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April 2019 Calendar of Events

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the date of Louisiana Earth Day. It is April 28. 225 regrets this error.

All month

GETTING FESTIVE
April in Baton Rouge is full of fun festivals and recurring outdoor live music events. From music to fitness to saving the environment, these events are just as educational as they are enjoyable:

• 4 & 11: On Pointe music series at Pointe-Marie Square, pointemarie.com
• 5-7: Third Street Songwriters Festival, thirdstreetsongwritersfestival.com
• 6-7: Ebb & Flow Festival, ebbandflowbr.org
• 13-14: Baton Rouge Blues Festival, batonrougebluesfestival.org
• 28: Louisiana Earth Day, laearthday.org
• Every Thursday: Rock N Rowe, perkinsrowe.com
• Every Friday: Live After Five, downtownbr.org/lineup

April 2

Join local leaders at the 2019 Health Summit to tackle important issues focused on the wellbeing of children and families. Find the event on Facebook

April 5

• The Music in Our Schools Benefit Concert is coming to the Manship Theatre. Teachers and students throughout East Baton Rouge Parish School System will perform with Broadway star Jennifer Holliday.manshiptheatre.org

• Mega Art Night, hosted by The Smiling Dog and Vaudeville Entertainment, will feature live music, live art, creative entertainment and more than 50 vendors. Find The Smiling Dog on Facebook

April 5-6

BREC hosts Bioblitz, a two-day biodiversity extravaganza. Attendees will search all corners of Hooper Road Park to document the different kinds of wildlife and critters they find. brec.org

April 6

Celebrate the Baton Rouge Zoo’s 49th birthday at the Zippity Zoo Fest. Enjoy face painting, activity booths, sweet treats and more. brzoo.org

April 7

Taste of PerPHection, a fundraising event for Baker High School seniors, will be held at the Baker Municipal Center Auditorium. Enjoy tastings from local chefs, live painting and musical performances. Find the event on Evenbrite

April 9

LSU students present undergraduate research at the 2019 Discover Day at the LSU Student Union. Find the event on Facebook

April 11

Photo by Raegan Labat

• Pretty scenery­­­—and delicious food—awaits with Gourmet in the Garden. Capital City chefs will face off, creating dishes with local ingredients against the picturesque backdrop of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. Attendees will be able to vote on their favorite dish, and awards will be given throughout the night. Find the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens on Facebook

•Get your head banging, because Carnivàle Icône is coming to the Raising Cane’s River Center. The group features Steve Aoki, Snoop Dog, Nelly, Riot Ten and Kyroman. raisingcanesrivercenter.com

April 14

All are welcome to participate in the Girls on the Run 5K. The run begins at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and proceeds benefit the national Girls on the Run program. girlsontherun.org

April 18-19

• Crop will hold its fourth annual conference in Baton Rouge. Join artists, designers, photographers and all kinds of creative moguls for this two-day event filled with speakers, workshops, live music and much more. cropcons.com

April 20

Join the River Center Library branch for a reading of Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. Following the reading, kids will have the opportunity to build their own gingerbread person. Ages 5-9. ebrpl.com

April 27

• The Mid City Micro-Con celebrates diversity in the comic book community, providing free booths for local creators and free entrance to anyone interested in learning more about the world of comics. Come explore it all at Goodwood Library. ebrpl.com

• Enjoy cooking for a great cause at the 2019 Clash of Cooks Jambalaya Showdown. Hosted by Ochsner Baton Rouge, all proceeds go to families battling cancer. clashofthecooks.com

• Battle of the Canvas, a live painting competition, is coming to Tin Roof Brewing Co. battleofthecanvas.com

• Join Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge for the annual Active for Autism 5K. fhfgbr.org


ARTS EVENTS: THIS MONTH’S BEST BETS

April 4 

Courtesy Wander Eye Photo

Head over to the Old Governor’s Mansion for Of Moving Colors Productions’ gala, “Monochrome in the Mansion.” Grab a ticket and get ready for an enchanting night—just be sure to wear a solid-color outfit. ofmovingcolors.org

April 7

As part of the “Free First Sunday” events at downtown museums, LSU Museum of Art curator Courtney Taylor will lead a tour of the new exhibit, “Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism through the French Lens.” lsumoa.org

April 13

Join the Louisiana Art & Science Museum for a night of mystery, photography and master storytelling. The museum will show Finding Vivian Maier, a riveting documentary about Maier, a nanny who secretly took more than 100,000 photographs throughout her life. Following the show, visitors will be able to see her work in the museum’s main galleries. lasm.org

April 22-26

Calling future artists! The Arts Council will be hosting Artsplosion, a spring break camp focusing on Spanish culture with a week of dance, art, music and fun. artsbr.org

April 25-28

Playmakers of Baton Rouge winds down the season with its second to last performance, 13. Follow young teenager Evan Goldman as he deals with major events spanning from his parents’ divorce, a big move, a new school and, of course, typical teen drama. playmakersbr.org

April 26 and 28

Opera Louisiane will perform the French classic Carmen, a tragic story of a young couple’s passion, adventure and love. The show will take place at Manship Theatre. operalouisiane.com

April 26 — May 12

Theatre Baton Rouge’s production of The Explorer’s Club opens this month. The comedic show is set in 19th century Britain and follows a group of male explorers and what happens when a female explorer wants to join the group. theatrebr.org


MUSIC EVENTS: THIS MONTH’S BEST BETS

April 2

As I Lay Dying, a California heavy-metal band, will perform at the Varsity Theatre. Get ready for a night of hard rocking and head knocking! varsitytheatre.com

April 5

Dust off those cowboy boots, because Sara Evans is coming to Baton Rouge. The country music icon will perform at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel, performing classics and music off her new album, Born to Fly. lbatonrouge.com

April 5

Arkansas country artist Joe Nichols will perform at the Texas Club. Nichols is best known for hits like “Sunny and 75” and “Gimmie That Girl.” thetexasclub.com

April 7

I hope you dance … and sing to Lee Ann Womack’s greatest hits. The Grammy Award-winning artist will perform at Manship Theatre. manshiptheatre.org

April 9 

Courtesy Warner Bros

Jenny Lewis, known for her solo work and as the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, is coming to the Varsity. Lewis will perform both old favorites and songs off her new album, On The Line. varsitytheatre.com

April 20

With more than 18 albums under his belt, you can’t miss the musical stylings of Robert Earl King when he comes to Baton Rouge. The Houston-born songwriter and entertainer will perform at the Varsity Theatre. varsitytheatre.com

April 24 

Mid City Ballroom welcomes trippy Georgia band Of Montreal to the Red Stick. Known for its creative performances and experimental pop sounds, you will not want to miss this performance. midcityballroom.com