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Free stuff alert: First weekend of the month means free things to do downtown

It’s the first weekend of the month, which means several free activities in downtown Baton Rouge that you won’t want to miss.

Saturday, Aug. 5

Red Stick Farmers Market: As always, The Red Stick Farmers Market sets up outside of Main Street Market on the corner of Main Street and 5th Street from 8 a.m.-noon. But this Saturday’s market is a special celebration of National Farmers Market Week. Cookbook author April Hamilton will be sharing healthy back-to-school eating tips with Red Stick Sprouts. At 10 a.m., Chef Don Bergeron of Bergeron’s City Market will prepare a few summer recipes at a Fresh from the Market cooking demonstration inside Main Street Market (that means free samples!). On the first Saturday of each month, you can also find out if you’re taking care of your green friends properly at the Plant Health Clinic from the EBR Master Gardener Association. Bring all your plant questions to these experts, and purchase some summer fruits and veggies from local vendors while they’re still in season. Visit breada.org for more info.

The Baton Rouge Arts Market: In conjunction with the farmers market, the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge hosts The Baton Rouge Arts Market the first Saturday of each month at Fifth and Main streets, 8 a.m.-noon. You’ll find a wide variety of hand-made art for sale including pottery, cast and blown glass, jewelry, metal sculpture, hand-bound books, mixed-media, photography and so much more by local artisans. Visit artsbr.org for more info.

Sunday, Aug. 6

Free First Sunday: The Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM), LSU Museum of Art and the U.S.S. Kidd Veterans Museum all offer free admission all day on the first Sunday of each month. (Note: Entrants receive free admission to the LASM galleries and can take advantage of reduced admission to its planetarium shows and exhibitions.) This Sunday, LASM is also offering additional programming like a children’s book signing with Todd Michael St. Pierre, author of Chicory & Roux: The Creole Mouse and the Cajun Mouse, at 2 p.m. Be sure to catch LASM’s “Faces of the Flood” exhibit before it leaves the museum Sept. 3. At the LSU Museum of Art, check out the recently opened “Reflections: African American Life from the Myrna Colley-Lee Collection.” Meanwhile, admission to The Capitol Park Museum is only $6 for adults and free for children under age 12.

More museum-hopping in Baton Rouge: BREC’s Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art hosts ARTiculate Artist Talks, a free artist discussion series where creatives can discuss their exhibitions on display at BRG. This Sunday at 4 p.m., Mary Ann Caffery and Matt Morris will discuss their recent work and answer questions regarding their exhibition.