The 2017 Baton Rouge Holiday & Christmas Events Guide can be found HERE:
https://batonrougefamilyfun.com/baton-rouge-holiday-christmas-events/

Our 2016 Baton Rouge Holiday & Christmas Events Guide is our largest guide to date with over 50 events.  This list will be updated daily as we learn of new events being hosted in our area. We’re sharing events within a 60 mile radius of Baton Rouge. Whether you’re looking for a Christmas parade, holiday-themed performance, Santa visit, or lights display, there’s the cornucopia of holiday-themed programs and events throughout the season. If you have an event or activity to add, please email us – info@BatonRougeMoms.com

Thanks to Associates in Pediatric Dentistry for sponsoring this year’s Holiday Events Guide. 

2016 Baton Rouge Holiday & Christmas Events Guide 

Mistletoe Market of Baton Rouge

Catch up on holiday shopping while taking the kids to the Kids Zone at Mistletoe Market!! With over 120 merchants, you can shop local in a fun and friendly environment, strollers welcome, I was able to get OROGOLD products which are one of the healthiest products for your skin! Photo ops with Santa, Petite Princess Company Princesses, activities for kids, face painting fun and more!

Princesses Meet & Greet from Petite Princess Company

Saturday, November 12th
8:00am-10:00am (VIP) The Snow Sisters
10:00am-12:00pm        The Cinder Princess
12:30pm-2:30pm          The Tower Princess
2:30pm-3:30pm            The Tinker Fairy
3:30pm-5:00pm            The Little Mermaid

On Saturday, November 12, Giggles will join hundreds of locally owned toy stores across the country to celebrate the seventh national Neighborhood Toy Store Day, an annual celebration in which independent toy shops kick off the holiday season with special events to introduce consumers to the benefits of shopping local.

Giggles will offer free, fun, child-friendly activities including:

•Santa Photos: 11 am – 5 pm
•Face Painting: 11 am – 12 pm
•Magician: 1 pm – 3 pm
•Balloon Twisting with Balloonatics of Baton Rouge: 3 pm – 5 pm
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•Raffles and Giveaways!
•Popcorn Bar
•Holiday Wish Lists (Have your child fill out a wish list and we will file it away for shopping!)
•Product Demonstrations

LSU Holiday Spectacular

Tuesday, November 29, with festivities beginning at 5 p.m. in the LSU Student Union.

They are still planning for 2016, but last year’s events included:

Holiday Performances
5 p.m. | LSU Student Union Theater
Featuring performances from LSU students, faculty & community organizations.

LSU Christmas Tree Lighting
6 p.m. | Free Speech Circle

Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols” Concert
featuring LSU Women’s Chorale with the St. James Treble Choir
7:30 p.m. | St. Alban’s Chapel, Highland Road at Dalrymple Drive

Cortana Kiwanis Christmas Parade

DECEMBER 12th – Find Parade Map HERE.

The 65th Annual Cortana Kiwanis Downtown Christmas Parade will roll through Downtown Baton Rouge Saturday, December 1oth at 5:30 p.m. Every year, more than 70,000 people watch the parade live and thousands more enjoy it on television through the holiday season. The Parade is a celebration and a great way to connect with the community. The parade is open to everyone. Typically the parade includes about 80 entries. These entries are a mix of marching bands, celebrities, dance troups, non-profit organizations, and local businesses in seasonal themes.

ZooLights 2016

November 25 – December 30
Beginning November 25th, visitors will enjoy the lights and displays of all your favorite Zoo animals and holiday traditions. Walk through the Zoo and be amazed by larger-than-life light displays. Bring the whole family and get in the holiday spirit of the season. Hot cocoa and other treats will be available to purchase.

ZooLights will take place November 27 – December 30 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). For more information, call 225.775.3877.

Special Activities:

11/25 Coke Santa
11/26 Making Ornaments
12/2 & 12/3 Safari Santa
12/9 & 12/10 Making Ornaments
12/16 & 12/17 Safari Santa

LIGHTED DISPLAYS WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
ILLUMINATED SCULPTURES: Visitors will find illuminated sculptures representing animals and traditional symbols of the holidays.
GIANT SPECTACULARS: Larger-than-life displays capture the imagination of children of all ages. These displays may include: Flamingos, Giraffes, Lions, Tigers, Gorillas, Rhinos, Elephants, Alligators, Giant Santa, Giant Snowmen, Holiday Trains, Santa in Sleigh pulled by Giant Reindeer and Toy Soldiers. Displays can be up to 30 ft. tall!
ANIMATED SPECTACULARS: Animated displays add additional entertainment value to our event. The use of high-wattage, computer-controlled displays will provide exciting animation to displays.
VISITOR AMENITIES: Safari Photo Booth Seasonal Specials from the Flamingo Cafe Safari Post Gift Shop

A Rural Life Christmas

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Ring in the Christmas season with a 19th century Louisiana celebration. Musical groups, demonstrating artisans, storytellers, and costumed re-enactors will be present to set the holiday mood. The event will conclude with a bonfire and a visit from Papa Noel.

Regular fee for adults and seniors; children under 10 are free.

Holiday Skating on the River

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It might not get snow in Baton Rouge, but you can still have fun on the ice at the Baton Rouge River Center with its holiday tradition, “Ice Skating on the River.”

A fun filled holiday event for all ages, Ice Skating on the River will have 75 minute sessions nearly every day until January.

Festival of Lights at Far-Out First Friday

Friday, December 2, 2016 at 5:00pm – 9:00pm

Two popular events intertwine for a special holiday Far-Out First Friday combined with the annual Festival of Light’s activities – all rolled into one exciting night! Join an evening under downtown’s historic oaks to commemorate Baton Rouge’s oldest holiday tradition. Transforming the winter sky into a wonderland, the Mayor will light North Boulevard with half a million sparkling lights. Experience the magic beneath the 35-foot Christmas tree in Town Square. Bethlehem Village with a real life village set in Biblical times where children can craft ornaments and decorations, plus a magical train ride on the Mansion Express at the Old Governor’s Mansion. Visit Santa’s Gift Shoppe and listen to holiday music during an evening of visual, culinary, and performing arts.

LASM Holiday Events

Friday, December 2, 2016 at 5:00pm – 9:00pm

Join us on Friday, December 2, as two popular events intertwine for a special holiday Far-Out First Friday combined with our annual Festival of Light’s activities – all rolled into one exciting night!

In addition to hands-on craft stations where you can create your own holiday ornaments or keepsakes, experience special holiday shows projected fulldome in our planetarium. Enter a winter wonderland of dancing nutcrackers, sledding penguins, and your favorite holiday songs in Let it Snow at 5, 7, and 8 PM. At 9:00 PM, go on a live-mixed journey through the music of the season coupled with digitally-rendered visuals in Holiday Synesthesia.

Enjoy complimentary coffee and treats; be among the first to experience our new Contemporary Old Masters, Drawings by Gerry Wubben, and Selections from the Collection exhibitions; get your holiday shopping done early with unique finds in The Museum Store; and more! 

Admission is free with the donation of one new toy per person that benefits Toys for Tots; otherwise, regular admission prices apply. Toys may be purchased in The Museum Store.

Show admission is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is no late seating. Doors open 4:30 PM. All ages may attend Let it Snow; Holiday Synesthesia is for ages 3 and up.

The Nutcracker : A Tale from the Bayou

December 17th and 18th 2016 2PM and 6PM

The Nutcracker – A Tale from the Bayou, created by Molly Buchmann and Sharon Mathews in 1992, has become one of the most highly-anticipated events of the holiday season. Accompanied by the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, the production incorporates local landmarks while maintaining the grandeur and integrity of the classic ballet. This lavish production continues to thrill children and adults alike, and snow is always guaranteed!

The Happy Elf

December 9-18, 2016

A new musical comedy by Grammy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated composer and lyricist, Harry Connick, Jr.; The Happy Elf tells the tale of Eubie the Elf, a lovable fellow who wants to spread Christmas joy throughout the town of Bluesville. Hoping to introduce a new generation of children to the joys of jazz, Connick has crafted a musical landscape against which Eubie’s story unfolds.

Adults: $21.00
Children (Ages 2-11): $15.75
Seats are reserved. and can be purchased at PlaymakersBR.org.  (225) 578-6996.

The Living Nativity  

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The 6th Annual Drive Through Live Nativity takes place on the parking lot of FBBC. Load up your family and journey back to the first Christmas as represented through 12 different scenes.

Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra

This years holiday BRSO events will include:

• A Very Jazzy Christmas at Hemingbough December 2 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
  The BRSO has enjoyed a popular following in St. Francisville for many years, and  Hemingbough provides the perfect setting. Jump-start your festive season with a hip holiday celebration you won’t want to miss! Willis Delony and friends perform favorite seasonal arrangements in the Key of J –“J” for Jazz, that is!
• Home for the Holidays December 2 @ 7:30 pm – December 4 @ 3:00 pm The Holiday Season would not be complete without the Family Pops annual Home for the Holidays concert! Join Maestro Muffitt as he leads this spectacular cast of hundreds featuring our very own Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus, and numerous guest performers and musical groups from across our city.  Join us in a musical celebration of community and the spirit of the season.
• Holiday Brass in Central December 6 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church 19421 Greenwell Springs Rd. The BRSO is excited to reach out to the communities of Central, Zachary and Denham for our performance of Holiday Brass, Percussion and Harp.  Enjoy the sights and sounds of the season as Associate Conductor David Torns and the BRSO visit Greenwell Springs Baptist Church to perform all of your cherished holiday favorites.
• Lamar Holiday Brass December 9 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm This concert is an experience truly unique to the community of Baton Rouge.  St. Joseph Cathedral is a breath-taking setting for this cherished family tradition of the Lamar Holiday Brass concert.  The sounds of The BRSO Brass and Percussion are joined by organist Robbie Giroir, and a special appearance by the Baton Rouge Magnet High School Festival Singers.  In addition, the BRSO welcomes Stephanie Gustafson on the harp as a featured soloist.  Don’t wait to purchase your tickets as this concert sells out quickly!

Manship Theatre Holiday Events

Fancy Nancy’s Splendiferous Christmas – What could be fancier than Christmas? Presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles – and who could forget the tree? After all, there is no such thing as too much tinsel. Ooh la la! This year, Nancy is especially excited. She bought a brand-new sparkly tree topper with her own money and can’t wait to decorate the Christmas tree. But when things don’t turn out the way Nancy planned, will Christmas still be splendiferous? Multiple dates in December.

A Very Electric Christmas – Brighten your holidays with Lightwire Theater’s A Very Electric Christmas. Audiences of all ages will treasure this magical and captivating tale of family, friendship and hope set to timeless holiday hits including Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey and Tchaikovsky. In this wonderful story, Santa’s helpers are putting the final touches on presents as a young bird named Max and his family head south for the winter.

BREC Holiday Events

Gingerbread House Decorating: Plank Road Park – Friday, Nov 11, 2016 6:30 pm
Gingerbread House Decorating: Highland Road Community Park Friday, Nov 18, 2016 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Have an evening of family fun that can be shared over and over again throughout the holiday. Create a gingerbread masterpiece with lots of graham crackers, icing and candy trims. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Reindeer Ride Downtown Celebration: Skip Bertman Drive Trailhead – Friday, Dec 02, 2016 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – 8 & older
Welcome the holiday season with a unique nighttime family bike ride up the levy from Skip Bertman Drive to downtown Baton Rouge to be a part of Baton Rouge’s Downtown Christmas Lighting Celebration. Participants will leave the levy trail head and join in a colorful bike parade through the downtown area, participate in the many fun evening activities and return together.

Caroling in the Park: City-Brooks Community Park – Friday, Dec 09, 2016 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Mark your calendars for BREC’s annual Caroling in City Park featuring a park lighting ceremony, candlelight caroling and a host of other family activities for all ages to enjoy.

Creole Christmas: Magnolia Mound Plantation – Sunday, Dec 11, 2016 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Creole Christmas is an annual event featuring seasonal decorations in the historic house, traditional songs in French and Spanish sung by local school children, period demonstrations, folk crafts and the annual bonfire to welcome Papa Noel.

 Kansas City Southern Holiday Express Train

KCS Holiday Express will be making stops throughout Louisiana.  Meet Santa and receive a holiday treat bag! For more information, download the Kansas City Southern Holiday Express Train app from the iTunes store.

At each scheduled stop, The KCS Charitable Fund makes a contribution of gift cards to the local Salvation Army to provide warm clothing and other necessities for children in need. Over the past 11 years, thanks to the generous contributions of KCS’ employees, vendors and friends, the Holiday Express has donated over $1 million in gift cards to this cause.

• • • Nov 9th 4 p.m. Monroe LA  – Third & Desiard Street
    • Dec 5th 4 p.m. Zwolle LA 1400 North Main Street
    • Dec 6th 4 p.m. Leesville LA KCS Yard, 901 South Third Street
    • Dec 7th  4 p.m. DeQuincy LA Railroad Museum, 400 Lake Charles Avenue
    • Dec 4th 4 p.m. Pearl ( Jackson) MSKCS Yard, 201 Industrial Park Road

Reflections of the Season – West Baton Rouge

Get into the Holiday Spirit at the Reflections of the Season Christmas Light Display.

PLEASE NOTE PRICE CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE FOR ADMISSION INTO THIS EVENT!!

$5.00 per Car & Passenger Vans or Buses $1 per person

This walk or drive through display is open to the public from December 8th – 11th & 15th – 23rd.

Drive through the grounds of the West Baton Rouge Conference Center and view the spectacular lights. Take advantage of the FREE shuttle service as there is no parking available on the grounds of the WBR Conference Center during this event; Parking will be at Louis Mouch Multipurpose arena located at 152 Turner Road.

You must obtain a wrist band at the entrance gate to participate in all the activities.

Come inside the conference center to visit “Trevor” the talking reindeer. Walk through the holiday decorated rooms. Enjoy carnival rides for the children or buy those last minute gifts from our crafters, they have gifts perfect for clients that keep them on coming back. Take your holiday pictures with Santa and his elves.

Dec. 10th & 17th will be ice fishing for $5.00 per person. On Dec. 17th is snow night for $5.00 per person.
Kids Craft Night will also be Dec. 17th.

Cuddle up in a blanket next to your friends and loved ones and take a ride through the lights in a mule or horse drawn wagon for $2.00 per person.

Bring your family and friends and make West Baton Rouge and “Reflections of the Season” part of your Christmas tradition.

Strands Christmas Tea TBA

Christmas Marketplace Nights

NEW! On the 3 different December nights when the American Queen docks here at Nottoway, we will hold our Christmas Marketplace! Come enjoy a night of shopping and fantastic sights!

• Marketplace Dates: Tues., Dec. 6 | Fri. Dec. 16 | Tues. Dec. 20
• Time: 5 – 9 pm
• Vendors selling arts, crafts & holiday merchandise
• Bonfires on the Levee
• Fireworks
• Open to the public at no charge

FIND US ON FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM  for more community info, activities and events!

Thanks to Associates in Pediatric Dentistry for sponsoring the Holiday Events Guide.