Let us fest

It’s that time of year again. Festival season in south Louisiana brings a bounty of musical and artistic talent to our area. With Jazz Fest in New Orleans and Festival International in Lafayette, we are surrounded by some great entertainment starting this month. But we don’t have to go far to hear world-class music.

The Baton Rouge Blues Festival on Sat., April 12, is a spectacular event–not to be missed. This year’s lineup includes Black Joe Lewis, Little Freddie King, Kenny Neal with Henry Gray, and the one and only Dr. John & the Nite Trippers. The Grammy-winning New Orleans icon is making a rare appearance in Baton Rouge, and this free downtown event is a blast for the entire family. Read our feature story on the festival. Get the entire lineup and more details at batonrougebluesfestival.org.

Speaking of music, I want to personally invite every reader of 225 to experience a variety of music, art, food and people as you move from floor to floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts on May 1, from 7 to 10 p.m. The event is called MPAC, an acronym for Music, People, Arts and Community. Join us, Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge, Adams and Reese, Postlethwaite & Netterville and Regions Bank to experience a real sense of community on this fantastic evening: first, by being a part of the community supporting local musicians playing great music; second, by helping the community, as this event supports a nonprofit organization; and third, by uniting our beautifully diverse community while having lots of fun!

At MPAC, you’ll experience different rooms with various food themes, music genres and galleries of art. The attire is all white–either casual or dressy, but definitely comfortable–and remember to put on your dancing shoes! It’s sure to be a night you won’t forget.

Tickets are only $50 and allow entrance to the Shaw Center for the Arts and access to all floors. You will be able to browse the art in each gallery, listen to all five different genres of live music and enjoy delicious food and cocktails provided by four local restaurants. Tickets can be purchased at mpacbr.com.

It’s no secret that Baton Rouge–and to a larger extent, Louisiana as a whole–has made a lasting name for itself in the movie industry in the past few years. With blockbusters like Twilight: Breaking Dawn (parts 1 and 2), and the highly successful Louisiana International Film Festival, the Red Stick is officially on the Hollywood map. This month, our cover package celebrates this progress and looks to the year ahead for locally made movies and the film festival–now in its second year. We also feature some top young talent in the industry, go behind the scenes of the much-anticipated Left Behind remake, show off some movie-inspired style and much more. Sit back and take it all in.

There are a lot of ways to look at the debate over the City of St. George. With some residents in that area of the parish wanting to incorporate as a city and form a new school district separate from the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System, things have gotten heated, as many others in the parish believe such a move would have a number of negative effects on Baton Rouge as a whole.

225 chose to look at the characteristics and personal motivations found in three of the leaders on each side of this often-contentious debate. Read contributing writer Christie Matherne Hall’s story.

In a first for Baton Rouge, 225‘s May issue will collaborate with its sister publications inRegister and Business Report in shining a light on the energy, talent and vision of a remarkable sampling of Baton Rouge’s next generation. Thoughtful, dedicated and refreshingly optimistic, the young citizens profiled in the three publications are a revealing cross-section of what our neighbors under the age of 21 are doing to make a difference in Baton Rouge.

Some–such as those profiled in 225‘s next issue–are finding their voice in artistic endeavors. Others are making their mark in philanthropy and generally helping their fellow citizens through difficult times and circumstances, and still others are expressing the entrepreneurial spirit that drives commerce in Baton Rouge.

I invite you to read the profiles in the May edition of 225, and I hope they inspire you to pick up inRegister and Business Report to get the full flavor of what youth in Baton Rouge are doing to make our city a better place.