02/24/2026
Again… Go check it out this weekend! Don’t meet us there beat us there!
225 Fest returns downtown as celebration of local pride keeps growing http://drumbeatsla.com/225-fest-2026 This Saturday, Feb. 28, downtown Baton Rouge will hum with the sound of its own area code as the annual 225 Fest unfolds from noon to 6 p.m. at Rhorer Plaza. The free festival has become one of the Capital Region’s most anticipated cultural gatherings, celebrating music, food, art and community resources across the parish.
Founded in 2022 by Baton Rouge native Myra N. Richardson, the event grew out of the tradition — social media posts on Feb. 25 celebrating the quirks and characters of the area code — and soon found a physical home. Richardson said her aim was simple: give locals a day to take pride in where they’re from and why it matters.
The first festival, held Feb. 25, 2023, drew about 14,000 people to downtown’s streets, where vendors, performers and artists filled 4th Street with local flavor. A year later, attendance nearly doubled, with organizers estimating around 30,000 participants and more than 100 food trucks, local vendors and multiple stages bringing the celebration to life.
By 2025, the growth prompted a move to the Baton Rouge Fair Grounds but was relocated to Baton Rouge Community College Mid City campus to handle crowds and expanding programming before this year’s return to the heart of downtown.
This year’s lineup promises a diverse slate of live entertainment spanning rap, blues and other genres — local and regional acts that reflect the cultural pulse of the 225.
DJ A-Twice, Bandeaux-Pat, and DJ Kicks will dominate live performances on three separate stages downtown. Presenting sponsors include: AETNA, Cox Communications, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, Cumulus Media, Coca-Cola, beBatonRouge, The Walls Project, Louisiana Waste Systems, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, BREC, Visit Baton Rouge, Red Reed Vodka, Fresh N Fancy Floral Design, Creative Tee Plus, and the City of Baton Rouge.
Beyond music, the festival will feature food trucks serving regional favorites, visual artists with live demonstrations, interactive art activations and a family zone designed to keep children from ages 0 to 99 engaged throughout the day. Organizers say the event also includes booths offering information about civic resources, health care, literacy and other community services.
Community ownership has long defined 225 Fest. “It’s about celebrating culture in the capital region,” Richardson said in previous reporting on the festival’s return. “This is a love letter to this city.”
Volunteers and sponsors have helped make each year possible, organizers say, reinforcing that the festival is a collective effort, not just a single event.
In a city often defined by politics or college football, 225 Fest reframes the narrative, highlighting entrepreneurs, musicians, artists and neighbors who give Baton Rouge its soul. It turns an area code into a homecoming. And as thousands prepare to gather downtown again, that message is unmistakable: the 225 isn’t just numbers on a phone. It’s who we are.
By Marlon D. Guff, Special to The Drum
