More than 50 illuminated animals and holiday displays will line a mile-long trail during this year’s ZooLights display at BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo. Glowing, animated sculptures of animals, snowmen and more will be presented by Children’s Hospital New Orleans until Dec. 30. brzoo.org
17-31
ICE ICE BABY
Ice skating on the bayou isn’t something you see every day. Louisiana may not get a lot of ice, but that’s where the Raising Cane’s River Center comes in. Bring your family out to downtown Baton Rouge from Dec. 17 to Jan. 3 for a day of skating around the rink and the chance to feel like you’re in a winter wonderland. raisingcanesrivercenter.com
Courtesy Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre
18 + 19
JETÉ INTO THIS BALLET CLASSIC
Bring your pointe shoes and your holiday spirit to the Raising Cane’s River Center Ballroom, because the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre is taking you on a journey with The Nutcracker—A Tale from the Bayou. The company will be joined by the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra for a magical evening—and a triumphant return after the pandemic canceled the show last year. batonrougeballet.org
Fireworks at Red Stick Revelry
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
Ring in the new year at a signature Capital City celebration. At L’Auberge Hotel & Casino Baton Rouge, dance the night away with an open bar at the Event Center. If downtown and fireworks are more your style, head to Red Stick Revelry for live music and laser light shows at Rhorer Plaza followed by fireworks over the river. redstickrevelry.com and lbatonrouge.com
ALSO THIS MONTH
all month
As you source supplies for holiday dinners, consider supporting local farmers at the Red Stick Farmers Market, packed with meats, veggies and freshly baked goodies. Shop for gifts at the Baton Rouge Arts Market, which will set up at the downtown market for the first three Saturdays of the month. Find the schedule at breada.org.
Now to Dec. 21
Head to the Mall of Louisiana for photos with Santa. And on Dec. 5 and 12, Autism Speaks hosts its Sensory-Friendly Santa Experience, when photo purchases support the organization. malloflouisiana.com
Dec. 7, 14 + 21
Settle down with a good book at the West Baton Rouge Library for its all-ages storytime series. Register your child at wbrpl.com.
Dec. 7
Does your teen want to take their gaming to a new level? Head to the North Sherwood Forest Community Park for a gaming tournament, where they can show their skills on Madden NFL, Super Smash Bros, Rocket League and others. brec.org
Dec. 11
Mid-City Artisans is showcasing young artists, musicians and chefs at the Kids Makers Market Winter. Come out to the Square 46 shop to support young makers. mid-cityartisans.com
Dec. 11
Celebrate the season with family fun at Perkins Road Community Park’s Let it Sneaux event. Snap photos with Santa, play in the “sneaux,” make gingerbread houses and more. brec.org
Dec. 18-19
Revel in magical holiday song and dance as Cangelosi Dance Project presents its Holiday Nutcracker at Dunham Theatre. cangelosidanceproject.com
Dec. 20-23
At the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s “Arts Round the World” winter-break camp, campers can explore visual arts, dance and music. artsbr.org
If you want to fully immerse yourself in the Bayou State, head to the Louisiana Art & Science Museum for its “Our Louisiana” exhibition, on display until Jan. 14. The exhibition features work from Louisiana-born or based artists, including Lin Emery, Hunt Slonem, Margaret Jones and others. lasm.org
ALL MONTH
There are six opportunities to see the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra perform holiday-themed shows this month. It starts with Holiday Brass, performing at St. Joseph’s Cathedral Dec. 2; Whimsical Alley in Zachary Dec. 4; Houmas House Dec. 5; Hemingbough Guest House Dec. 10; and the Denham Springs downtown train depot Dec. 11. Round out the holiday revelry with the full orchestra and chorus in Home for the Holidays at Istrouma Baptist Church Dec. 12. brso.org
ALL MONTH
Remember the days when you’d play with your dollhouse after school? Until Jan. 15, you can check out the Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s permanent collection of those adorable little homes and other collectible miniatures in “Playing House.” You can even check out how minis went into the making of films like Godzilla and Star Wars. lasm.org
UNTIL DEC. 16
Together Baton Rouge presents “Toward A Larger Freedom,” a new exhibit at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s Cary Saurage Community Arts Center. The exhibit showcases local and state leaders who have inspired change. Visitors can listen to oral narratives by the leaders and see portraits taken by Lily Brooks, assistant professor of photography at Southeastern Louisiana University. artsbr.org
UNTIL DEC. 29
Baton Rouge Gallery showcases the works of four of its artist members: mixed-media artist John Alleyne, glass sculptor Paulo Dufour, wildlife painter Mary Lee Eggart and mixed-media artist Nonney Oddlokken. The exhibition will be celebrated in the First Wednesday reception on Dec. 1 and with an ARTiculate Artist Talk Dec. 12. batonrougegallery.org
DEC. 5
The Baton Rouge Concert Band marks the season with a free Christmas concert at St. Joseph’s Cathedral downtown, featuring holiday favorites from The Nutcracker Suite to Polar Express. brcb.org
DEC. 10-19
Theatre Baton Rouge continues its holiday tradition with a production of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. The production takes its cues from a new adaptation by John Mortimer. theatrebr.org
DEC. 18
Come one, come all to the “Legends of Christmas” presented by Circus Louisiana at the Manship Theatre. This 12-act circus show will tell the tale of how Krampus takes two children to the night-goblin town, and how they escape to Christmastown. manshiptheatre.org
MUSIC BEST BETS
DEC. 3
Relive the ’70s with Grand Funk Railroad, live at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel. The hard-rock band will have you feeling “Some Kind of Wonderful” by the end of the night. lbatonrouge.com
DEC. 8-9
In the 10th annual Cool Winter Nights and Hot Jazz, the Manship Theatre will welcome the sounds of Brian Shaw, Greg Daigle, Bill Grimes and others in this 15-piece jazz ensemble performance of new arrangements and holiday favorites. manshiptheatre.org
DEC. 10
Monica, a Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum artist with more than 25 million albums sold, and Keke Wyatt, a chart-topping R&B singer, will bring the house down with their powerful vocals at “Laughter & Ladies Night Out” at the Raising Cane’s River Center. raisingcanesrivercenter.com
DEC. 17
The Texas Club hosts singers Easton Corbin with Chris Bandi, bringing their traditional country flair to the Capital City. thetexasclub.com
DEC. 23
Clay Parker and Jodi James take the stage at La Divina Italian Cafe to perform and celebrate their newest album, The Lonesomest Sound That Can Sound. ladivinaitaliancafe.com
DEC. 28
Louisiana native songwriters—many of whom work on the Nashville recording scene—return to Baton Rouge for the 12th annual Home for the Holidays showcase at the
Manship Theatre. manshiptheatre.org
This article was originally published in the December 2021 issue of 225 magazine.
