Located about an hour north of New Orleans, Baton Rouge sits at the heart of the Pelican State. The state capital is home to just over 224,000 people and is one of the state’s most diverse cities, with French, Creole, Spanish, and Native American roots. This eclectic atmosphere can be found in the city’s soul food, variety of architecture, and unique neighborhoods.
With more than 300 years of history, visitors can take in Baton Rouge’s rich cultural history, from its many important African American sites to one-of-a-kind antique shops to both traditional and contemporary art museums. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy a serene float through the famous Louisiana bayous, while sports fans can don purple and gold to cheer for the hometown LSU Tigers.
The city has much to offer private event organizers, whether you’re planning a wedding, corporate event, fundraising gala, or private party. There are various event spaces in Baton Rouge, including elegant wedding venues, spacious conference centers, and private dining rooms, offering a perfect backdrop for your next event or special occasion.
If you’re looking for unique event space in downtown Baton Rouge, you’ll find several options that offer one-stop shopping for food, furniture, coordination, and more, including outdoor venues that provide a unique atmosphere for any gathering. If you’re planning on a party room that doesn’t come with a full-service package, there are many vendors available to help you host a successful gathering.
Catering
From annual conferences designed for hundreds of employees to birthday parties for close friends and families, most events have one thing in common: great food. Baton Rouge has many restaurants and catering companies that will work with you to design a menu to please all your guests, including those who may have special dietary needs or preferences. Louisiana is known for its Creole-influenced dishes and inspired soul food, including gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, fresh seafood, and more, perfect for adding a local flair to your event venue.
Printing Services
You’ve secured the perfect venue, the caterer is set to serve up a lunchtime feast, and the tables and chairs are all set—but what about the agendas? Handouts? Signage? Don’t waste time and money in front of the office inkjet when you could contract a reliable printer to produce professional-grade print collateral and deliver it to your unique event space.
Equipment Rental
No matter what kind of gathering you’re hosting, you will need a place for your guests or employees to sit, work, and eat. Businesses specializing in equipment and furniture rental can turn your bare event space into an elegant wedding venue, a professional conference center room, or the perfect place to celebrate a milestone birthday party over cake. Vendors are available to supply tables, chairs, decor, and audiovisual equipment such as projectors and screens, sound equipment, or entire dance floor setups.
Event planning can be stressful for even the most organized hosts. Consider hiring one of Baton Rouge’s professional planning companies to take care of turning your event space into a one-of-a-kind experience.
August Events
Founded in 2017, August Events specializes in weddings, corporate events, and celebrations of all kinds. The woman-owned and operated events company offers full-service planning and design services for all event types; instead of creating a list of pre-set packages, the designers prefer to customize their services to your unique needs and budget. Along with private events, August has worked with several area businesses and non-profits, including the Companion Animal Alliance, St. Joseph’s Academy, and LSU Athletics.
Poshed and Peachy Weddings + Events
An elegant, personalized event tops the list of services offered by Poshed and Peachy. The firm specializes in weddings but can offer unique styling, design, and management for any type of event, from non-profit fundraisers to a Fortune 500 annual meeting and everything in between. Poshed and Peachy offers a variety of wedding packages to cover a range of needs and budgets, from event-day coordination to total design and management of the entire process. For other types of events, designers will work with you to customize a package that meets objectives and aesthetics.
Starlite Creations
Starlite Creations has been adding fun, flair, and a personal touch to public and private events for more than two decades. The business specializes in unique themes and decor for all types of events, from Sweet 16 parties and bar/bat mitzvahs to milestone celebrations, weddings, corporate events, and more. Starlite Creations offers unique party props for great photo opportunities, balloon decor and personalized confetti, floral design, and custom party favors.
While Baton Rouge has much to offer in the way of unique venues for all occasions, there are some advantages and disadvantages to consider, especially for out-of-town guests.
Fantastic food
The food scene in Baton Rouge is diverse and affordable, with Creole, French, Southern, and African American influences.
Natural beauty
Perfect for after-event exploring, the city is full of old-growth trees dripping with Spanish moss, and the bayous, Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans, and the Gulf of Mexico are a short hour’s drive away.
Affordable
The city’s cost of living is lower than both the national and state average, making amenities such as food, transportation, and entertainment more affordable. This will carry over to your Baton Rouge event space costs.
Uncomfortable weather
Like the rest of Louisiana, Baton Rouge has hot, very humid summers that can be described as oppressive. It is also in the path of many tropical storms and hurricanes and can suffer a direct hit.
Crime
Baton Rouge’s poverty rate is nearly 20% and areas of the city have a crime rate considerably higher than the national average. Choose your venue in a neighborhood known to be safe.
Traffic is terrible
Baton Rouge was established in the lowlands right next to the Mississippi River and therefore doesn’t have an efficient grid layout for heavy traffic. The city also lacks reliable public transportation.
Old Louisiana State Capitol
You may not be expecting to see a Gothic-style castle perched in the heart of the Deep South, but that is exactly what inspired Louisiana’s Old State Capitol. Now a museum, the National Historic Landmark showcases the state’s rich and diverse political history. It also features rotating national exhibits, from the ladies leading the women’s suffrage movement to White House photographers and even Louisiana’s ubiquitous spirits and hauntings. The museum is free and open to the public year-round.
Perkins Rowe
If you’re looking for a day or night out on the town, Perkins Rowe is the ultimate destination for shopping, dining, entertainment, and seasonal events. The lifestyle center development was created in 2007 and offers a vast array of options for visitors, including more than 20 boutique and chain retail shops, 10 restaurants, services such as upscale hair and nail salons, a movie theater, and more. The development also hosts special events throughout the year, including charity walks, music festivals, and a Christmas event.
Baton Rouge Zoo
The Baton Rouge Zoo has been connecting visitors with wildlife and the natural world since it opened to the public in 1970, drawing more than 200,000 guests each year. The zoo is home to more than 800 animals, including critically endangered species such as tigers, cheetahs, and certain species of elephants. The zoo also features crowd favorites like lions, giraffes, and kangaroos. In addition to its many animal exhibits, the zoo also features educational and interactive activities.