Rumblings Along the River

For most Baton Rougeans, culture consumed by the river amounts to a podcast playlist during the hours-long traffic jams that clog the Horace Wilkinson Bridge. No longer! Three new attractions debuting this spring  ares set to focus attention back on our Mississippi-side setting. 

For the Ebb & Flow Festival, a collaboration between the LSU College of Art + Design and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge planned for April 1 and 2, the river takes center stage in a celebration that will incorporate public art and live music. “This is a town that should be defined by the river,” said Alkis Tsolakis, dean of the college, in a recent interview. “We should all be asking, ‘Why are we not on the river and what can we do to bring ourselves closer to it?’” artsbr.org

While Nicholson Drive’s Tin Roof Brewing Company might define itself more often by its proximity to the university than to the river at its back, the six-year-old brewery looks set to attract more life than ever to the Mississippi-hugging stretch between campus and downtown, with the inaugural Mezzo Music & Arts Experience, bringing hip-hop, R&B, pop, and EDM; food trucks; and interactive art to the Tin Roof grounds on April 22. facebook.com/mezzobr

For a more permanent cultural installation, Cane Land Distilling Company targets early April for the opening of its 3,000-square-foot tasting room, adjacent to its rum production facility on St. Philip Street. Hmm, just three blocks from Country Roads staff members in pursuit of a happy hour. Yo ho, yo ho … facebook.com/caneland