May 2
Sample crawdads for a cause at the Crawfish King Cook-off benefiting Junior Achievement of Greater Baton Rouge and the Big Buddy Program. Follow the scent of mudbugs to Rhorer Plaza to cast your vote for the best boil. crawfishkingcookoff.com
May 3
Calling all bird lovers! LSU Libraries will host a special Audubon Day event featuring a showing of John James Audubon’s Birds of America folio edition at the Hill Memorial Library. This event is free, but registration is required for the viewings. lib.lsu.edu
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May 4
Lace up your running shoes and dash to Death Valley in the Our Lady of the Lake Tiger 10K. This race will take runners on a course through LSU’s campus and around the University Lakes before reaching the finish line at Tiger Stadium. Race day also includes a 5K and the Lamar Tiger Kids Mile. tiger10k.com
May 8
Stop to smell the roses and stay to hear the live music at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens’ Music in the Gardens event. Along with the concert in a serene setting, a lineup of food trucks will also be on-site. Picnic blankets are welcome, and dancing is encouraged. Find it on Facebook
May 9
Head over to Mid City for Hot Art Cool Nights, an evening bursting with creative vendors. The annual springtime festival is back with plenty of shopping opportunities from Jefferson Highway at Goodwood Boulevard to the intersection of Government and 14th streets. Get your walking shoes on, and support local businesses and makers. midcitymerchantsbr.org
May 10
Bring your appetite downtown for the latest installment of Night Market BTR. This Asian food festival boasts a packed lineup of culinary vendors serving the latest global fare. From Japanese rice balls to cheesy Korean corn dogs, there will be plenty to go around, plus live entertainment. nightmarketbtr.com
May 17 + 18
Get a hearty helping of comfort classics at the Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival, held at the Main Library at Goodwood. This tasty event will feature a cooking competition along with live music and vendors. Find it on Facebook
May 23-25
Sport your red, white and blue, and head out to PARDS North Park in Denham Springs for the Cajun Country Jam Memorial Day Festival. Expect a weekend of boot-tapping country music from artists like Frank Foster, Dylan Scott, Parish County Line and more. thecajuncountryjam.com
Arts Agenda
May 1-4
Ascension Community Theatre turns into a Berlin nightclub for the final days of its production of the Jazz Age musical Cabaret. Experience all the dark, heady decadence of Germany as the threat of Nazism creeps in. actgonzales.org
May 2
The You Aren’t Alone Project presents its fifth annual Live Art Event at Gallery 14. The moving, immersive experience fuses mental health awareness with visual and performance art. The event also encourages artists and attendees to connect and reduce the stigma surrounding conversations about mental health. youarentaloneproject.com
May 3
Take it back to the ’80s with Taylor Dayne at L’Auberge Casino Hotel. The Grammy Award-nominated singer will take the stage with all of her greatest hits like “Tell It to My Heart,” “Love Will Lead You Back” and “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love.” lbatonrouge.com
May 8
Neil Diamond’s music shines again on stage at Manship Theatre during So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience. Broadway and film star Robert Neary leads a two-hour tribute to Diamond’s nostalgic tunes. manshiptheatre.org
May 9
Vincent Neil Emerson brings his Texas country sound to Louisiana via his Big Wheels Tour. The singer-songwriter will share the stage with Leon Majcen for a performance at Chelsea’s Live. chelseaslive.com
May 14 + 15
Put on your theater-going best for Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra’s A Night at the Tony Awards: A Celebration of Broadway. Taking place inside Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s Irene W. Pennington Planetarium as part of the Concerts in the Cosmos series, this show guides the audience through a multisensory concert. brso.org
May 16
Comedian and actor Rob Schneider brings his You Can Dooooo It! Tour to the River Center Theatre for Performing Arts. Get ready for a night of jokes, laughs and even live music from a full Las Vegas band. raisingcanesrivercenter.com
On the Road
New Orleans
May 1-4: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, nojazzfest.com
May 16-18: Bayou Boogaloo, thebayouboogaloo.com
May 23-25: New Orleans Greek Festival, gfno.com
Acadiana
May 3: Sunset Herb & Garden Festival, cajuntravel.com/events/sunset-herb-garden-festival
May 8-10: Frog Festival, raynechamber.net
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May 23-25: Couillon Fest, citedesarts.org
This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.