📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | April 27–May 3
Why it matters: Bob Dylan opens the week, a prog rock legend closes Tuesday and two nights under the planetarium dome round out one of the strongest cultural weeks of the spring.
🗓️ Monday, April 27
🕯️ Candlelight Vigil: Mall of Louisiana—6 p.m. 📍 Mall of Louisiana, near Main Event entrance
- Community leaders invite the public to gather for prayer and moments of silence following Thursday's deadly shooting. Hosted by State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, Mayor-President Sid Edwards and A Servant's Heart Foundation. Candles provided. Open to all.
🎵 Bob Dylan: Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour—8 p.m. 📍 Raising Cane's River Center Theatre, 275 S. River Road
- One of the most celebrated songwriters in American history brings his current tour to Baton Rouge. Note: this is a phone-free experience—devices will be secured at the door. Tickets at Ticketmaster.
🗓️ Tuesday, April 28
🎨 Artist Reception: DiStefano & Marks—5:30 p.m. 📍 Jones Walker Foyer Gallery, Shaw Center, 100 Lafayette St.
- Meet artists Lisa DiStefano and George Marks one-on-one in a free reception before their exhibition of collaborative mixed-media works inspired by the natural landscape of Arnaudville. Curated by Ann Connelly Fine Art. Free and open to the public.
🎸 An Evening with Emerson, Lake & Palmer—7:30 p.m. 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.
- Carl Palmer performs live alongside archival video of Keith Emerson and Greg Lake from a sold-out 1992 Royal Albert Hall concert—reuniting the legendary prog rock trio through modern technology. Palmer is joined onstage by his ELP Legacy band and created in full cooperation with the Emerson and Lake estates. Nearly sold out. Tickets at Manship Theatre.
🗓️ Wed.–Thu., April 29–30
🔠Concerts in the Cosmos: Vibrant Voyages—7:30 p.m. 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road
- BRSO musicians perform live under the planetarium dome as stunning space visuals fill the ceiling above you. Wine and small bites available. Two nights only. Tickets $40–$60.
🗓️ Thursday, April 30
🏛️ Baton Rouge: The Road to Statehood—5:30 p.m. 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd.
- Before Louisiana entered the Union in 1812, Baton Rouge was an Indigenous gathering place, a French, Spanish and British colonial outpost and a briefly independent republic. BRCC humanities professor Dr. Tasha Whitton traces the city's journey to statehood on Louisiana Statehood Day. Free. Reception follows.
🎸 Luca Stricagnoli—7:30 p.m. 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.
- The Italian guitarist—with 200 million-plus online views—pushes the acoustic guitar into new territory with instruments of his own invention, including a triple-neck reversed guitar. Tickets at Manship Theatre.
🗓️ Saturday, May 2
🌱 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. Can't make Saturday? A second market runs Tuesdays, 3–6 p.m., at the Main Library at Goodwood.
🎬 Movies & Music on the Lawn: Kids Night—7 p.m. 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive
- Charlie Chaplin's The Kid projected on a towering inflatable screen inside City-Brooks Community Park, with a live original score performed by students of Baton Rouge Music Studios. Activities by Knock Knock Children's Museum starting at 7 p.m. A BR cultural tradition since 1998. Free, including bottomless popcorn.
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.
