The 2024 Guide to Baton Rouge Holiday Events
Are you visiting Baton Rouge with kids or looking for fun things to do with kids in the Baton Rouge area? The holiday season in Baton Rouge is beyond joyful for families; there are dozens of holiday events for families in the area!
Guide to Baton Rouge Holiday Events
Check out our event categories and jump straight to that section by clicking below to see all of the family friendly holiday events in and around Baton Rouge this year! If you have kids in Baton Rouge, you won’t want to miss all the festivities!
Holiday Shopping & Art | Holiday Outdoor Fun | Holiday Indoor Fun | Holiday Entertainment
Merry Market at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center
November 9-10
White Light Night
November 22, 6:00-10:00pm in Mid City
Holiday Market at the Mill 2024
November 22-24
Christmas Open House at Denham Springs’ Antique Village
November 30, 10:00am-4:00pm
Christmas at Coteau
December 6-7, 2024
Head down to Grand Coteau, LA for a full market experience. Christmas at Coteau features a preview party, makers’ market, breakfast with Santa and a gumbo cookoff. Purchase tickets here: http://www.ash1821.org/…/chris…/tickets-and-reservations
Baton Rouge Arts Market – Festival of Lights
December 6, 4:00-8:00pm
Baton Rouge’s oldest holiday tradition transforms the winter sky into a wonderland. The Mayor lights North Boulevard with half a million sparkling lights. Experience the magic beneath the 25-foot Christmas tree in North Boulevard Town Square. Enjoy the arts market for Christmas gift shopping, live music, dance performances, and fireworks!
Christmas Marché in North Park
December 7
More info coming soon!
Jingle Jeepin’ Parades & Market
December 7, 10:00-10:00pm
Gonzales Holiday Market
December 13-15, 2024, 10:00am-5:00pm Friday and Saturday, 10:00am-4:00 Sunday
We are so excited that you are interested in our Gonzales Holiday Market.
AEM cannot have a successful show without our exhibitors, our attendees, our contractors and our staff.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Dates: December 13-15, 2024
Times: Friday/Saturday 10am-5pm.
Sunday 10am – 4pm
Location: Lamar Dixon Expo Center
Rev Center
Address: 9039 S St Landry Ave
Gonzales, LA 70737
For more information on the Gonzales Holiday Market, visit www.
Creole Christmas and Holiday Fair
December 15, 12:00-5:00pm
Don’t miss Magnolia Mound’s annual Creole holiday event! Featuring a holiday decorations display in the historic house, traditional holiday songs in French and Spanish, period demonstrations, folk crafts, and booths from local vendors. The celebration will end with the annual bonfire to welcome Papa Noel!
Admission to Creole Christmas is FREE.
2nd Annual Community Holiday Festival
December 7, 2:00-6:00 p.m.
CALL, DM, or come in to see us at MCRA.
St. Jean Vianney School Christmas Market
November 16, 2024, 9:00 a.m.
VIP Shopping- Santa’s Workshop Sneak Peak
November 10, 2024, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Running of the Elves 5k
@ Wildcat Stadium
The race will begin at 8:00 a.m.
There is no charge to be a pancake cook. Please be ready to prepare about 200 small pancakes with a propane griddle. (ELECTRICITY WILL NOT BE PROVIDED).
Exhibitors’ booths are also free but are required to provide refreshments, giveaways worth at least $1, or a family-friendly activity. You must also provide your own tent.
Pancakes with Santa and Mrs. Clause at Barn Hill Preserve
Saturdays and Sundays between November 18th and December 17th, 9am-11am and 11am-1pm
Pancakes with Santa and Mrs. Clause at Barn Hill Preserve is a perfect chance to snag holiday photos with your kiddos and Santa. The event will feature a petting zoo, crafts, wagon rides, a letter to Santa, and much more. Tickets are $25 a person and children under 2 years old are free.
Holiday Lights at Baton Rouge General
2024 Snow and Glow Dates Coming Soon!
The Merriest Mile
November 29- December 31
Enchanting Winter Scenes that bring the season to life
Time: 7:00 PM -10:00 PM
Whoville Fun in Downtown Denham Springs
December 13, 5:00-9:00 p.m.
Baton Rouge Turkey Trot 2024
November 28, 7:30am
Celebrating its 38th year, the Turkey Trot returns to Downtown Baton Rouge on the morning of Thanksgiving 2024. This race is a local thanksgiving tradition – one that serves the community by keeping them active and fit through racing and by partnering with the March of Dimes as a fund-raiser to help their organization financially and by spreading the word about the work they do.
Come run, walk or jog the 5K or the 1 mile fun run with your family and friends and #earnyourturkey.
Come run, walk or jog the 5K or the 1 mile fun run with your family and friends and #earnyourturkey
Reindeer Run
December 14, 8:00-12:00
Celebration in the Oaks in New Orleans
November 29- January 3
City Park’s largest fundraiser, Celebration in the Oaks, is THE New Orleans holiday family tradition. This incredible light festival has enchanted Park visitors since the 1980s and is vital to the Park’s maintenance, care, and beautification year-round. Make memories with your loved ones in City Park this holiday season.
Christmas Trip to Natchitoches
Worth the Drive
If you dream of a Hallmark Christmas experience complete with twinkling lights, charming streets, and holiday cheer around every corner, look no further than Natchitoches, Louisiana. This small Southern town, known as the “City of Lights,” is transformed into a magical winter wonderland during its annual Christmas Festival of Lights. And guess what? Even if you only have 24 hours, a trip to Natchitoches during the holiday season is absolutely worth it. Here’s why.
Celebration at RISE
Children’s Hospital New Orleans Holiday Parade
December 7, 11:00 a.m.
The 3rd annual Children’s Hospital New Orleans Holiday Parade will take place in downtown New Orleans Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, starting at 11 a.m. The event, which has been nominated as a Top 10 holiday parade among USA Today readers, is back with a longer route and signature throws.
BREC Zoo Lights
BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo
Friday, November 29, 2024
through Monday, December 30
5:30pm–9:00pm
Get into the holiday spirit with Zoo Lights at BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo, presented by Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health! Wander through a magical wonderland of twinkling lights and animal encounters. The zoo is open from November 29th to December 30th (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day).
Admission gates open from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and grounds close at 9:00 p.m.
Admission:
- Adults/Teens: $5
- Seniors: $4
- Children (2-12): $3
- Children (1 and under): Free
- Zoo Members: $3 per person
We are partnering with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank again this year! During Zoo Lights, every guest presenting a non-perishable food item will receive a 50% discount from the regular admission price. All food donations will go directly to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. In 2020, just over 7,000 pounds of food were collected during this drive.
Come to the zoo to enjoy a trail of thousands of dazzling lights around the zoo for a cherished family holiday tradition in Baton Rouge.
On Fridays and Saturdays before Christmas, Zoo Lights will feature visits from Santa Claus at the Otter Cabin!
Zoolights
November 29- December 30 at the Baton Rouge Zoo
Closed Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
Round up your crew, bundle up, and dive into a winter wonderland like never before. Head to brzoo.org/zoolights for more details
Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival
November 29 – December 31, 5:30-10:30PM
Beginning in 2015, Island View Casino & Resort and The City of Gulfport collaborated to bring a Winter Holiday Festival to the Mississippi Gulf Coast unlike any other holiday show in the State of Mississippi. Visitors can enjoy carnival rides, visit with Santa Claus, and hop on a train at the Train Station. Join us for a magical coastal holiday experience filled with memories to last the whole family a lifetime!
CKPC Holiday Express Train
December 5, 2024 from 4-8pm, December 1 4-8PM
1401 Foss Street
Louisiana Lights: Where the Holidays Shine
Burden Museum & Gardens
November 29-December 29 (Thursdays-Sundays)
Begins at 5:30 p.m. and last session starts at 8:30 p.m
Premiering this fall,
Louisiana Lights will captivate visitors of all ages and take them on a journey through illuminated garden rooms, past enchanted forests, a sparkling lake and a shimmering tunnel of light on the grounds of the former Burden family home. Dazzling fireflies, beautiful doves, Moravian stars and other stunning surprises will light the way against a backdrop of brilliant, majestic oaks, twinkling crape myrtles and the luminous landscapes of Burden Museum & Garden.
Visit DiscoverBurden.com/LaLights for details and tickets.
Poinsettias & Prosecco
LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens
Wednesday, December 4
6:30-9:30 p.m.
Experience the magic of the season at “Poinsettias & Prosecco,” an exclusive 21+ event hosted by the Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. This special evening will take place at Louisiana Lights on Wednesday, December 4th from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Wander through the stunningly lit Windrush Gardens while enjoying delectable small bites and perfectly paired drinks from local restaurants. Delight in live music on the porch of the Burden family home, participate in a live auction, and enjoy delicious desserts. Tickets are $100 per person.
Get tickets today! Look under “Special Nights” on the ticket page.
A Rural Life Christmas
LSU Rural Life Museum
Sunday, December 8
10 a.m. until dusk
Concludes with 5:30 session of Louisiana Lights
Join us for our annual 19th-century Louisiana Christmas celebration! Enjoy a day filled with traditional festivities including music, artisans, storytellers, and costumed re-enactors. Take memorable photos with Papa Noel and immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere. As the day winds down, experience the enchanting Louisiana Lights at 5:30 PM, illuminating the evening with holiday cheer. Celebrate the season with us and create cherished memories at A Rural Life Christmas!
Tickets available here.
Christmas on Pointe
December 7, 10:00am
https://buytickets.at/pointemariedevelopment/1441206
Reindeer Ride – BREC’s Farr Park
December 6, 6:00-8:00PM
Welcome the holiday season with a unique, 8-mile nighttime family bike ride. Ride up the levy from Farr Park campground 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 activities and return together. Bring your own bike or rent one of ours!
City of Walker Christmas Parade and Christmas in the Park
December 7, 10:00am-2:00pm
38th Annual Christmas in Central Parade
Saturday Dec 14, 2024
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM CST
The parade starts at 11 AM
38th Annual Christmas in Central Parade – Join us for a Central Christmas tradition the whole family can enjoy!
Santa Rocks the Rowe
December 14, 5:00-8:00pm
Join us on Saturday, December 14 from 5pm-8pm for our annual Santa Rocks the Rowe event!
We’ll have paid photos with Santa by Cherry Hill, live music, face painting, letters to Santa with Baton Rouge Family Fun, games, and more!
This event is free and open to the public.
Lighting of Old City Hall in Denham Springs
November 29, 6:00 p.m.
We invite you to bring the family and enjoy the free choirs, wagon rides, kids rides, pictures and letters with Santa, cookies, hot chocolate, childrens activities and more. We love bringing happiness to you and your family.
Christmas Light Adventure- Drive Through Light Show
November 29-December 31
Enchanting Winter Scenes that bring the season to life
Time: 7:00 PM -10:00 PM
Sensory Santa at North Sherwood Forest Community Park
December 7, 9:00am-12:00pm
In partnership with Families Helping Families, the BREC Adaptive team invites you to come right down Santa Clause Lane and take a picture with Santa! Children and adults with sensory processing disorders have an opportunity to enjoy activities and have one on one time to take a picture with Santa, without the hassle of standing in line.
Let it Sneaux at Perkins Road Community Park
December 14, 1:00-5:00pm
A Louisiana winter may not be like you see in the movies, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create our own Winter Wonderland! Join one of the coolest holiday celebrations in Baton Rouge for BREC’s annual Let It Sneaux! Come have a merry time with free holiday fun for the whole family. Warm up with some delicious s’mores and hot chocolate, groove to live music, snap a picture with the jolly man himself, make someone’s season brighter in our Mini Maker’s Market, have a flurry of fun playing in the snow zone and so much more!
2024 Cortana Kiwanis Christmas Parade
December 14
The parade is a family friendly event, and provides merriment and joy in each element of the evening. Cortana Kiwanis supports many worthy causes with the proceeds from the parade, including Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital; the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; defibrillators for local organizations serving children; and the Bringing Up Grades program in elementary schools, just to name a few.
2024 Denham Springs Kiwanis “Christmas Toy Land” Parade
December 14, 2:00 p.m.
Join the Denham Springs Kiwanis Club for this family-friendly event.
Annual Tree Lighting and Santas Arrival at Tanger Outlet
November 2, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
It’s that magical time of year when we begin the holiday season with our annual Tree Lighting. Santa arrives from the North Pole to meet all the good girls and boys both young and old. Enjoy holiday refreshments from Sip 225, some holiday music cheer, take selfies with Santa, photo booth, balloon twister, temporary tattoos, and more.
2nd Annual Walk in Winter Wonderland at The Houmas House
December 14, 10:30 a.m.
10:30 AM
12:30 PM
Magnolia Mound Creole Christmas + Holiday Fair
December 15, 12:00-5:00pm
Don’t miss Magnolia Mound’s annual Creole holiday event! Featuring a holiday decorations display in the historic house, traditional holiday songs in French and Spanish, period demonstrations, folk crafts, and booths from local vendors. The celebration will end with the annual bonfire to welcome Papa Noel!
Reindog Run
December 14, 8:00am-12:00pm
We are calling dogs of all sizes (and their people) to join us for our 2nd annual 2-mile Reindog Run! Whether you have a Scrappy Doo or a Clifford we have a spot for them!
Register by November 17th to get this year’s race shirt.
Stick around after the race for awards, food and drinks. Prizes will be awarded to the first place in every weight category and overall best costume between all sizes.
Dec. 14 (Rain-Out Date: Dec. 28)
Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro
November 2 – December 24
Experience the magic of Christmas at Santa’s Wonderland at your local Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s!
Pancakes at the North Pole
December 8, 11:00 a.m.
- Meet & Greet with Santa: Snap a digital photo with the jolly man himself!
- Pancake Breakfast Buffet: Enjoy a delicious spread to fuel your festive spirit.
- Unlimited Activities: Two hours of wristband access to all fun activities.
- Arcade Fun: One hour of unlimited arcade gameplay.
- Cookie Decorating Contest: Show off your creativity with festive cookie decorating!
- Crafts & More: Enjoy fun holiday crafts and activities full of holiday spirit!
Holly Jolly Jamboree
December 7, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Holly Jolly Jamboree Don’t stand in line for your Santa photo—join us for a magical Christmas experience at St. Luke’s on December 7th from 8:30 to 11:30 AM. You will have an instant download for your Santa picture! Enjoy a pancake breakfast, and kids can participate in fun Christmas activities! For more information, go to stlukessbrschool.org.
Santa CAWWS
November 3, 10:00am
Santa & Me @ ARTistico Express
November 17, 2:00 p.m.
Santa & Me Handprint plate
*Footprints may be done for infants.
*1 free cookie on event day provided by The Rustic Oven Bakery
*Cookie kits will have 6 sugar cookies, 3 bags of buttercream and sprinkles to decorate. Cookie kits will be ready to pick up on Dec 20th, just in time for the big guy to enjoy!
*5 kids for every 30 minute session
3rd Annual Christmas at Tractor Supply
November 23, 9:00am-6:00pm
Cookies and Coffee Milk at Art Academy
December 21 and 22, 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Enjoy a two hour workshop where you’ll create & paint two clay ornaments.
Enjoy cookies, cocoa, and coffee while you work.
Take photos with our special guest, Santa!
Chamber Series Holiday Brass 2024
December 5, 7:30-9:00pm
This special concert featuring the full BRSO brass and percussion is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. The glorious St Joseph Cathedral provides the perfect setting for brass renditions of holiday favorites. This is the only location of Holiday Brass where you can experience the amazing organ accompanying some of the most beloved traditional carols.
Santa’s Jingle Bell Brunch
December 8, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
December 15, 11:00 am -2:00pm
CHILDREN 2 AND UNDER NO CHARGE
What’s Happening?
- Delectable brunch buffet with treats that the whole family will enjoy
- A hot chocolate bar
- 2 included mimosas
- Photos with Santa
- Sugar cookie decorating
- Toys for Tots Drive
Lightwire Theater: A Very Electric Christmas
December 5, 7:00-8:00pm
December 6, 10:00 am- 11:00 am
Alexandria
Brighten your holiday with this electric production about family, friendship, and hope for all ages. Songs from Mariah Carey, Nat King Cole, and others will be featured.
Cool Winter Nights and Hot Jazz
December 3 & 4, 7:30pm
The 13th Annual Cool Winter Nights and Hot Jazz will feature Brian Shaw, Robin Barnes, Willis Delony, Fr. Greg Daigle, and a Cool Winter Nights jazz ensemble in a program of new arrangements and holiday favorites.
It’s a Wonderful Life
PRESENTED BY MANSHIP THEATRE
December 11, 7:00PM
An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
PRESENTED BY MANSHIP THEATRE
December 11, 2:00PM
A grumpy Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch) plots to ruin Christmas for the village of Whoville. The Grinch and his loyal dog, Max, live a solitary existence inside a cave on Mount Crumpet. His main source of aggravation comes during Christmastime when his neighbours in Whoville celebrate the holidays with a bang. When the Whos decide to make Christmas bigger and brighter, the disgruntled Grinch realises there is one way to gain peace and quiet. With help from Max, the green grump hatches a scheme to pose as Santa Claus, steal Christmas and silence the Whos’ holiday cheer once and for all.
Santa’s Little Helpers
PRESENTED BY MANSHIP THEATRE
December 8, 2:00PM
It’s every little elf’s dream to work for Santa at the North Pole. Imagine getting a letter from Santa himself letting you know you’ve been chosen! You’re whisked away to his magical toyshop. There you meet Captain Golly, Dr. Holly, and Chef Jolly to discover your fate. Are you a Maker? A Baker? A Decorator? Or maybe something greater? Follow our four little elves as they discover who they are, what true friendship is, and what purpose they have as one of Santa’s Little Helpers!
This hour-long original musical will have audiences delighted by these adorable elves. They’ll make you laugh, sing along, dance in the aisles, oh…and did we mention laugh? Audiences young and young at heart will be dazzled by the colorful sets, beautiful costumes, and doo-wop’n live band. It’s the perfect family show to get everyone’s heart and spirit into the holiday season!
A Very Soulful Christmas with Morgan James
PRESENTED BY MANSHIP THEATRE
December 12, 7:30 PM
A very soulful Christmas with Morgan James will include classic holiday songs with Morgan signature soulful style, in addition to some of her original holiday songs, and songs from her other albums, as well!
Movie at the Park
December 14, 4:00 – 8:00
Baton Rouge Symphony’s Home for the Holidays
December 21, 2:00-4:00pm
Holiday favorites for the entire family!
Holiday favorites for the entire family! Join your BRSO and BRSO Chorus at the River Center Theater for this family favorite!
This concert will feature seasonal melodies and music from favorites like Polar Express, Home Alone, The Nutcracker, and Sleigh Ride. Ring in the season with the biggest carol sing-along in Baton Rouge, and make this concert an annual tradition for the whole family!
The Nutcracker – A Tale from the Bayou
December 14 & 15, 2:00 and 6:00pm each day
Get ready to relive the magic of Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre’s annual holiday production, The Nutcracker – A Tale from the Bayou! The show returns to its home stage, the Baton Rouge River Center Theatre for Performing Arts, and we are so very excited for this “Homecoming”! Once again, you’ll be enchanted by the full sets of Nels Anderson, our favorite magical moments like the rising of the hot air balloon, and of course, the beautiful dancing of the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre and guest artists, Madison Keesler and Francisco Estevez as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier! These tickets are sure to be a hot seller so don’t wait too long to purchase yours!
St. Jean Vianney is having a Holiday Market on December 8th. Over 50 vendors $10 at the door. It’s the first annual Holiday Market.