Start the Mardi party early on Thursday
Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room is hosting a pre-party for the Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Festival on Thursday, Feb. 16.
Admission will include a buffet and a no-host bar. Expect to hear music by festival performers, as well as from Turner and some of the Listening Room All-Stars. A special screening of the documentary We’re Going Down to the Mardi Gras, narrated by Turner, will also take place at 9 p.m.
Tickets are $30 at the door. The pre-party is from 7 p.m. to midnight at 2733 North St. Find more info here.
Join the last of the Mardi Gras parades and festivals this Friday and Saturday
It’s your last chance to catch some beads and admire some cool costumes, as Baton Rouge wraps up its Mardi Gras festivities this weekend.
Krewe of Southdowns parade is on Friday, Feb. 17, and the Spanish Town Mardi Gras parade is on Saturday, Feb. 18. Also on Saturday, the 10th Annual Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Festival will take over North Boulevard Town Square
Visit the 225 parade calendar for more information.
See a jazz performance on Friday
The LSU School of Music is hosting a LSU Jazz Girls Day event on Friday, Feb. 17.
Join this event created to highlight female contributions to jazz. Molly Redfield, Assistant Professor of LSU Jazz Studies, welcomed guests Colleen Clark and Lauren Meccia from the University of South Carolina to host the first-ever LSU Jazz Girls Day. The concert will feature a joint performance by the LSU jazz faculty, USC jazz faculty and female K-12 musicians from greater Baton Rouge secondary schools.
Admission is free, and the performance is from 7:30-9 p.m. It is at the LSU Music Building’s Recital Hall at 102 School of Music Building.
Paint your own masquerade mask on Saturday
No worries if you missed out on the Mardi Gras parades. BREC is hosting a Mardi Gras Mask Painting event on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Celebrate the holiday at this Independence Community Park paint party. The best mask will win a secret prize, and snacks and beverages will be provided. Participants must be 3+ years old.
Registration is $5 per person. The event is from noon to 2 p.m. at 7500 Independence Blvd.
Bird watch on Saturday
The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens is hosting a Birding at Burden tour on Saturday, Feb. 18.
On the third Saturday of every month, the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens hosts a Birding at Burden event. Bring your binoculars for a chance to view some of the 320 bird species recorded in and around Burden. Birding specialist Luke Laborde will guide the February tour, and participants will meet at the Rural Life Museum to begin. Only 15 guests are admitted every month, so register early.
Registration is $10. Bird watching is from 7-9 a.m. at 4560 Essen Ln.