Baton Rouge area events for April 3-9, 2026 | Entertainment/Life

The following is a calendar of community events in the Baton Rouge area from Friday through Thursday, April 9.​ 

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

EVENING SKY VIEWING: 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m., BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road. See the majesty of the night sky in these public viewings for those 6 and up. hrpo.lsu.edu/events.

SATURDAY

STRONG & CALM WARRIOR YOGA: 8 a.m.-9 a.m., USS KIDD Veterans Museum, 305 S. River Road. https://www.usskidd.com/.

BATON ROUGE ARTS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Fifth and Main streets, downtown. Vendors sell a variety of unique, original works of art including pottery, woodwork, textiles, glass, paintings, sculptures, photographs, handmade soaps, handmade toys, jewelry and more. artsbr.org.

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Fifth and Main streets, downtown. The annual Strawberry Jam featuring family-friendly activities, live music, cooking demonstrations and lots of the fresh, locally grown berries. Also, farm-fresh produce and goods. breada.org.

FAMILY-HOUR STARGAZING: 10 a.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in the local nighttime sky, followed by an all-ages show. lasm.org.

“BILLY IDOL SHOULD BE DEAD” (FILM): 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Feature-length documentary tracing the life and career of the punk pioneer turned rock ‘n’ roll icon. $9.50. manshiptheatre.org.

MONTHLY CONTRA DANCE: 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m., St. Alban’s Chapel, corner of Highland Road and Dalrymple Drive. Newcomer instruction at 2:45 p.m. Singles and couples welcome. $7 per person; free for first-timers. Louisianacontrasandsquares.com or (225) 803-9194.

FAMILY DINNER IMPROV COMEDY TROUPE: 7:30 p.m., Hartley/Vey Studio Theatre, Manship Theatre, 235 North Blvd. An evening of improvisational antics, unscripted hilarity and surprises. $14. manshiptheatre.org.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

“MADAMA BUTTERFLY” VIEWING PARTY: 1 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. In celebration of Opéra Louisiane bringing the Giacomo Puccini opera back to a Baton Rouge stage. Free. ebrpl.com.

TUESDAY

JURASSIC JAM!: 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. A spring break event with a full day of movies, crafts, games, activities, picnics, dance parties and dinosaur egg hunts. There also will be a balloon drop and dance party after the movie. Free, but reservations recommended at manshiptheatre.org.

BATON ROUGE CHESS CLUB: 6 p.m.-8 p.m., La Divina Italian Cafe, 3535 Perkins Road, Unit 360. A chance to play and learn; all levels welcome. Free.

“THE GODFATHER” (FILM, 1972): 7:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. The mob drama classic, based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name, focuses on the powerful Italian-American crime family of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). $5. manshiptheatre.org.

WEDNESDAY 

INTRO TO D&D FOR TEENS: 2 p.m., Greenwell Springs Regional Branch Library, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road. Learn the basics of Dungeons & Dragons by running a simple one-shot campaign. Total beginners welcome; pre-ade character sheets provided. Registration required by calling (225) 274-4470.

LOUISIANA GRASS ROOTS SCREENING: 6 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood  Blvd. Celebrate Louisiana’s native landscape, beginning with a guided tour of the library’s new native plant garden. Then, at 6:30 p.m., watch a screening of “Louisiana Grass Roots,” a short documentary on the state’s coastal prairie, followed by a discussion with producer Dr. Phyllis Baudoin Griffard. Free. ebrpl.com.

SCIENCE ON SCREEN: “ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND”: 7 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. After a painful breakup, Clementine (Kate Winslet) undergoes a procedure to erase memories of her former boyfriend Joel (Jim Carrey) from her mind. $10. manshiptheatre.org.

THURSDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket. 

OPEN MIC POETRY SLAM: 5:30 p.m., Eden Park Branch Library, 5131 Greenwell Springs Road. Marking National Poetry Month, adults are invited to hear poetry from writers and creators in the Baton Rouge area. Refreshments provided. Free. ebrpl.com.

OUTDOOR COMMUNITY YOGA: 6 p.m.-7 p.m., pavilion by the pond, LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. Drop-in; no registration required; bring your own mat. Free, but donations welcome. www.lsu.edu/hilltop.

WEEKLY SOCIAL BIKE RIDE: 7 p.m., Geaux Ride, 521 N. Third St., Suite A. Free. fareharbor.com.

ONGOING

BATON ROUGE GALLERY CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive. “Real Life Experience: Juried High School Exhibition,” through April 26. Hours: noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. batonrougegallery.org.

CAPITOL PARK MUSEUM: 660 N. Fourth St. “Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation,” “The Louisiana Experience: Discovering the Soul of America,” “African American History,” “Music and Musicians” and “Mardi Gras,” permanent exhibits. (225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org.

CARY SAURAGE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER SHELL GALLERY: 233 St. Ferdinand St. “Dennisparkercelloetc,” exhibit of cellist Dennis Parker’s transformations of musical instruments into sculptural works, through April 17. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. artsbr.org.

THE GALLERY AT MANSHIP: 100 Lafayette St. “Brandon Lewis — When All God’s Children Get Together.” Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

KNOCK KNOCK CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: 1900 Dalrymple Drive. Museum- and EBR Schools-hosted art exhibition for K-5 students, “Big Ideas, Little Hands: EBR Schools’ K-5 Masterpiece,” through April 12. knockknockmuseum.org.

LOUISIANA ART & SCIENCE MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “Then, And Now, And Always: The Artwork of Nick Bustamante,” through July 19, SoupCon Gallery; “Pinpointing the Stars,” through Aug. 1; “Crossroads & Connections: A Century of the Railway in Baton Rouge,” through Oct. 1; “Going Places: Transportation Toys of the Past,” through July 6, and “Shelf Queens: Model Train Masterpieces,” also through July 6. (225) 344-5272 or lasm.org.

LSU’S BARNES OGDEN GALLERY: 31 S. Campus Drive. LSU School of Art Spring 2026 Grad Walk, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, April 9. Open-studio event featuring a scheduled walk between School of Art MFA graduate studios, music, glowing lantern installation and refreshments.

LSU’S GLASSELL GALLERY: Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. “Mia Isabel Pons: this body held others” and “Sarah Moschel Miller: To be closer,” both LSU School of Art MFA thesis exhibitions, through Saturday, April 11. Hours: noon-8 p.m.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. “Daphnis and Chloe and Other Lovers: Lithographs by Marc Chagall,” through May 24. “AI: Artistic Interpretations, Studio Art Quilt Associates,” through May 10. (225) 389-7200 or lsumoa.org.

MANSHIP THEATRE JONES WALKER FOYER: 100 Lafayette St. “Look up: A Philosophy for Birding and Life” by Gail Suberbielle. Free and open during regular Shaw Center building hours unless there is a private event.

MAGNOLIA MOUND MUSEUM + HISTORIC SITE: 2161 Nicholson Drive. Guided and self-guided tours. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. brec.org/facility/MagnoliaMound.

OLD GOVERNOR’S MANSION: 502 North Blvd. Open for tours. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free admission. oldgovernorsmansion.com.

OLD STATE CAPITOL: 100 North Blvd. “Japanese War Brides: Across A Wide Divide,” through June 13. “A More Perfect Union: Reconstruction’s Legacy in Louisiana,” permanent exhibit. Free. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org.

USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displays of a variety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and naval military history. Note: Vessel is in Houma for dry dock repairs. usskidd.com.

WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM: 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen. “Talented Student Art Exhibition,” through Saturday. “Finding Alice: Artists Exploring Wonderland,” through May 24. (225) 336-2422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org.