Throughout Spring
Live After 5
Get ready to dance and enjoy a free concert downtown every Friday—Live After 5 is back. The outdoor concert series, produced by Downtown Business Association, runs April 7-May 26, 5-8 p.m., at Repentance Park. downtownbr.org
The lineup:
April 7: Chris Leblanc’s Big Band
April 14: Chase Tyler Band
April 21: Kristin Diable + Burris
April 28: Travis Thibodaux
May 5: AM/FM
May 12: Todd O’Neill Band
May 19: Hai Karate
May 26: Flow Tribe
April 1
Get plants for your flower or vegetable garden at the 23rd annual Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Plant Sale, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Shoppers can purchase Louisiana irises, ferns, trees, native plants, succulents and more. brec.org
See, taste and move at the first Ebb & Flow Festival. The downtown event will have live music, art, poetry and food. ebbandflowbr.org
April 2
Commemorate the life of LSU MBA graduate Charlotte Murray Pace at the ninth annual Keep the Pace Race 5K and one-mile fun run. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. at the Business Education Complex. lsufoundation.org/keepthepace5k
April 8-9
Baton Rouge Blues Festival
Don’t miss the free and family-friendly 23rd annual weekend-long event, featuring bands such as the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Kenny Neal & the Neal Family Band and Henry Gray. The downtown festival runs Saturday, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-
7 p.m. batonrougebluesfestival.org
April 15
Grab your fur friend and running shoes for the For the Love of Dance’s Running for Remission Pet Run supporting breast cancer awareness. Begins 9 a.m. at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. fortheloveofdance.org
Enjoy a night of stand-up at Festival of Laughs with comedians Mike Epps, Bruce Bruce, Arnez J and Felipe Esparza at the Raising Cane’s River Center. 8-11 p.m. Ticket prices vary. raisingcanesrivercenter.com
April 22
Jeff Dunham: Perfectly Unbalanced
Get your laugh on with stand-up comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham at the Raising Cane’s River Center at 5 p.m. Ticket prices vary. raisingcanesrivercenter.com
Fur Ball
Grab your pet pal and head to this annual fundraiser for a buffet, open bar, silent auction, musical entertainment and photos with your pet on the red carpet. The event benefits Companion Animal Alliance of Baton Rouge. 6:30-10:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary. furballbr.org
Get your purple-and-gold gear and get ready to cheer for the LSU football team at the National L Club spring game at Tiger Stadium. Kickoff at 7 p.m. lsusports.net
Celebrate 15 young local professionals as they are honored at the Great Futures Gala at downtown’s Shaw Center for the Arts, 7-11 p.m. There will be live music, an open bar, food catered by Ruffino’s and a silent auction. brclubs.org
April 27
Daniel Tosh
Enjoy an evening of stand-up comedy at Tosh.show on Campus with Tosh.0 host and comedian Daniel Tosh at the Raising Cane’s River Center. 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary. raisingcanesrivercenter.com
Enjoy an evening of wine, beer or Champagne at the 4th annual Sips & Suds Champagne and Beer Stroll hosted by the McMains Children’s Developmental Center. 6-9 p.m. mcmainscdc.org
April 29
Dancing for Big Buddy
If you love Dancing with the Stars, you’ll enjoy live ballroom dance performances at this 11th annual event. Profits will help fund the local Big Buddy Program. Ticket prices vary. 7-10 p.m. dancingforbigbuddy.com
Break out your favorite crazy hat and run in the LSO Foundation’s Hat Run for skin cancer awareness. 8 a.m. Registration fees vary. lsofoundation.org
April 30
Head to Bigger Than Fashion 2017 “Confident Curves” Showcase, highlighting mentorship and networking opportunities for women and girls in the Baton Rouge area. biggerthanfashion.squarespace.com
April 7
Rock out to some country favorites at Soul2Soul: The World Tour with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill at the Smoothie King Center. 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary. smoothiekingcenter.com
April 25
Grab your blankets, chairs and picnic food and enjoy an evening of musical entertainment. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and City Park present Swing in the Oaks, a free annual concert on the Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn. 7-9 p.m. neworleanscitypark.com
April 28-30
Enjoy the first weekend of music, food and vendors at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell at the Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots. Artists such as Maroon 5, New Wave Brass Band, Alabama Shakes and Rebirth Brass Band will perform. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Ticket prices vary. nojazzfest.com
April 19-23
Tour the city on wheels at the four-day casual touring ride, Cycle Zydeco. The main routes average about 40 miles per day, including stops at breweries, swamp tours and other south Louisiana attractions. cyclezydeco.org
April 26-30
The 31st Annual Festival International de Louisiane, a five-day music and arts festival, happens downtown starting Wednesday at
6 p.m. Artists such as Flow Tribe, Delhi to Dublin and Marc Broussard will perform. festivalinternational.org
