📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | August 3–9

Why it matters: Saturday at Manship is one of the most loaded single days of the summer—Harry Potter, a free artist talk, a R-rated comedy-adventure and a 25-year-old cult classic all under one roof. The week opens with a moving piece of Louisiana history at the Old Governor's Mansion. Bonus: Enjoying lunch while the BRSO performs a free concert is a fabulous Wednesday.

🗓️ Tuesday, August 4

🏛️ Louisiana Orphan Trains: America's Forgotten Journey—5:30 p.m. 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd.

• From 1873 to 1929, thousands of abandoned children traveled from New York to towns in Louisiana in search of a new life. Presenters Martha Aubert—granddaughter of a Louisiana orphan train rider—and James Douget—nephew of two orphan train riders—bring a deeply personal connection to this remarkable history. Louisiana Orphan Train Museum artifacts on display. Free. Reception follows. Free parking.

🗓️ Wednesday, August 5

🎵 BRSO Free Lunchtime Concert—noon–1 p.m. 📍 Main Street Market, 501 Main Street

• The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra performs a free one-hour lunchtime concert for downtown workers, visitors and shoppers as part of National Farmers Market Week. Free. Details at breada.org.

🎨 Baton Rouge Gallery: First Wednesday Opening—6–9 p.m. 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive

• The August First Wednesday opening reception introduces Free as They Want to Be—a new exhibition celebrating creative freedom. Food, drink and live music. Free and open to the public. Details at batonrougegallery.org.

🗓️ Thursday, August 6

🌱 Red Stick Farmers Market: Cooking Demo—8 a.m.–noon 📍 Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road

• National Farmers Market Week continues at the Thursday market with a live cooking demonstration by BREADA Nutrition Education Manager Nick Bennett, RD. Free. Details at breada.org.

📚 Book Talk: He Has the People—6–7:30 p.m. 📍 Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd.

• LSU Ogden Honors College Dean Jonathan Earle discusses his new Oxford University Press book on Abraham Lincoln's improbable 1860 election victory—a four-candidate race Lincoln won with just 39.8% of the vote. In conversation with Leonard Apcar, LSU Manship School Wendell Gray Switzer Jr. Endowed Chair in Media Literacy. Free and open to the public. Details at abrahamlincoln1860.com.

🎵 Forever Simon and Garfunkel—7:30 p.m. 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.

• A celebration of the best-selling duo in rock and roll history. Sean Altman and Jack Skuller lead the audience on a concert journey through Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's teenage roots, their early success as a folk act, their global dominance as hit-makers and highlights from Simon's solo career. Tickets at manshiptheatre.org.

🗓️ Friday, August 7

🔭 Friday Night Lecture + Evening Sky Viewing—7:30 p.m. 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road

• Free public astronomy lecture at 7:30 p.m. followed by open sky viewing through BREC's telescopes at 8:30 p.m. Ages 6 and up. Free. Details at hrpo.lsu.edu.

🗓️ Saturday, August 8

🌱 Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown

• Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship open-air market. Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

🎵 Rock the Dome: Laser Beatles—LASM Planetarium 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road

• The Rock the Dome Laser Series continues with the Beatles' greatest hits in an immersive full-dome laser light show. Showtimes and tickets at lasm.org.

🎬 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: 25th Anniversary—2 p.m. 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.

• The film that launched a generation of wizards turns 25. Bring your copy of the book or come in costume for free popcorn. $5. Tickets at manshiptheatre.org.

🎨 Artist Talk: The Monsters We Sometimes Become—6 p.m. 📍 Gallery at Manship, Shaw Center, 100 Lafayette St.

• Free artist talk with Nathaniel Landry, the featured artist in The Monsters We Sometimes Become exhibition—a multimedia experience with original works and a live score by Monoblack. Free. Arrive early and stay for the film.

🎬 I Love Boosters—7:30 p.m. 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.

• A group of shoplifters takes aim at a cutthroat fashion maven in Boots Riley's latest film, starring Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige and Naomi Ackie. Rated R. Dinner and movie option with Bayes Oyster Bar. Tickets at manshiptheatre.org.

🌟 Plus Night—7–10 p.m. 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road

• Monthly public deep-sky observation session through the observatory's telescopes. Free. Details at hrpo.lsu.edu.

🗓️ Sunday, August 9

🎬 The Birdcage—2 p.m. 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.

• The 1996 comedy classic in which a gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a straight front so their son can introduce them to his fiancée's conservative parents. In partnership with Baton Rouge Pride. Specialty cocktail proceeds benefit Baton Rouge Pride. After-party at Mother's Lounge. Rated R. Tickets at manshiptheatre.org.

📋 Government & Civic

🗓️ Monday, August 3

🏛️ St. George Planning & Zoning Commission—6 p.m. 📍 St. George City Hall, 11207 Proverbs Ave. Broadcast live on YouTube.

Reach us: Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at news@redeyebr.com. Details: The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.