them splitting all the classes into 2 showcases!! But it's worth it if you're child has talent and is interested!!

The program is great at Center Stage. The teachers are hit or miss. The best teacher there, hands…read moredown is Joey. She loves the kids and is passionate about what these kids are doing. If she ever leaves, I'm not sure I will keep my kids there. Unfortunately, the cost is outrageous. It cost just as much to send your kid here than it does to send your kid to a private school. I would not advise going here if you live pay check to pay check or struggle paying bills. It's crazy some of the things they charge you for. All of that said, I would advise to check it out for yourself first, speak to some of the teachers and speak to other parents of students there before making a decision.

Now this is a holiday festival my family have always enjoyed going to during the Christmas season…read more It has gotten bigger and better as the years have gone by. In recent years, they have added a snow tubing area that the kids absolutely love. There is live music, local restaurants open, visits/photos with Santa at the Old State Capitol and so much more. Downtown is definitely bustling with families and individuals ready to celebrate the holiday season. The tree gets lit and many flock over participate in the festivities. I love events that bring the community out enjoy all that downtown has to offer. The Baton Rouge downtown area is booming, so when events happen to bring more attention to it happen, I always love to participate. This is also the same evening that Forum 35 holds their annual Reindeer Run that is an event that encourages to Baton Rouge to get active, race or leisurely run around the downtown area. Awesome to see huge participation for this event as well! So, when the holidays come around, make sure you are in tune with the date of this festival and make plans to gather your peeps and/or your family and get them out to kick off the holiday season the right way!

My daughter recently spent 2 weeks at Kids Orchestra camp that was hosted at one of the Baton Rouge…read moreprivate high schools. This camp was an extremely organized, well-planned, fabulously executed and enjoyable for many of the kiddos that attended. Even I wanted to attend the camp, since there was nothing like this, when I was a kid. I am huge fan of early childhood enrichment and keeping kids active in the summer rather than being plopped in front of the TV or eyes glued on mobile devices. The first session was focused on string instruments. Since, my daughter is already taking viola lessons, she was able to bring her viola and was given additional instruction. Plus, at the end of the week, they put on a showcase for the parents, which was a preview of what they had learned for the week. Camp price was $200 for the week and that included t-shirt, snacks, lunch, water bottle, bag, field trip and activities galore! For the second session, they focused on woodwind and brass instruments. Same structure as the first session, but different instruments. It was so cool to see kids perform drum circle and play percussion, too! They have a program for kids available during the school year, too. So, if your child attended summer camp, they are already classified as "a student", so they get priority enrollment for the school year. She definitely wants to do the camp again next summer and has even expressed interest in being part of kids orchestra during the school year. My husband and I were super impressed at how much they were able to teach the kids in just 1-week! Phenomenal, I tell ya! Baton Rouge offers so much for children in terms of enrichment activities, please take advantage of them! Your kids will thank you and you will pat yourself on the back to know that you have opened up additional interests for your little ones. Make sure you check out their website for all the information about their year-round enrollment and summer camps for 2017!