Where to play around Baton Rouge this month
All month
Follow the corn
The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens’ annual Corn Maze at Burden is back with tall stalks and other seasonal activities. Each Saturday in October, the maze will be open for those ready to brave the winding path or explore the adjacent pumpkin patch, sunflower field, hayrides, satsuma fields, corn crib, petting farm and so much more. lsu.edu/botanic-gardens
7
New fest in town
Bust out your boots and dust off your hat, because the Federales Festival launches this month at the Live Oak Arabians at Cedar Lodge Plantation. The fest will celebrate Southern music with local, regional and national acts performing a mix of Americana, rock ‘n’ roll, country and more. federalesfest.com
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26-29
A scary good time
Put together your best costume, and treat yourself to a few days of festivities courtesy of The Fifolet Halloween Festival, a multi-day, all-ages event. The festival hosted by the 10/31 Consortium kicks off with a spooky pub crawl and includes other happenings like a costume ball, a 5K run, a parade and an arts market. 1031consortium.com
26-31
Come one, come all
Step right up! The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair makes its triumphant return to the Fairgrounds on Airline Highway. Don’t miss out on the chance to play fun carnival games, try interesting fair foods and ride exciting attractions. gbrsf.com
ALSO THIS MONTH
Oct. 5
Get a taste of Germany at the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s Oktoberfest. The fest at Pointe Marie features food, beer, live music and a costume contest. Tickets include a free stein and all proceeds benefit LRA programs. Prost! lra.org
Oct. 7
Brush up on your booze knowledge at the Louisiana Bourbon Fest, hosted by the Bourbon Society of Baton Rouge. Attendees can listen to info sessions and taste bourbon and whiskey. louisianabourbonfest.com
Oct. 18-21
Check off your holiday gift lists at Hollydays Market. Held at the River Center, the annual market benefits the Junior League of Baton Rouge’s outreach programs. juniorleaguebr.org
Oct. 21, 22, 28 + 29
Grab your costumes and head to the Baton Rouge Zoo for Boo at the Zoo. Stroll through the zoo and enjoy fall-themed photo ops and activities. brzoo.org
Oct. 28
Calling all bookworms! The Louisiana Book Festival returns downtown with new reads, workshops, meet and greets and more. All featured books will be available for purchase and signing. louisianabookfestival.org
Oct. 29
Go back in time at the LSU Rural Life Museum’s annual Haints, Haunts and Halloween event. The museum’s grounds will be transformed into an old-fashioned country fair, complete with storytelling, cake walks and trick or treating. lsu.edu/rurallife
MORE EVENTS
Subscribe to our newsletter 225 Daily for our twice-weekly roundups of events. 225batonrouge.com/225daily
New Orleans
Oct. 13-22: Black Restaurant Week, blackrestaurantweeks.com
Oct. 20-22: Boo at the Zoo, audubonnatureinstitute.org
Oct. 21: Krewe of Boo, kreweofboo.com
Acadiana
Oct. 14: Chris Stapleton, cajundome.com
Oct. 14 + 15: 33rd Annual World Championship Gumbo Cook Off, iberiachamber.org
Oct. 28: Autumn in the Oaks, moncuspark.org
Arts Best Bets
Oct. 4-6
The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge has joined forces with the Louisiana Division of the Arts to host this year’s Louisiana Arts Summit. The event welcomes artists, community members, business owners, educators and more to come together for seminars, networking and discussions surrounding a variety of topics related to art. artsbr.org/events
Oct. 6
Enjoy a night under the stars at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s 38th Annual Gala: Out of this World. This event will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium and include food, cocktails, raffles and silent auctions. There will also be a new exhibition that explores how scientists and artists have understood the stars through history. The exhibit even includes a collection of pieces by Salvador Dali. Don’t miss out on this stellar evening benefiting LASM. lasm.org 
Oct. 7
The Main Library at Goodwood will host its Baton Rouge Maker Faire, which encourages local creatives to come together and collaborate on different projects and experiments. Showcase your own creativity or learn something new from other innovators in the area. batonrouge.makerfaire.com
Oct. 27
Celebrate Halloween with the LSU Museum of Art for its first Trick or Treat in the Galleries event. Families are invited to trick or treat at the museum, complete themed art projects and hear scary stories in the shadows of the galleries. lsumoa.org
Oct. 28
Local yarn maker Fleur De Stitch’d will host the Baton Rouge Fiber Arts and Makers Festival at Mid-City Artisans. The festival gathers local fiber workers to share their creations with the community. Additionally, there will be a variety of other Baton Rouge vendors selling handmade goods. fleurdestitchd.com
Music Best Bets
Oct. 5
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Billy Joel and Elton John shared the stage? You can experience the next best thing with Billy Vs. Elton: A Tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John. In this fun concert experience, two spot-on impersonators will make you think the Piano Man and the Rocket Man are really on the Manship Theatre stage. manshiptheatre.org
Oct. 6
Psychedelic rock meets funk and reggae when The Iceman Special takes the stage. Don’t miss out on the chance to see the New Orleans band when they stop in Baton Rouge for a performance at The Varsity Theatre. varsitytheatre.com
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Oct. 20
Get ready to take it back to the 1970s when Grand Funk Railroad plays that funky music at the Raising Cane’s River Center. Hear this rock band play all of their hits of the past like “We’re an American Band” and “The Loco-Motion.” raisingcanesrivercenter.com
Oct. 28
Tease your hair high and get ready to relive the glory days of the ’80s with The Molly Ringwalds at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel. This electric cover band will perform hits by all the artists that defined the decade like Queen, The Cars and other rad musicians. lbatonrouge.com
This article was originally published in the October 2023 issue of 225 magazine.