Baton Rouge area events for Dec. 12-18, 2025 | Entertainment/Life

The following is a calendar of community events in the Baton Rouge area from Friday through Thursday, Dec. 18.

FRIDAY

UNSCRIPTED IMPROV SHOW: 7 p.m., Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, 233 St. Ferdinand St. Featuring Just in the Femur Improv Troupe and LSU Improv Troupe. $15. 225theatrecollective.com.

FAMILY DINNER IMPROV COMEDY TROUPE: 7:30 p.m., Hartley/Vey Studio Theatre, Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Improv comedy show, rated R-ish due to improv content. $14. manshiptheatre.org.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

BATON ROUGE ZYDECO VS. TOPEKA SCARECROWS (ICE HOCKEY): 7 p.m., Raising Cane’s River Center Arena, 275 S. River Road. $25. raisingcanesrivercenter.com.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

LISTENING ROOM FILM FESTIVAL: 3 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, and 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 2733 North St. Local and regional music- and entertainment-driven film screenings, show business panels, music. Full pass, $50; one-day pass, $10; film block pass, $5. https://hitcitydigital.wixsite.com/htjmuseum/.

SATURDAY

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. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. 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.

GREATER BATON ROUGE MODEL RAILROADERS: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Republic of West Florida Historical Museum, 3406 College St., Jackson. Electric trains of all sizes will be running on five different layouts. Free admission and parking.

“HOLIDAY NUTCRACKER”: 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Dunham School’s Brown-Hold Theatre, 11111 Roy Emerson Drive. Cangelosi Dance Project’s annual holiday production. $30-$50. [email protected] or cangelosidanceproject.com.

“THE POLAR EXPRESS” (FILM): 2 p.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 200 S. River Road. Holiday screening, hot cocoa, complimentary sleigh bell. $2-$20. lasm.org.

DANCING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS: 7 p.m., Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, 233 St. Ferdinand St. A festive evening of Christmas-themed dance numbers along with a Christmas musical performance by Clay Achee & Puppets. A fundraiser for 225 Theatre Collective. $55. 225theatrecollective.com.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

“NUTCRACKER – A TALE FROM THE BAYOU”: 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., Raising Cane’s River Center Theatre for Performing Arts, 240 St. Louis St. Baton Rouge Ballet Theater’s annual holiday production. $40-$95. batonrougeballet.org.

TRI-PARISH BALLET’S “THE NUTCRACKER”: 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. Benefit performance on Saturday with admission a nonperishable item for two local food banks. Sunday, $25 in advance at etix.com, or $30 at the door.

SUNDAY

“MUSIC OVERLAYS OUR WORLD – LOUISIANA SOUND ARTS” EXHIBITION: 2 p.m., South Branch Library, 2210 Glasgow Ave. Presented by Palacios House of Arts, the event will begin with an opening art expo and recital at 2 p.m., followed by a second recital at 4:30 p.m. The collaborative exhibition bridges cultures and communities through color, rhythm, and creativity. ebrpl.com.

GIFTED AND TALENTED MUSIC WINTER CONCERT: 3 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. String and choral students from Baton Rouge High, Woodlawn High and McKinley Middle performing. Free. ebrpl.com.

SENSORY SECOND SUNDAY: 3 p.m.-5 p.m., Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Dimmed lights, low-volume music, designated quiet areas, headphones and sensory tools are available. Due to limited space, preregistration recommended at tinyurl.com/LASMSensorySunday. lasm.org.

TUESDAY

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. 

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith, 18303 Perkins Road. Collect your team and jockey for first place. loom.ly/y-CKtQ4.

WEDNESDAY

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OPEN HOUSE: 6 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. See what hidden gems are tucked away in the library’s archives. Free. ebrpl.com.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith, 27350 Crossing Circle, Suite 150, Denham Springs. Collect your team and jockey for first place. loom.ly/y-CKtQ4.

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.

BATON ROUGE ZYDECO VS. MONROE MOCCASINS (ICE HOCKEY): 7 p.m., Raising Cane’s River Center Arena, 275 S. River Road. $25. raisingcanesrivercenter.com.

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

ONGOING

ART GUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. “A Holiday Retrospective — AGL Member Show 2025,” through Jan. 8. (225) 773-8020 or artguildlouisiana.org.

BATON ROUGE GALLERY CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive. Exhibitions by Sarah House and Craig McMullen, through Dec. 21. batonrougegallery.org.

CAPITOL PARK MUSEUM: 660 N. Fourth St. “Billy Cannon: They Called Him Legend,” through Jan. 10. “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. “Continuum” by David Bruner, through Jan. 10. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. artsbr.org.

ELIZABETHAN GALLERY: 680 Jefferson Highway. Group show. Call (225) 924-6437 or follow the gallery’s Facebook page.

THE GALLERY AT MANSHIP: 100 Lafayette St. “A New Frame of Mind,” group exhibition that challenges the traditional role of the picture frame. through Jan. 31. 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.

GLASSELL GALLERY: Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. LSU School of Art’s biennial cup show, “8 Fluid Ounces,” through Friday.

LOUISIANA ART & SCIENCE MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “Crossroads & Connections: A Century of the Railway in Baton Rouge,” now in the Republic Finance Gallery. “Landscapes Along the Railway: The Art of John Cleaveland,” Soupçon Gallery; “Going Places: Transportation Toys of the Past,” Discovery Gallery; and “Shelf Queens: Model Train Masterpieces,” Colonnade Gallery. (225) 344-5272 or lasm.org.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. “The Sculpture of Scott, Payton, Hayden, and Bechet,” through Jan. 25. “A Bayou State of Mind,” highlighted by the exhibition “The Bayou Collection,” a series of 40 paintings by George Rodrigue, through Jan. 4. (225) 389-7200 or lsumoa.org.

MANSHIP THEATRE JONES WALKER FOYER: 100 Lafayette St. “Manship Kids Holiday Art” and “Composition-Color-Pattern” by artist Kevin Babb, through Dec. 31. Free and open during regular Shaw Center building hours unless there is a private event.

LSU TEXTILE & COSTUME MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building, Tower Drive, LSU campus. “Dressing Louisiana Histoires de la mode de la Louisiane,” through March 6. (225) 578-5992 or email [email protected].

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. “Vietnam Experience: 50th Anniversary of the End of the War,” through Dec. 20. 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. “An American War in Vietnam,” through Dec. 30. (225) 336-2422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org.