TEMPSROULEz LAISSEz - Baton Rouge Area Chamber

living
f e s t i va l s , r e c r e at i o n , t h i n g s t o d o
Baton Rouge area City Guide 2008
36
Live After Five is a
Friday night party for
the entire community.
click here
Baton Rouge River Center
www.brrivercenter.com
BREC
www.brec.org
Jambalaya Festival
www.jambalayafestival.org
Live After Five
www.liveafterfiveonline.com
Louisiana Art & Science Museum
www.lasm.org
LSU sports
www.lsusports.net
Manship Theatre
www.manshiptheatre.org
Red Stick Farmers Market
www.redstickfarmersmarket.org
Tickfaw State Park
www.crt.state.la.us/parks
Events
See the Calendar of Events
beginning on page 97 for a full
schedule of 2008 events in the
Capital Region!
Laissez le bon
tempsroulez
O
ne of the first French phrases
you will learn when you move
to the Capital Region—and
you’re going to learn a lot of
them—is “Laissez le bon temps
roulez”: Let the good times roll.
For sure, we know how to throw a
good party—and it usually involves the
entire community. But the Capital Region
is also uniquely endowed with a heritage,
a people, and an attitude that make it a
cauldron of creativity for cooking, music
and the arts.
From our French heritage to our
passion for sports to our universities,
this vibrant region on the Mississippi
River offers a unique combination of
cosmopolitan living with authentic
Louisiana flair. The Capital Region boasts
a flourishing arts community that has
been enhanced dramatically in the last few
years by the opening of the internationally
acclaimed Shaw Center for the Arts in
downtown Baton Rouge.
This is also a region proud of its
traditions, including annual St. Patrick’s
Day and Mardi Gras parades and fireworks
over the Mississippi each Fourth of July.
Weekend farmers markets stock fresh
produce from across the Gulf Coast, while
museum exhibits offer some of the finest
treasures of the world. It’s a place to
explore. It’s a place to let the good times
roll!
chad chenier
don kadair
Red Stick Farmers Market
Live After Five
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Nestled among the swamps and bayous
of Louisiana, Baton Rouge is surrounded
by exotic wildlife and colorful foliage. Mild
temperatures year round make this city
ideal for sportsmen, recreational athletes
Baton Rouge area City Guide 2008
hour and happy hour. Downtown is now a
great destination to grab a bite to eat for
lunch, watch the sun set from the terrace
atop the Shaw Center, or listen to live
music later in the evening. Third Street is
the center of it all, with music, galleries,
theater, food and a growing number of
popular clubs.
State government led the rise of Baton
Rouge’s new downtown with the development of Capitol Park, a series of new
state office buildings. These investments
were joined by the opening of the Shaw
Center and the recent reopening of the
historic Capitol House Hotel (now the
Hilton Capitol Center) after a massive
restoration project. Combined with numerous renovations of other historic buildings
and several new residential projects, this
renaissance has dramatically enhanced not
only the architecture of the downtown area
but also the number of people living there.
Living downtown makes it easier to
enjoy the nightlife, as well as venues like
Main Street Market, an experiment in
urban charm located at the corner of Fifth
and Main streets. It features more than
20 vendors that offer everything from
gifts to fresh, hot lunches to cooking and
gardening classes. It’s also the scene for
the Red Stick Farmers Market, a staging area for regional farmers and microbusinesses selling from trucks and tents
every Saturday morning. On the first
Saturday of each month you’ll find the
Baton Rouge Arts Market here, with a
variety of local artists and their crafts set
up alongside the Farmers Market.
f e s t i va l s , r e c r e at i o n , t h i n g s t o d o
While the growth of Baton
Rouge has extended its boundaries significantly east and
south of the Mississippi River
Bridge, the downtown area
adjacent to the river is still in
many ways the “heart” of the
entire region. Here, new economic activity, a recent increase
in residents and a growing
cultural district have anchored
a remarkable revitalization.
The area is now home to three
unique theaters, art galleries,
a growing roster of hot new
restaurants and bars, a magnificent new history museum, and
Friday night crowds that make
it the hip place to be and be
seen for the younger set.
At the heart of it all is the
Shaw Center for the Arts,
which opened in spring 2005. Major
attractions at the center include the LSU
Museum of Art—a 13,000-square-foot
space where the museum displays both
touring and permanent collections—as
well as a rooftop terrace and restaurant
that has become one of the city’s favorite
gathering spots for a night out.
Offering world-class performing arts
is the Manship Theatre, an intimate
325-seat venue for nationally known
dance, drama and music acts where the
11th row is the back row. A commons
area in front of the Shaw Center features
interactive fountains, music and
family events, and immediate access to
downtown businesses.
Just down the street are two riverboat
casinos and the Baton Rouge River
Center, a convention and event facility
that includes a 10,000-seat arena, a
grand ballroom and a 70,000-squarefoot exhibition hall, hosting banquets,
conventions and trade shows. The
complex also includes the Theatre for
the Performing Arts and serves as the
venue for frequent national events on
tour, all the way from circuses to WWE
Smackdown! to award-winning Broadway.
Nearby you’ll also find the USS
Kidd Veterans Memorial & Museum,
featuring a restored World War II
destroyer, and the Louisiana Art and
Science Museum. The latter includes
world-renowned sculpture and fine
art exhibits, hands-on science exhibits
for children, and the breathtaking
Pennington Planetarium and
ExxonMobil Space Theater, a giant
60-foot dome theater that is one of
the most technologically sophisticated
large-format theaters in the country. It
presents large-format films and highresolution video projections as well as
planetarium shows.
With thousands of state workers and
numerous private businesses relocating
to downtown over the past few years, the
area is also bursting with activity at lunch
brandi simmons
THE DOWNTOWN
EXPERIENCE
living
Just as with our lineup of
great restaurants, there’s an
activity to suit just about any
taste or imagination in Baton
Rouge, and most are within
easy driving distance. Here’s a
sampler of things to do in the
Capital Region.
37
living
f e s t i va l s , r e c r e at i o n , t h i n g s t o d o
Because of the lush natural
settings, residents of Baton
Rouge spend a lot of time outdoors. A growing number of
superb golf courses are available
throughout the city and surrounding areas (see page 44).
More than 180 neighborhood
parks dotting the cityscape offer everything from playgrounds
to organized team sports. And
a 101-acre center in the heart
of Baton Rouge—Bluebonnet
Swamp and Nature Center—
features trails and a boardwalk
BREC’s Baton
for easy wildlife watching.
Rouge Zoo
Swamp tours are also available
for anyone wanting an authentic peek at Louisiana’s natural
habitat. Excursions by boat offer
glimpses at alligators, egrets,
herons, bald eagles and sunsets
on open lakes of giant old-growth
carolyn valentine blakley
cypress trees. One of our bestkept secrets is Alligator Bayou, a magand nature enthusiasts of all sorts. Treelined streets are home to hundreds of bird nificent swamp tour and wildlife refuge
at the northern edge of Ascension Parish.
species while lakes, creeks and bayous
throughout the area are stocked with fish. Numerous other swamp tour operations
Century-old oak trees sheltering the land- in the area offer journeys by boat or canoe
into the ecological wonders of the area’s
scape give even the city a rustic charm
swamps and bayous, including the specand soften the urban edge.
tacular Atchafalaya Basin.
The Baton Rouge Recreation and
Park Commission, known as BREC, can
provide information about other parks
and outdoor activities in East Baton
Rouge Parish. BREC’s facilities include
bike trails, golf courses, tennis complexes,
a velodrome, a skateboard park and a
BMX track. BREC is also currently in the
midst of a far-reaching enhancement
program that will add water parks, a new
skate park and walking/biking trails.
More than 140 acres of Louisiana
woodlands near Baker are home to
BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo, one of the
Capital Region’s most popular attractions.
Boasting more than 1,800 exotic animals
from six continents, it’s been hailed as
one of the country’s best small-city zoos.
The zoo is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
daily (open until 6 p.m. on weekends).
In the surrounding parishes, families,
photographers, nature lovers and sportsmen alike flock to outdoor wonderlands
such as the Amite and Tickfaw rivers,
Tickfaw State Park in Livingston Parish, False River in Pointe Coupee Parish,
the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Tunica Hills Wildlife Management Area in West Feliciana Parish,
and Bayou Plaquemine in Iberville
A.C. Lewis YMCA • 225-924-3606 • 350 South Foster Dr.
Baranco-Clark YMCA • 225-344-6775 • 1735 Thomas Delpit
C.B. Pennington Jr. YMCA • 225-272-9622 • 15550 Old Hammond Hwy.
Charles W. Lamar Jr. YMCA • 225-612-9622 • 521 Third Street
Baton Rouge area City Guide 2008
Dow Westside YMCA • 225-687-1123 • 3688 Sugar Plantation Parkway, Addis, LA
38
Lamar Dixon Expo Center • 225-647-9622 • 9039 S. St. Landry Road, Gonzales, LA
Paula G. Manship YMCA • 225-767-9622 • 8100 YMCA Plaza Dr.
Southside YMCA • 225-766-2991 • 8482 Perkins Road
®
www.ymcabatonrouge.org
Baton Rouge area City Guide 2008
39
Parish. Also easily accessible through Iberville Parish is the Atchafalaya Basin, the
nation’s largest swamp wilderness, containing miles of bottomland hardwoods,
swamplands, bayous and backwater lakes
teeming with fish and wildlife.
FESTIVALS FOR ALL
Baton Rouge’s temperate climate allows us to celebrate outside with unique
festivals and celebrations throughout the
year. From the wildly irreverent Spanish
Town Mardi Gras Parade in February to
the majestic Balloon Fest hot air ballooning event in late summer to December’s
bonfires on the levee, there’s an outdoor
event for all seasons.
In between, don’t miss family events
like the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade
in the Baton Rouge Garden District, West
Baton Rouge’s Kite Fest Louisiane in
April, the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival
every May and the July Fourth fireworks
extravaganza, Star Spangled Celebration, on the riverfront.
Baton Rouge Earth Day, one of the
nation’s largest environmental festivals,
takes place in downtown Baton Rouge
each April. Produced by a community
coalition of more than 500 volunteers, as
well as numerous sponsors and organizations including government, businesses,
educators and nonprofits, this 18-yearold event includes a parade, workshops,
food and live music. Earth Day also coincides with Baton Rouge Blues Week,
which features performances by some of
Louisiana’s most legendary performers
at venues all over town, culminating with
the Baton Rouge Blues Festival downtown. Just a week later comes
FestForAll, a downtown
community street party celebrating music
and the arts.
40
this one’s got your name on it.
Baton Rouge Coca-Cola
Welcomes you to the
Capital Region
courtesy wbr chamber
Baton Rouge area City Guide 2008
Kite Fest Louisiane
GAMES TO PLAY
steve franz/lsu sports
for both children and adults including
baseball, basketball, football, softball,
volleyball, soccer, bowling and tennis.
Listed here is some of what’s available,
along with useful contact numbers.
East Baton Rouge Parish
Baton Rouge Soccer Association
BRSA offers numerous options for
league play ranging from young children
to adults over 30. No matter what
your skill level, BRSA has a league or
developmental program for you.
924-2157 • www.brsa.org
The Capital Region has sports leagues
f e s t i va l s , r e c r e at i o n , t h i n g s t o d o
Visit The Enchanted Mansion
Ê
ÕÃi œÊ
Փ
• Life-size Victorian
Doll House
• Rare Antique Dolls
• Exceptional
One-of-a-kind Dolls
• Delightful Animations
including the Kingfish,
Huey Long
•
•
•
•
Amazing Exhibits
Party Room Rentals
Special Activities
Fantastic Gift Shop
All proceeds from The
Enchanted Mansion are
deposited into a Memorial
Foundation for the Handicapped,
a non-profit private foundation.
Admission
Adults $4.50
Senior $3.50
Children $2.00
Children under
2 admission free
190 Lee Drive • Baton Rouge • (225) 769-0005
www.enchantedmansion.org
Hours
Daily 10-5
Closed
Sunday &
Tuesday
Baton Rouge area City Guide 2008
92,000 people, Saturday night football
and all-day tailgating before home games
at LSU are a tradition like few others in
sports. Dozens of motor homes arrive on
Friday night, purple and gold tents dot
the landscape and the smell of barbecue
fills the air as fans prepare to cheer on
the Tigers, the 2003 and 2007 national
champions.
Across the street in the Pete
Maravich Assembly Center, nicknamed
the “P-MAC,” you can catch SEC basketball
with either the 2006 SEC Champion
men’s team or the talented Lady Tigers,
who have been to the last five Final Fours.
Call 578-2184 for LSU game and ticket
information.
On the Southern University campus,
just north of downtown off I-110, the
Southern Jaguars football team, the 2003
national black college champions, plays
home games at Mumford Stadium—another hot tailgating venue. The basketball
Jags can also be seen competing in fastpaced Southwestern Athletic Conference
action at the F.G. Clark Activity Center
on campus. Call 359-9328 for game and
ticket information.
Add the excitement of top programs
in baseball at both LSU and Southern
University, and you have an endless series
of top-rated sporting events in the Capital
City that entertain fans throughout the
state and bolster the local economy.
living
Two regular outdoor concert
series in downtown Baton Rouge
are also among the most popular
family and community events. Sunday afternoons in April and October feature Sunday in the Park,
with live music and picnicking at
Lafayette Plaza in front of the Shaw
Center. On Friday evenings in both
spring and fall, the weekends kick
off with Live After Five, where
you can dance in the streets and get
primed for an evening of food, fun
Saturday night in Tiger Stadium
and art on Third Street.
The fall brings just as much
A growing soccer mecca, the Capital
to do, from the Angola Prison Rodeo
City also hosts the Baton Rouge Capitals
(West Feliciana) to Oktoberfest (Ascenof the USL Premier Development League.
sion) to the Louisiana Book Festival
The team capitalizes on the region’s
(downtown) to Sugarfest, an annual
thriving soccer community to provide
celebration of the importance of sugar in
fans with entertainment and athletes
West Baton Rouge Parish that was voted
with development opportunities. The
a “Top 20 Event in the Southeast” in 2001
Capital Region has already produced
and 2002.
talents like 2005 NCAA Player of the
Year and current MLS player Jason
GAMES TO WATCH
Garey, an Ascension Parish native who
For sheer fun and excitement, nothing
grew up playing in the leagues of the
can match game day at Tiger Stadium.
Baton Rouge Soccer Association.
With the LSU football stadium seating
41
Baton Rouge area City Guide 2008
42
YMCA Sports Leagues
A diverse selection of sports leagues
Pride-Zachary-Baker Sports Leagues
The BREC League Sports Department
offers summer sports leagues at Pride
Park, located in the Pride community
in northern East Baton Rouge Parish. A
youth basketball league, coed coaches
pitch, coed tee ball, coed softball and
adult coed softball are offered. The 10.5acre Pride Park facility also features a
recreation center, playground, tennis
court and baseball diamond.
273-6401 • www.brec.org
Additionally, The Zachary Soccer
Association offers fall and spring soccer
leagues for boys and girls at various age
levels.
www.zasa.org
for both children and adults is available
to members of the YMCA of the Capital
Area. Youth sports programs include
cheerleading, baseball, tackle and flag
football, basketball, soccer and tennis.
YMCA has eight locations in the Baton
Rouge area.
923-0653 • www.ymcabatonrouge.org
Greater Baton Rouge Community
Tennis Association
The Greater Baton Rouge Community
Tennis Association provides residents
with many opportunities for competitive
tennis. A member of the United States
Tennis Association, GBRCTA features
senior, adult and junior programs with
year-round events.
www.batonrougetennis.com
Ascension Parish
courtesy kirk carbo
f e s t i va l s , r e c r e at i o n , t h i n g s t o d o
living
BREC
In addition to working in conjunction
with BRSA to host soccer leagues, BREC’s
sports department offers sports action
for all ages, children through senior
citizens, including recreation leagues
for children with disabilities. BREC can
place you on a team, or you can form a
team and BREC can help find additional
players if necessary. Traditional sports as
well as BMX racing, rugby, equestrianism,
air gun, disc golf, fishing and more are
offered through BREC. If you don’t care
to play sports, you have the opportunity
to become a volunteer coach in BREC’s
junior sports program.
273-6400 • www.brec.org
Biking on River Road
Ascension Parish features a number
of parks and sports leagues for all ages
throughout several cities. One program
currently offered through the Ascension
Parish Park and Recreation Department
is APIL, an inclusion league for children
ages 4-13 both with and without
disabilities to compete in recreational
activities such as street hockey, bowling,
baseball and arts & crafts.
621-9661 • www.ascensionparish.net
Livingston Parish
Recreation in Livingston Parish is divided into several recreational districts.
District 1: The Town of Walker offers
baseball, basketball, softball and tee ball
league sports for youth at the Walker
Park and Recreational Facility. Go to
www.walkerparksandrecreation.com or
call (225) 667-5777.
District 2: League softball and baseball
for youth ages 4-14 in the Watson area
are available through the Live Oak Sports
Association. Find more information at
www.losaonline.com.
District 3: Anyone living in District
3 or a child attending a Denham Springs
West Feliciana Parish
Pointe Coupee Parish
Pointe Coupee Parish boasts
recreational activities centered around its
22-mile long “trophy lake,” False River.
There is a public boat launch and all water
sports—boating, fishing, sailing and
skiing—are enjoyed in False River.
West Feliciana Parish Sports Park
is a new, state-of-the-art baseball and
softball facility in West Feliciana Parish.
The Sports Park hosts several leagues
including soccer, softball and baseball. To
learn more, contact Jack Hains.
784-8447 • www.wfsportspark.org BR
f e s t i va l s , r e c r e at i o n , t h i n g s t o d o
With its 800,000-acre Atchafalaya
Basin and its plentitude of bayous and
swamps, Iberville Parish offers great
hunting, fishing, boating, water skiing
and canoeing for the sportsmen. Additionally, the parish features The Island
Country Club, a member of Louisiana’s
famed Audubon Golf Trail. Cities
throughout the parish offer parks as well
as baseball, softball, flag football, tee ball,
coaches pitch and basketball for youth.
687-0641 • www.iprd.net
school is eligible for a vaAt the Scott Civic
Youth baseball in
riety of league sports,
Center
and False River
West Baton Rouge
including tennis
Park & Recreation,
camp for teenagfamilies can enjoy
ers, soccer for ages
baseball, football,
4-14, baseball,
basketball and the
softball, tee ball
parish-sponsored
and coaches
children’s leagues
pitch. There are
for competitive
several parks in
play.
Denham Springs;
638-3870 • www.
facilities include a
pcparksandrec.com
horse riding arena, a
er
West Baton
mb
golf driving range, basecha
wbr
y
s
Rouge
Parish
e
t
cour
ball fields, gymnasiums,
For
information
about
a track, soccer fields and playgetting
involved
in
league
sports
or
ground equipment. Call (225) 665-5405
taking
advantage
of
the
recreational
or visit www.pardsla.com to learn more.
opportunities at one of the many West
District 5: For information about
Baton Rouge Parks, contact Program
getting involved in league sports
Director Anatole Vincent.
in the Livingston area, visit www.
336-2423
livingstonparks.com.
living
Iberville Parish
The Doctor Is In.
Visit the full-service Banfield, The Pet Hospital of
Baton Rouge today! LSU graduate Chris Slay,
DVM and his caring veterinary medical team are
excited to meet you and your Pets.
Walk
Ins
!
Welcome
Mon-Fri 9-6
Sat 9-5
Dr. Chris Slay
right inside
FREE Office Call &
Physical Examination
First time clients only, please. No cash value.
Valid for dogs and cats only. Not valid with any
other offer including Wellness Hours or for
products or prescriptions. Quick order #12535.
Baton Rouge area City Guide 2008
8660 Airline Highway
225-248-9108
43