See what neighborhood music series is back this weekend

For the last three summers, it’s been the same upbeat scene. Roots music pulses from the stage, as spectators sway to the beat and kids dance with abandon. Older folks seated in shaded lawn chairs tap their feet in time, while friends mingle, some grabbing snacks from a food truck or vendor booth. Relaxed and fun, this Saturday afternoon gathering is a regular, festive break from the stress of the week.

In a region that loves outdoor music, a concert like this could be happening anywhere. But for the fourth consecutive year, it’s taking place in Scotlandville Plaza, the small Scotlandville neighborhood park also known as the “Triangle” at the intersection of Scenic Highway and Scotland and Swan Avenues.

Organized locally by the grassroots nonprofit Scotland Saturdays and funded by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, Scotlandville’s Levitt AMP Baton Rouge Music Series brings neighbors together under the banner of free outdoor concerts. The program operated in Scotlandville Plaza between 2023 and 2025 under its first three-year grant. Earlier this year, it was renewed for another three years, says Scotland Saturdays founder and Levitt AMP organizer Byron Washington.

The free event resumes Saturday, May 30, and runs through October 17. “Presence Fest” is the theme of this weekend’s event. Taking place between 3 and 8 p.m., it will include gospel music, food vendors and local artisans.

“It’s really grown,” Washington says. “We started with maybe 50 coming out and now we have up to 500.”

Washington and his team of volunteers were able to secure the Levitt Music Series grant because they had already built a following with their Scotland Saturdays, a semi-regular open-air market featuring local artists, food trucks, produce vendors and nonprofit agencies in Scotlandville Plaza that started in 2018.

Sixty-six cities and towns across the United States received a three-year Levitt Music Series grant this year. Baton Rouge is one of 32 returning grantees. Each community receives up to $40,000 annually for three years to host concerts. When residents can enjoy free, family-friendly live music in their own neighborhoods, it changes perceptions about underserved places, Washington says.

“I think the fact that we brought something that wasn’t here, and we made it regular and normal, has brought a sense of care and investment to Scotlandville Plaza,” Washington says. “We said, ‘We’re not just going to do this, but we’re going to do it 10 times a year with artists from all over the country.’”

This year’s concerts will feature Baton Rouge-based blues artist and former American Idol contestant Jovin Webb; the Cha Wa Band, a New Orleans brass band that performs in Mardi Gras Indian dress; Dexter “Lord Dex” Jackson; Quiana Lynell; Kids That Fly and others.

Spectators from both within and outside of the neighborhood spent the spring looking forward to the concert series’ return, Washington adds.

“We had a lot of people asking us, ‘When’s the next one?’” he says. “They want to come and want to be involved.”

Moreover, Levitt AMP’s goal of using music to activate community spaces is also being realized in Scotlandville, Washington says. Thanks to the momentum brought by Scotland Saturdays and the Levitt AMP series, Scotlandville Plaza will see renovations later this year, including the installation of a permanent pavilion with its own audio system. Part of the funding will come from the MOVEBR plan, Washington says.

“We’ve shown that if you have consistency with events and programs,” he says, “then people see the community as a great place to make an investment.”

Scotlandville Plaza is located at 8551 Scotland Ave. For more information, visit Scotland Saturdays’ Facebook page.