This was a cute parade. It ran right outside a friend of ours house and we caught it while at his…read morebirthday party. The parade is small, but there's a lot to offer. It's family friendly, the floats are cute and well made and the kids riding in the parade seemed to be having a great time. I snagged a signature cup and every "woot!" garnered a bead. Funny moment when I caught a throw and a guy on the float told me "it lights up, just press the button!". This is a very "homey" parade and you won't see anyone fighting over throws here. I was impressed with the bands that they had and the walking krewes as well. It was a lot of fun and I'd be happy to attend again.

This was such a fun neighborhood parade that lit up the night! It's Mari Gras season, so bring on…read morethe parades. Very family-friendly and many throws to go around. Parades bring the community together and there were many folks out ready to raise their hands up to have a good-ole time. If you have never been before and plan on coming in the future, don't be intimidated. There is plenty of room for ya'! You don't have to wait hours to catch this parade because the route is long enough for you to find a good spot and be able to see it roll through. I loved the creativity of the floats and the enthusiasm of not only the participants in the parade, but those that were spectating! Now, I have more beads to add to my collection! Be sure to check out the Yelp Events page for Mardi Gras events that happen throughout the capital city during the season! yelp.com/events/baton-rouge.

Oh my goodness, this was like Mardi Gras during the Christmas season! Hundreds of people lined the…read morestreets of the Gonzales parade route awaiting the festivities and floats. Again, those sirens though... that's something part of the culture of parades out here that I have never experienced in my life (being from California)! The loud toot of those horns meant the parade has commenced! The floats just kept on coming and the marching bands were a playin'. I seriously couldn't believe the massive amounts of throws and goodies given at this parade. It was seriously raining Christmas and my daughter walked away with bags of loot. I was able to save beads for Mardi Gras events. Even though there was a bit of rain during the first time I attended this parade, this did not stop parade-goers. The spirit filled this event from school mascots coming out to dance to dance/cheer squads energizing the crowds! I could hardly believe how big this parade was and surely a huge amount of work went into prepping for this. It was well received by the community though and many came out to cheer on their favorite participants and collect goodies. The best part was that Santa and Mrs. Clause graced the crowd with their presence and faces of children lit up for miles! This was one of my favorite family-friendly events in Louisiana. Looking for a Christmas parade to attend? This one will not disappoint, just make sure to check their website as to when the date is.

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!

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!

We came Christmas evening and had a mostly good time. Unfortunately some very intoxicated people…read moreruined the evening around 6:30pm. The intoxicated people kept using racial slurs out loud, pushing each other into others, and later were urinating in the parking lot - all while children were walking by. I don't know if this is a regular occurrence or not, but it definitely ruined the evening for many Baton Rouge families wanting to see a beautiful light show on Christmas Day.

Lights, lights! So many lights! It's a winter wonderland of lights... here in Baton Rouge. This is…read moredefinitely a pretty ideal place to check out during COVID times and more importantly, during the holidays. It will bring smiles to anyone who visits. So yes, it is an outdoor experience and you just get to walk around to enjoy the beautiful scenery that lights up this space (across from Baton Rouge General) only during the holiday season. If you're at the parking lots around the mall, you will see the lights from there, too. What are you waiting for? The holiday season is a short one, so be sure to visit this before the lights come down. I don't know of any other lights spectacular other than the one at the Baton Rouge Zoo like this one. It's easy to park and access this from Picardy. Will be enjoyed by all ages... I promise!

The 10th Anniversary Celebration of Kite Fest Louisiane is scheduled for the weekend of April 5th &…read more6th on the West Baton Rouge Soccer Complex on Rosedale Road off of Highway 415. This event is free to the public and very family oriented. There will be Kite Flying (bring your own), Kite Design Competitions daily, Children's Kite Making Workshops, Precision Flying teams, Food Booths, Music and more! Big River Band will be performing on Saturday evening from 5PM-7PM followed by a fireworks display! Huge kites, the size of MACK trucks will be flying both days! Families can bring their lawn chairs, blankets and kites and set up their own area on the field for flying and viewing. No pets or ice chests are permitted. 11AM-7PM on Saturday 11AM-6PM on Sunday This event is put on by the West Baton Rouge Convention & Visitors Bureau and local sponsors!

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.

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.