Summer Crush – Make the most of the next three months!

Hot! That’s what Baton Rouge is about to be.

All. The. Time.

There’s no avoiding it.

And yet before us are these near-mythical months when just about anything seems possible. Maybe it is the child still alive inside, but even for us grown-ups, summer holds so much potential.

225 will show you how to enjoy and embrace this season like never before—both in and around the Red Stick.

This is advice and insight you can take to the bank, and of course, the beach.

Let’s crush this one together.

Check out our how-to guide for summer featuring everything from how to stop a brain freeze to how to lower your electric bill here.

All summer lawn
Oscar winner The Artist introduced a whole new generation to silent cinema in 2011.

“We hope that Movies & Music on the Lawn has done the same while bringing something inventive to it,” says Jason Andreasen, executive director of the Baton Rouge Gallery. More…

Art Melt keeps it cool
A new venue, a new setting and a 10th anniversary celebration for Art Melt—that’s what’s in store for fans of the popular annual juried art event downtown this year. More…

Here are of some additional events to add to your summer calendar.

First, a moment for a snoball…
Since it was born in New Orleans in the 1930’s the snoball has become a summer mainstay in much of Louisiana. More…

Swimmingly
See the hottest new swimsuit styles and where to find them locally here. Go behind the scenes of the shoot with photographer Tate Tullier below. Music by High Top Kicks.

Cover to cover
Looking for a good book to bring to the beach? Check out the essential summer reads chosen by three of the area’s most talented creative writers here.

Have a super summer
Check out our Summer Movie Preview here starring Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman, Vince Vaughn and your new Man of Steel Henry Cavill.

Odds you recognize Henry Cavill:
2:1 You own The Tudors DVD box set.
5:1 2009’s Whatever Works is your favorite Woody Allen movie.
1,000:1 You have any idea what Goodbye, Mr. Chips is.

Looking for a more classic list? Check out operations manager of Raleigh Studios at Celtic Media Centre Aaron Bayham’s top five favorite summer movies here.

Though summer seems to begin much earlier in south Louisiana, the first official day of the season is Friday, June 21. This also happens to be The Kinks singer Ray Davies’ birthday. Celebrate by cranking up his English rock band’s jaunty, tax-averse 1966 hit “Sunny Afternoon.”

If you’re looking for more tunes, get Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra’s top five summer road trip songs here and find out what three local musicians are jamming to this summer here.

Day tripper, yeah!
When it comes to embracing summer in Baton Rouge, you have to know when to say, “Get out of town.” Enter the day trip, a low-commitment getaway that de-fogs those summer goggles, renews the blue sky and offers, through the area’s universal humid haze, a brand-new set of sights and sounds. More…

The flip side
Imagine smelling the sweet scent of coconut. You hear laid-back music. You see palm trees. And sandals everywhere. More…

Taste the rainbow
This is the time of year when everything at the farmers markets looks delicious—bright greens, ruby reds and all the colors in between. More…

Meet our crushing couple: Elizabeth Arkley Hammett, a local nursing student and Fur Ball co-coordinator, and her husband Grey Hammett III, who works in commercial real estate, will take you through our summer guide. And they’ll look good while doing it, too. Where noted, their clothes and accessories are available from local retailers.

So what are their summer favorites? An avid fisherman, Grey gets a boat out on the water any chance he can, and he doesn’t mind the crawfish boils, either. A California native, Elizabeth enjoys passing balmy summer evenings out on the porch with their three Labradors nearby and Wade Bowen singin’ on the stereo.

Get the details on all the outfits modeled by the Hammatts here.