Arts & Culture: Baton Rouge Area Festivals

March food festival in the EBRP community of Central. Proceeds go to help a charitable cause.

Held in Gonzales, LA, on Memorial Day weekend. Rice, sausage, chicken, shrimp... Peppers, onions, garlic... Jamabalaya is Louisiana's answer to paella -- and the Jambalaya Festival is a food frenzy!!

Held on all Sundays in October since 1965, the Angola Prison Rodeo continues as a behavioral incentive to reward offenders with good behavior to compete in various rodeo events, earn money in the competition, and sell hobbycraft, inmate-made furniture, art, and jewelry.

Held in Hammond, LA, in November. Imagine 50s rock 'n roll with a taste of Cajun... That's what swamp pop is all about. This festival celebrates Swamp Pop and its Louisiana stars.

Held in the spring and fall at the Antiques Village in Denham Springs, LA. Food, fun and collectibles abound in this funky downtown quarter.

The tradition of lighting bonfires on the river levees dates back to the earliest Cajun settlers of the regions of southern Louisiana to the west and north of New Orleans. Just drive down state highways 18 and 44 on Christmas Eve, and you’ll see multiple bonfire gatherings and viewing places.

Every fall, the West Baton Rouge Museum hosts SugarFest. The event provides visitors of all ages with a free opportunity to learn about local culture, music and history. Expect a variety of folk art and occupational craft demonstrations, a peek inside museum exhibits and historic buildings, cane cutting and grinding demonstrations, cane syrup boiling, and live music.

Held in April, this premiere blues festival in Louisiana takes place in BR. This fest is FREE, so save that Jazz Fest ticket price and stay home to hear some great blues in BR!!

The Hispanic Apostolate sponsors this opportunity to celebrate a variety of Spanish-speaking international cultures. Festival Latino offers food from Cuba, Mexico, Honduras, Peru, and more, as well as Latin music, dancers and a beauty pageant.

The International Student Association (ISA) at LSU sponsors a yearly celebration of international cultures called the Festival of Nations.

Held in October in downtown BR by the State Capital, the book festival celebrates both the Book and Louisiana writers. There is plenty of food and music to go along with author lectures, book signings, and writing workshops.

Held in April in various downtown venues, this 2-day annual festival is a family-oriented event that provides entertainment, a kid friendly environment and good soul food cooking. It provides an opportunity for the people of Louisiana and surrounding areas a place to show off their soul food cooking skills in several categories.

Come celebrate one of the most revered holidays in India. The Holi Festival of Baton Rouge is a unique festival of colors, harmony, friendship, and love that continues to grow in popularity each year.

Held every January, the Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival (BRJFF) aims to highlight the diversity of the Jewish experience through film. It will educate, entertain, and inspire you, our audience, with films that deal with universal issues as they relate to Jewish traditions, challenges, and characters. Our festival also showcases Baton Rouge as a progressive, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic community.