January 2020 calendar of events in Baton Rouge

Jan. 3

Dress for mess at the Clay Play event at Knock Knock Children’s Museum, where campers will turn a lump of clay into a beautiful work of art in the palm of their hands. Attendees will make several sculptures and pottery to be fired in the museum’s kiln. knockknockmuseum.org

Jan. 11

The 2020 Special Olympics State Bowling Tournament, to be held at All Star Lanes in Baton Rouge, is a one-day, state-level competition open to bowlers of multiple skill levels from across the state. allstarlanesbr.com

Jan. 12

Friends of the Animals Baton Rouge launches its 10-Year celebration during the Dog Film Festival at Manship Theatre, an annual celebration of the love between dogs and their people. See local pups strut down the runway or watch short films from around the world meant to inspire, educate and entertain. manshiptheatre.org

Jan. 17-21

MLK Fest 2020, hosted by the Walls Project and Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, is a multi-day tribute to famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The event will feature local artists and will cover topics about society’s gap between the art and business communities. thewallsproject.org

Jan. 18-19

The Louisiana Marathon has become a weekend-long and widely popular event for the city, state and beyond, with no signs of slowing down. The annual event kicks off with both a full and half marathon, allowing runners to choose their paths. thelouisianamarathon.com

Jan. 20

The second edition of dinner event series Table•Story focuses on Mexican culture at El Tio Taqueria, aiming to highlight different dishes from around the world to ignite conversations on how food stems from culture and community. Find the event on Facebook

Jan. 21

Astrobiologist and National Geographic emerging explorer Kevin Hand searches for life beyond Earth in National Geographic Live at Manship Theatre. Hand is currently helping plan a NASA mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa to investigate evidence of a vast subsurface ocean. manshiptheatre.org

Jan. 25

The Surreal Salon Soiree offers a night of art, live music, interactive experiences and more. The annual exhibition at Baton Rouge Gallery celebrating the pop-surrealist/lowbrow movement returns for the 12th year, and attendees are encouraged to dress in their most wacky, surrealist costumes. batonrougegallery.org

Jan. 25-26

Bar Crawl Unlimited comes to Baton Rouge for two bar crawl events—the Margarita Crawl and the Mimosa Crawl. Each event features multiple venues and drink specials, all coordinated by the local event series. barcrawlunlimited.com

Jan. 31

The Global Game Jam is the world’s largest traveling game jam event—like a “hackathon” focused on game development. Condensed into a 48-hour development cycle, the Game Jam will take place at LSU’s Digital Media Center. dmae.lsu.edu

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MUSIC EVENTS: THIS MONTH’S BEST BETS

JAN. 4 

New Orleans songwriter Kristin Diable’s sound comes to Baton Rouge at Dyson House Listening Room at Zeeland Street. The established artist has had songs hit shows like Hawaii-Five-O and True Blood. dysonhouselr.com

JAN. 11

The Raising Cane’s River Center celebrates country for a night with artists Cody Jinks and Wade Bowen. The two Southern artists will bring out your inner “yee-haw” for a night of country music fun. raisingcanesrivercenter.com

JAN. 11

New Orleans alt-pop group People Museum performs at Mid City Ballroom alongside local favorites Hydra Plane as well as local synth-wave duo Boi Dreamz. midcityballroom.com

JAN. 17

Four-time Australian mandolin champion, Grammy nominee and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Kym Warner showcases her longtime music career at Dyson House Listening Room at Zeeland Street. dysonhouselr.com

JAN. 22

Varsity Theatre raves out with MATOMA, a Norwegian DJ and record producer, and Two Friends, a DJ duo from Los Angeles. varsitytheatre.com

JAN. 25

Louisiana metal band Swamp Stank performs its hardcore music at the Varsity Theatre. The band formed in 2018 right here in the Red Stick. varsitytheatre.com

JAN. 25 

The young New Orleans band Sweet Crude is known for blending Cajun music with a more modern pop sensibility, and the band is bringing that sound to Mid City Ballroom with special guests to be announced. midcityballroom.com

JAN. 29

Multi-instrumentalist, composer and trumpet player Nicholas Payton brings a night of smooth jazz to Manship Theatre with his quartet. manshiptheatre.org

JAN. 31

Flow Tribe brings its Cuban-infused funk to the Varsity Theatre. The six New Orleans natives are high school buds who have been playing and writing together since 2004. varsitytheatre.com

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ARTS EVENTS: THIS MONTH’S BEST BETS

JAN. 15

Landscape architect Sergio Santana brings his expertise to the LSU College of Art & Design in an open lecture about his designs. The main focus of Santana’s work is to develop creative solutions that preserve and celebrate Brazil’s rich environment and culture. design.lsu.edu

JAN. 15-18 

The Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival returns for its multiday event focusing on Jewish history and culture, as told through film. This year’s films include The Museum, Redemption and others, all screening at Manship Theatre. brjff.com

JAN. 16

Swamp Art Spectacular at BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center welcomes artists from every skill level and background—fiber arts, fine arts and photography—to explore Louisiana’s environment. Patrons can enjoy local artwork white voting for their favorite pieces. brec.org

JAN. 18

The Louisiana State Museum hosts a night of Mardi Gras mask painting, a “Sketch and Swirl” class designed for adults. Enjoy wine, cheese and king cake while following hands-on guidance to create an authentic-looking mask for the Mardi Gras season. louisianastatemuseum.org

JAN. 23

The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra presents its Mozart Birthday Bash! at First Baptist Church, featuring three Mozart pieces performed by the orchestra and conducted by Timothy Muffit. brso.org

JAN. 27

One of pop-surrealism’s top artists, Dan Quintana, hosts a lecture on his work at Baton Rouge Gallery. Quintana’s tones, brushwork and technique give the Los Angeles artist a reputation for being experimental in his work. batonrougegallery.org

JAN. 29 

Composer, artist and architect Christopher Janney offers an inside look at his craft at the LSU College of Art & Design building in partnership with the Louisiana Art & Science Museum. Janney is a pioneer in the field of sound art, merging architecture, sound, light and interactive technology—and his work is currently on view at the museum. design.lsu.edu