Dine Roundup: Festival of Lights, Garage and Groove and more Baton Rouge food happenings

Downtown’s Festival of Lights is Friday 

Downtown Baton Rouge will be in the holiday spirit with Festival of Lights Friday, Dec. 2.

At North Boulevard Town Square, 4-9 p.m., guests can watch the annual Christmas tree lighting, fireworks, live music, ice skating, a Snow Village, the Reindeer Run 5K and more. Local organizations will be providing food and beverages such as hot chocolate and popcorn.

Free parking will be available in the Raising Cane’s River Center parking garages.

Red Stick Spice Company to hold Tea 101 Thursday

Head to 660 Jefferson Highway Thursday for Red Stick Spice Company’s Tea 101 event. 

The event will include discussion and tea tastings, 1-3 p.m. According to the Facebook event page, the event will cover blending teas, water temperature, steep time and required tools. 

More information can be found on Facebook.

Local Instagrammer launches holiday-themed campaign

Dustin Sutton, the Baton Rougean behind the popular @GeauxDowntownBR social media accounts, is launching the Dog Days of Christmas holiday giveaway and fundraiser Thursday, Dec. 1. Each day, Sutton plans to feature one of more than 20 participating downtown restaurants and businesses participating and offer prizes from them.

Here’s how it works: Instagrammers can enter the giveaway by liking the post and following the featured business’ page. Sutton will randomly pick one winner at 7 p.m. each night.

For each like that the giveaway posts receive, the featured downtown business will donate $1 (up to their set limit) to be split between four local animal rescue and adoption agencies: CAAWS, Companion Animal Alliance, Friends of the Animals BR and Yelp!BR.

Check out Garage and Groove Saturday for food trucks, music and shopping 

The Baton Rouge Garden District will be buzzing this Saturday, Dec. 3, with Garage and Groove.

From 8 a.m.-noon, a large-scale garage sale will be open at participating houses. After shopping, guests can check out food and live music on Cherokee Street’s 2100 block. Food trucks will be running 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and Where Y’acht will perform noon-2 p.m.

Garage and Groove is free.

Radio Bar silent auction supports the food bank Sunday

Head to The Radio Bar Sunday, Dec. 4, for a fundraising event hosted by the Ogden Park Civic Association. The event, “Share the Bounty: A Flood of Giving,” supports the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank with a silent auction 4-7 p.m. Participants must be present after the auction closes to win.

Radio Bar will provide free food during the event, and items up for bid include tickets to Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre’s performance of The Nutcracker, tickets to a Manship Theatre show, a fajita dinner for five at Mestizo, original artwork and more.

See the Facebook event page for more information.

Overpass Merchant to hold Founders Festivus next Tuesday

The Overpass Merchant, 2904 Perkins Road, will host Gov’t Taco for the Founders Festivus event. 

Gov’t Taco partnered with Overpass Merchant and Mockler Beverage Company for the event, 6-11 p.m., where guests can try out Gov’t Taco creations while sampling Founders Brewing Co. beer.

More information can be found on Facebook.