Welcome to your Weekend Planner!
Get ready for a weekend filled with holiday cheer and family-friendly fun. Baton Rouge is glowing with festive lights, parades, and musical performances. Don’t forget to bundle up—this weekend’s forecast calls for chilly evenings, perfect for sipping hot cocoa as you enjoy the festivities. Expect temperatures in the mid-40s to low 50s, so dress warmly and layer up!
Thanks to WhiteWater Express Car Wash for sponsoring this week’s Baton Rouge Weekend Planner!
Things to do in Baton Rouge
Weekend Planner Dec. 6th–8th
The Merriest Mile
Nightly
Time: November 29th – December 31st
Location: Livingston Parish Fairgrounds off Highway 190
Details: A magical, mile-long drive-through light show at the Livingston Parish Fairgrounds. Enjoy Louisiana’s tallest 50-foot MegaTree, hidden red crawfish, and green alligators. Tune your radio to experience synchronized holiday tunes as the lights dance. Don’t forget your hot cocoa and Christmas pajamas for a memorable family night!
Learn more and purchase tickets
Baton Rouge Zoo’s ZooLights
Nightly
Time: November 29th – December 30th, 5–9 PM
Location: Baton Rouge Zoo
Details: Explore an enchanting display of holiday lights at BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo. Presented by Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, this family-friendly event features dazzling displays throughout the zoo, perfect for creating magical holiday memories.
Louisiana Lights
Thursday – Sunday
Time: November 29th – December 29th
Location: Burden Museum & Garden 4560 Essen Ln, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Details: Stroll through illuminated garden rooms, sparkling lakes, and shimmering light tunnels at Burden Museum & Garden. Enjoy dazzling fireflies, twinkling crape myrtles, and the majestic oaks glowing with festive lights.
Baton Rouge General Holiday Lights
Nightly
Time: Now Open
Location:
Details: Experience a wonderland of holiday cheer with three mega trees, illuminated tunnels, singing trees, candy canes, snowmen, and a giant walk-through ornament at the corner of Bluebonnet Blvd. and Picardy Ave.
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concerts
December 5th, 6th, 8th, 21st
Time: December 5th, 6th, 8th, 21st
Details:
- Holiday Brass at St. Joseph Cathedral – December 5th
- Hemingbough Holiday Brass – December 6th
- Houmas House Holiday Brass – December 8th
- Home for the Holidays 2023 – December 21st
2024 Downtown Baton Rouge Festival of Lights
December 6th
Time: December 6th, 4–8 PM
Location:
Details: Baton Rouge’s oldest holiday tradition lights up downtown with half a million sparkling lights, a 35-foot Christmas tree, and more under the historic oaks.
Broadmoor’s Annual Christmas Parade
December 7th
Time: December 7th, 11 AM
Location: Parade Route- Start at Broadmoor High School. Go on Goodwood east to Woodhaven. Turn north on Woodhaven. Travel to S. River Oaks Drive. Then travel west to Cora Drive. Go south on Cora Drive to Goodwood Boulevard, then return to the High School.
Details: This 1.9-mile parade features festive floats, community fun, and a non-perishable food drive to support those in need. Route details and map available at Broadmoor’s Parade Website.
Sensory Santa
December 7th
Time: December 7th, 9 AM–12 PM
Location: North Sherwood Forest Community Park
Details: BREC Adaptive’s Sensory Santa at North Sherwood Forest Community Park offers a calm and inclusive environment for children and adults with sensory processing disorders to meet Santa. Pre-registration required.
LASM A Verry Merry Museum
December 7th
Location: Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM), Baton Rouge
Details: A Very Merry Museum will feature a day packed with fun, family-friendly holiday activities:
Photos with Santa (10 AM – 2 PM) & the Coca-Cola holiday truck (arriving at 1:30 PM)
Hands-on art & science activities
Sneaux to Geaux science experiments (sponsored by BASF)
Museum-wide Polar Passport adventure
Holiday-themed planetarium shows, including Let It Snow and The Star of Bethlehem
FREE Coca-Cola Polar Bear plushes for the first 100 children in the building
Read & Create at 11:15 AM, with a story time featuring “The Dinosaurs’ Night Before Christmas” by Anne Muecke, followed by a holiday themed craft 
Holiday shopping in the Museum Store& MORE!
City of Central Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration
December 7th
Location: Hooper & Sullivan Rd
Details: Kick off the holiday season with festive cheer! The evening will start with the Winter Wonderettes filling the air with Christmas songs, followed by a performance by the CHS Jazz Band and other wonderful performers. Hot chocolate will be served by Magnolia Key Realty & Co. As night falls, we’ll light up the tree and cap off the celebration with a spectacular fireworks show!
A Rural Life Christmas
December 8th
Time: December 8th, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Details: Celebrate Christmas 19th-century style with musical performances, storytelling, costumed re-enactors, and artisanal demonstrations at Burden Museum & Garden. The day concludes with a bonfire and a visit from a special guest.
Jones Creek Christmas Parade
December 8th
Time: 2:30PM
Uptown Scotlandville Christmas Tree Lighting
December 8th
Time: 5 -8 PM
Details: The city of Baker is hosting the Uptown Scotlandville Christmas Tree Lighting on Sunday, December 8. The family-friendly event will include food, games, giveaways, pictures with Santa, and an appearance by the Grinch.
We hope this guide helps you create lasting holiday memories with your loved ones!
Whether you’re admiring the lights, catching a parade, or enjoying a musical performance, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to share your festive adventures with us on social media by tagging @BatonRougeFamilyFun. Have a warm, magical weekend! ✨