DEC. 1 The Manship Theatre presents Louisiana Shorts, a short film festival by the Southern Indie Film Series. The first film begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $6.50. manshiptheatre.org
DEC. 3-4 Grammy Award-nominated Aaron Neville brings his iconic R&B Christmas show to L’Auberge Casino & Hotel. Doors open at 7 p.m.; music begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35-$45. lbatonrouge.com
DEC. 4 Light up the night.Head to downtown Baton Rouge for the North Boulevard Festival of Lights, a holiday celebration featuring local art vendors, Christmas light displays, live music, train rides and more. 5-9 p.m. Free admission. downtownbatonrouge.com
DEC. 4 Get pumped for your most festive workout ever at Forum 35’s Reindeer Run 5K and Jingle Bell Jog. The run begins at 7 p.m., but runners are welcome to stay after to enjoy the Festival of Lights. Registration is $25 for runners ages 6-17 and $35 for runners 18 and older. reindeerrunbr.com
DEC. 6 Relive a childhood holiday fairytale with Theatre IV: The Shoemaker and the Christmas Elves at the Manship Theatre. Tickets are $15. 2-4 p.m. manshiptheatre.org
DEC. 6 Donate old children’s toys at First Free Sunday: The Spirit of Giving at the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial and Museum. This yearly event benefits Toys for Tots. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission. usskidd.com
DEC. 7 Honor World War II veterans at the USS Kidd Pearl Harbor Remembrance Service. 9 a.m.-noon at the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial and Museum. Free admission. usskidd.com
DEC. 12 The Cortana Kiwanis Club of Baton Rouge presents the Downtown Christmas Parade. Nearly 80 floats, bands, dance teams and organizations will parade through downtown, beginning on River Road and ending in front of the State Capitol building. Free event. 5:30-7 p.m. christmasinbr.com
DEC. 12 Grammy Award-winning BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet brings its Christmas Cajun performance to the Manship Theatre for the BeauSoleil Holiday Concert. 8 p.m. Tickets are $35. manshiptheatre.org
DEC. 16 Michael McDowell and The Edge Orchestra perform “Christmas Spectacular” at the Manship Theatre. The concert features a unique arrangement of Christmas songs and an improv piano performance. 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary. manshiptheatre.org
DEC. 18-19 Cangelosi Dance Project performs “Holiday Mixture” and “Holiday Classic” at the Manship Theatre. The performances feature several types of dance including ballet, tap and contemporary. Event times and ticket prices vary. manshiptheatre.org
DEC. 19-20
Baton Rouge Ballet presents The Nutcracker: A Tale from the Bayou, a Southern spin on the classic tale, at the Baton Rouge River Center. Event times and ticket prices vary. batonrougeballet.org
DEC. 22-24 Yuletide fun.The West Baton Rouge Tourist Center puts on Reflections of the Season, a holiday festival with horse carriage rides, carnival rides, local food vendors and more. 5:30-9 p.m. Free admission. westbatonrouge.net
DEC. 27 Music stars such as Benjy Davis, David Borné and C.J. Solar take the stage at the Manship Theatre with the 6th annual Holiday Songwriter Night. 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 plus fees. manshiptheatre.org
DEC. 31 Revelers unite. Ring in the New Year at Red Stick Revelry in North Boulevard Town Square. The all-day celebration is complete with the drop of an LED-lit Red Stick at midnight. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Free admission. redstickrevelry.com
ON THE ROAD
NEW ORLEANS
DEC. 10 The Hallmark Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs a Christmas-themed show at the Smoothie King Center. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary. smoothiekingcenter.com
DEC. 20 Sing holiday favorites with hundreds of carolers at Caroling in Jackson Square. The gates to the square open at 6:30 p.m. and caroling begins at 7 p.m. Free event. neworleansonline.com
LAFAYETTE
DEC. 4 Celebrate the holidays at the Festival of Light at The Oil Center in Lafayette. Festivities include music, shopping, games and a Santa photo station. Begins at 5 p.m. Free admission. theoilcenter.com
DEC. 5 Stay warm in the cold weather with gumbo samples at the Holiday Gumbo Cook-off at the Delcambre Shrimp Festival Grounds. Enjoy all-you-can eat gumbo, music and games 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children. lafayettetravel.com
ARTS BEST BETS
DEC. 5 Holiday melodies. The LSU School of Music & Dramatic Arts performs a Candlelight Holiday Concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Shaver Theatre. Learn more about the production at Cultural Connections, a pre-event gathering at 6:30 p.m. that offers the history and context of performances to viewers. Ticket prices vary. The pre-event is included in the ticket cost but RSVP is required. cmda.lsu.edu
DEC. 11 A taste of turn-of-the-century New York. Broadway in Baton Rouge presents Ragtime the Musical at the Baton Rouge River Center. The curtains open at 8 p.m. Ticket prices vary. brrivercenter.com
DEC. 11 Sea of art. “The Carnival, The City and The Sea” opens at the LSU Museum of Art. The exhibit features a collection of 80 Haitian artworks inspired by the traditions of Carnival and Vodun. Admission prices vary. lsumoa.org
NOW TO DEC. 24 The Baton Rouge Gallery presents an exhibit featuring artists Jenny Authement, Michael W. Howes and John Harlan Norris. The exhibit includes contemporary works such as impressionist portraits and floral sculptures. Free admission. batonrougegallery.org
MUSIC BEST BETS
DEC. 1 From ragtime to R&B to swing music, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox performs new takes on pop music at The Varsity. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25. varsitytheatre.com
DEC. 7 Darlingside performs an eclectic mix of ’60s folk, classical arrangements and indie-pop at the Manship Theatre. Tickets are $35. 7:30-10 p.m. manshiptheatre.org
DEC. 8-9 Cold night, hot jazz. Jazz musicians Brian Shaw, Willis Delony and Bill Grimes bring jazzy Christmas music arrangements to the Manship Theatre with “Cool Winter Nights and Hot Jazz.” 7:30 p.m. Tickets from $15 to $35. manshiptheatre.org
DEC. 15 Get jazzy. New Orleans-based brass musician Trombone Shorty performs at The Varsity. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets from $39 to $42. varsitytheatre.com