Baton Rouge area events for May 1-7, 2026 | Entertainment/Life

The following is a calendar of community events in the Baton Rouge area from Friday through Thursday, May 7.​ 

FRIDAY

SPOOF NIGHT! WITH “THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON (2009)”: 7:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Presented by the Family Dinner Comedy Troupe and Films at Manship, evening includes screening along with comedic commentary. $17. manshiptheater.com. 

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. Farm-fresh produce and goods. breada.org.

TRINITY UNION LODGE 2ND ANNUAL CAR SHOW: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Gerry Lane Cadillac, 10945 Reiger Road. Open to all model, make, and year cars, trucks and motorcycles. Proceeds from the show will support the lodge’s dyslexia training program. $25 entry fee day of event.

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.

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.

WILDFLOWERS SOUND BATH: 6 p.m., Irene W. Pennington Plantarium at Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Part of Planetarium Month. lasm.org.

SUNDAY

“FALL SEVEN TIMES, GET UP EIGHT: THE JAPANESE WAR BRIDES” FILM AND MOTHER’S DAY CRAFTS: noon-4 p.m., Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd. A powerful story of love, resilience, and family. Free, but admission requested at eventbrite.com.

PBS KIDS: BEACH DAY!: 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Beach Day kids’ movies “Aqualicious” and “Donkie Hodie” plus arts and crafts. Free, but register for planning purposes. https://www.manshiptheater.com/comingsoon/pbskids-beach-day.

FREE FIRST SUNDAY: Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road; Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd.; Old Governors’ Mansion, 502 North Blvd.; Magnolia Mound Museum + Historic Site, 2161 Nicholson Drive; LSU Museum of Art, 100 Lafayette St.; and Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, 233 St. Ferdinand St. and LSU Center for River Studies, 100 Terrace Ave. Free admission to all exhibits and installations, plus reduced-price entry to LASM’s Irene Pennington Planetarium shows.

MONDAY

DRIVE FOR DYSLEXIA: 9 a.m. (range opens 8 a.m.), Santa Maria Golf Course, 18460 Santa Maria Parkway. Eighteen-hole tournament benefiting The Brighton School’s athletic department. The private school exclusively serves students with dyslexia and other language-related learning differences. Alsi includes raffles, games, silent auction and “LSU legend” athletes. https://www.thebrightonschool.org/news-events. 

TUESDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 3 p.m.-6 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.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.

WEDNESDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 9 a.m.-noon, ExxonMobil YMCA, 7711 Howell Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. www.facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket.

“THE DRAMA (2026)”: 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Starring Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and Alana Haim, the movie follows a happily engaged couple getting put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails. $9.50. manshiptheater.com.

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.

“NAVIGATING THE COSMOS” DEBUT: noon, Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Part of Planetarium Month. lasm.org.

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.

KARAOKE, TRIVIA, BINGO AND MORE: 8 p.m.-11 p.m., Brickyard South Bar + Patio, 174 South Blvd. Presented by BarFly Entertainment. Free to play. https://www.facebook.com/brickyardsouth.

ONGOING

ART GUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. Roberta Loflin, “Watercolor Basics — Flowers and Leaves,” 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturday, and “Watercolor Basics — Waterscapes (Beach, Bayou, and Flowing Water), May 23 and May 30. Text workshop coordinator Barbara Andrepont at (225) 773-8020 or artguildlouisiana.org.

BATON ROUGE GALLERY CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive. Exhibits by Jeremiah Ariaz, Justin Tyler Bryant and Kristine Thompson, through May 24; opening reception 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday. 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. “A Refugee’s Origin by K.T.Ho: A Mixed-Media Exhibition Exploring Vietnamese Diaspora, Colonial Legacy, and Survival,” through May 29. Opening reception is from 6 p.. to 9 p.m. Friday, and an artist talk at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. 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.

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

LSU TEXTILE & COSTUME MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building, Tower Drive, LSU campus. “Stitches in Time: Quilts & Fashion,” exploring the enduring dialogue between quilt making and dress, Sunday-Jan. 15, 2027. (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. “Bought for a Song: A Young Nation Expands,” display of the Louisiana Purchase, through July 11. “Japanese War Brides: Across A Wide Divide,” through June 13. “A More Perfect Union: Reconstruction’s Legacy in Louisiana,” permanent exhibit. Free. Hours: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, plus Free First Sunday. 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. “Finding Alice: Artists Exploring Wonderland,” through May 24. (225) 336-2422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org.

Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Part of Planetarium Month. lasm.org.