February 2025 Calendar-at-a-Glance

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Art

Ongoing-March 2: Cane River Creole National Historical Park Student Art Exhibition, Texas & Pacific Railway Depot (1927 Remembrance Way, Natchitoches). The exhibit features several different mediums of varying compositions completed by 866 student artists representing 19 schools from across the United States depicting historical moments, activists, and movements that have shaped civil rights. Call: 318-352-0383 ext. 316.

February 8 & March 8: Second Saturday at the Museum, Alexandria Museum of Art (933 Second St, Alexandria). Enjoy the Alexandria Museum of Art without admission charge on the second Saturday of the month. Cost: Free. Call: 318-443-3458. themuseum.org

February 11: Creative Round Table, Alexandria Museum of Art (933 2nd Street, Alexandria), 5:30pm-7:30pm. Are you an artist or creative in Central Louisiana? Are you looking for a place to come and talk to other creatives? Join us for the Creative Round Table! Being an artist can be isolating, but we can lift each other up! Do you want to learn about grants and artist calls? Talk about process? Maybe you want to learn how other artists market their art or ship their art? Well, come on! Let’s talk about it! No need to register. Cost: Free. Call: 318-443-3458. themuseum.org

February 14: Valentine’s Sculpture Painting With Ronald Ray Veal, Johnson Branch Library (1610 Veterans Drive, Lecompte), 3:00pm-4:00pm. Come make a Valentine’s Sculpture Painting with our Artist of the Month, Ronald Ray Veal. Ronald is an artist of many different formats including hand drawing, painting, computer graphics, and clay sculpting. Seating is limited. Registration is required. See our RPL digital calendar by scanning the QR code in our ad to register.  Cost: Free. Call: 318-776-5153. www.rpl.org

February 15: Mary Vinson Exhibition Opening Reception, Kent Plantation House (3601 Bayou Rapides Road, Alexandria), 1:00pm. Kent House Plantation will be hosting a major exhibit of “Clementine Hunter”- style paintings by the noted local African-American painter, Mary Vinson, during Black History month. Mrs. Vinson will briefly speak then on her work with selected pieces available for sale. Light refreshments will be served. The exhibit will remain open for display through February 28th. Cost: Free. Call: 318-487-5998. kenthouse.org

February 19: African Mask Painting With Ronald Ray Veal, Johnson Branch Library (1610 Veterans Drive, Lecompte), 3:00pm-4:00pm. Come make an African Mask painting with our Artist of the Month, Ronald Ray Veal. Ronald is an artist of many different formats including hand drawing, painting, computer graphics, and clay sculpting. Seating is limited. Registration is required. See our RPL digital calendar by scanning the QR code in our ad to register.  Cost: Free. Call: 318-776-5153. www.rpl.org

Music

February 14: Kenny Lattimore, Paragon Casino Resort Mari Showroom (711 Paragon Place, Marksville), 8:00pm. Known for his smooth, soulful voice and hits like “For You,” “Love Will Find a Way” and “Never Too Busy,” romance will certainly be in the air when Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Kenny Lattimore hits the Mári Showroom stage on Valentine’s Day. Cost: $50.00+. paragoncasinoresort.com

February 18: The Gesualdo Six “Darkness Into Light”, St. James Episcopal Church (1620 Murray Street, Alexandria), 7:00pm. These six very talented London-based vocalists will sing a program of compositions from across centuries evoking the darkness of night passing into the light of day. Sponsored by the McCormick-Smith Fund, Inc. Cost: Free. Call: 318-445-9845.

March 1: Wayne Toups, Paragon Casino Resort Mari Showroom (711 Paragon Place, Marksville), 8:00pm. Don’t miss an electrifying performance as “The Cajun Springsteen,” Grammy Award-winning artist Wayne Toups performs live on the Mári Showroom stage! Cost: $20.00+. paragoncasinoresort.com

March 13: Novum Sonos, Emmanuel Baptist Church (430 Jackson Street, Alexandria), 7:30pm. The Red River Chorale continues its 18th concert season on Thursday, March 13th, with their winter concert entitled, “Novum Sonos,” featuring choral pieces all written in the 21st century and will embody the “new sounds” of the new century and millennia. Cost: $20.00 adults; $5.00 students. redriverchorale.com

Theatre

Ongoing-February 9: Jeeves Takes a Bow, Hearn Stage at Kress Theatre (1102 Third Street, Alexandria). City Park Players presents a lovable oaf, Bertie Wooster, who inflicts his charming ineptitude on America when he adventures across the pond armed only with his handsome fortune, talent for trouble, and his remarkable manservant, Jeeves. Can the illustrious Jeeves be up to the task? Directed by Jill Dupont. Showtimes are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:30pm. Cost: $15.00 Adults; $12.00 Seniors; $7:00 Students; $5.00 Thursdays. cpptheatre.com

February 10, 17, 24 & March 3: Military Monday at the Movies, Grand Theatre Alexandria (2039 North Mall Drive, Alexandria). All military personnel and first responders can enjoy the ultimate movie experience at Santikos Entertainment for just $5.00. Along with $5.00 movie tickets, they’ll also have access to a $5.00 large drink and a $5.00 large popcorn, making their cinema experience even more enjoyable and unforgettable. Valid ID required. Cost: $5.00.

February 10: The Aluminum Show, Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center (1202 3rd Street, Alexandria), 7:00pm. Get ready to be dazzled by The Aluminum Show, a groundbreaking performance combining cutting edge technology, electrifying dance, and mind-blowing visual effects and puppetry, creating an experience like no other. Watch as aluminum tubes and foil come to life, transforming the stage into a futuristic world of adventure. This is not just a family show but an adventure, enchanting audiences globally for over a decade. Enter FAMILY2X2 in the coupon section before checkout for 15% off! Cost: $10.00-$25.00. Call: 318-484-4474. louisiana-arts.org

February 13-16: PHS Theatre Presents Beetlejuice, Jr., Pineville High School (1511 Line Street, Pineville). It’s our show now, kid. The ghost-with-the-most comes to the stage in Beetlejuice Jr., the frightfully funny musical based on the beloved motion picture turned Broadway phenomenon. Lydia Deetz is a strange and unusual teenager, still grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with the whole “being dead thing.” Lucky for Lydia, she and her father move to a new house haunted by a recently deceased couple and Beetlejuice, a delightful demon with a real zest for life. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium. Performances begin Thursday through Saturday at 7:00pm; Saturday and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00pm. Cost: $12.00-$17.25.

February 14: “This World Is Not My Own” Screening, Kress Theatre (1102 3rd Street, Alexandria), 7:00pm. Join the Arts Council for an Independent Film this Valentine’s Day! Chewing-gum sculptures, a wealthy gallerist, a firebrand wrestler, a notorious murder case and the segregated south – it’s all part of Nellie Mae Rowe’s boundless universe. “This World is Not My Own” re-imagines this self-taught artist’s world and her life spanning the 20th century, with Uzo Aduba as the animated version of Nellie Mae Rowe. Meet the filmmaker for a Q&A after the screening. Cost: $10.00 Adults; Students Free. Call: 318-484-4474. louisiana-arts.org

February 15: Spectral Sisters Productions Summer Submission Second Reading, Rapides Foundation Building Second Floor Classroom (1101 4th Street, Alexandria), 10:00am-12:00pm. Come have a reading of your proposed submission for the Summer SSP 10-Minute Play Festival. Receive valuable feedback from other playwrights, actors and directors. Bring as many copies as needed for each character (and one for yourself). Please make sure they follow play format.  Remember: Ten minutes in length (about 1,800 words), no more than five characters, adhering to the theme “What Had Happened Was…”  Light refreshments provided.  One submission per author. Cost: Free. spectralsisters.com

February 24: A Taste of Ireland, Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center (1202 3rd Street, Alexandria), 7:30pm. Laugh, cry and jig into the night with a production that is Celtic, for this generation with A Taste of Ireland―The Irish Music and Dance Sensation. Performed by former World Irish dance champions, and featuring dancers from Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, ‘A Taste of Ireland’ transports the audience through the story of Ireland’s tumultuous history delivered with a pint of Irish wit. Cost: $43.00-$65.00. louisiana-arts.org

March 1: Broadway Daze & Knights Cabaret, Hotel Bentley Claiborne Room (200 Desoto Street, Alexandria), 5:30pm. Enjoy a delicious Louisiana themed dinner by the Bentley Room and exciting Broadway Entertainment by “Louisiana Broadway Magic” under the direction of Laine Berry Miller. The show features the talents of Andrew Abbott, Anjelica Barbry, Ava Walker, Camryn LaCaze, Hahva Stroderd, Haley Dauzat, Lyla Knoll, Samantha Lyles, Savanna Johnson, & Laine! Seating is limited; please pre-register by February 25th. Sponsored by Walker Automotive. Cost: $60.00. Call: 318-451-3915. lbmproductions.net

March 7: Collage Dance Collective, Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center (1202 3rd Street, Alexandria), 7:30pm. Join the Arts Council of Central Louisiana as we present Collage Dance Collective! Collage Dance, recently named a “Southern Cultural Treasure” by South Arts and the Ford Foundation and listed among the 50 largest ballet companies in the nation, is one of the largest Black-led performing arts organizations in the South and one of just a few professional ballet companies in the world with a roster of BIPOC dancers. The professional company presents annual seasons in Memphis, plus national and international touring, performing a diverse range of classical and contemporary choreography. Cost: $30.00 Adults; $25.00 Arts Council Members/Seniors 65+/Military; $10.00 Students (under 18). Call: 318-484-4474. louisiana-arts.org

Events

Ongoing-February: New Hope Al-Anon Group, Horseshoe Drive Methodist Church (1600 Horseshoe Drive, Alexandria), 7:00pm.  The New Hope Al-Anon Group meets each Tuesday and Thursday evening. Al-Anon is a mutual support group for anyone having experienced a problem with someone else’s drinking or addiction. You are free to ask questions or to talk about your situation or just listen. Every meeting is different. Each meeting has the autonomy to be run as its members choose, within guidelines designed to promote Al-Anon unity. Cost: Free.

February 8: Candied Yams and Cornbread, Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch Library (1115 Broadway Avenue, Alexandria), 12:00pm-1:00pm. Join master storytellers, Rosa Metoyer and Sylvia Davis for one of the favorite annual programs at RPL as we share stories in honor of Black History Month! Be ready and prepared to join our storytelling contest featuring young storytellers telling stories you prepare yourself! Cost: Free. Call: 318-445-3912. www.rpl.org

February 8, 15, 22: Enslaved Peoples Plantation Tours, Kent Plantation House (3601 Bayou Rapides Road, Alexandria). Noted Historian Michael Wynne conducts tours concentrating on the enslaved people who built, lived, and worked at Kent House rather than about the white families who lived there. Tours on the 8th and 22nd begin at 1:00pm; the tour on the 15th begins at 6:00pm. Additional tours are available for groups on certain dates. Call: 318-487-5998. kenthouse.org

February 8 & March 8: AMoA Knitting Circle, Alexandria Museum of Art (933 Second St, Alexandria), 1:00pm-4:00pm. Anyone can come and knit in the galleries. Open to all ages. Just getting started? AMoA has limited materials to get you started. Cost: Free. Call: 318-443-3458. themuseum.org

February 10: Professional Women’s Network of Cenla (PWN), Brocato’s (5515 Coliseum Blvd, Alexandria), 12:00pm-1:00pm. Join PWN for networking and a delicious lunch on the second Monday of each month. No reservations required. Lunch is available for purchase prior to the meeting. Cost: Free. Call: 318-880-3033.

February 11, 18, 25 & March 4: Alexandria Farmer’s Market, First United Methodist Church (2727 Jackson Street, Alexandria), 3:00pm-6:00pm. The Alexandria Farmers Market is a weekly gathering that connects the community of Alexandria with the farmers, ranchers, and agricultural artisans of Central Louisiana. This connection strives to improve the physical, social, and economic well-being of the region by providing access to fresh, healthy, local food for residents, fostering community relationships, and serving as a business incubator for growers and producers. Cost: Free. Call: 318-441-3407.

February 12: Cenla Women’s Prayer Connection Coffee, Calvary Baptist Church (5011 Jackson Street, Alexandria), 10:00am. Joanna Taylor will serve as hostess for February. No reservations required; bring a friend. Cost: Free. Call: 318-664-1192.

February 12: Child Safety Seat Check, Rapides Regional Medical Center Main Entrance (211 4th Street, Alexandria), 2:00pm-5:00pm. A trained child passenger safety educator will take a look at your car seats, make sure they are not under recall, make sure the seat is installed properly and show you how to install the car seat. The car seat check process takes between 15-25 minutes, depending on how many car seats are in the vehicle. The seat checks normally are held the second Wednesday of each month. Cost: Free.

February 13-14, 17-18, 26-27: Save Cenla ASIST Training, 7:00am-4:30pm. Suicide and mental health issues are a growing concern, especially in these trying times. Suicide is preventable. Anyone can make a difference. Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is an evidence-based, two-day workshop in suicide prevention skills helps participants learn and practice a life-saving intervention model that is widely used by professionals and the general public. February 13-14: LC Granberry Conference Center (1140 College Drive, Pineville); February 17-18: LSU AgCenter (8592 LA Highway 1, Mansura); February 26-27: First Baptist Church (2725 East Oak Street, Jena). Open to ages 16+. Mental health professionals can receive 12 CEUs after taking this workshop for $60.00 through livingworks.net (a $300 value). Cost: Free. Call: 337-519-1888. SaveCenla.com/ASIST.

February 13: Cavanaugh Lecture featuring Brooke Cassady, Rapides Parish Main Library (411 Washington Street, Alexandria), 6:00pm. Brooke Cassady, an Assistant Professor of Studio Art in Ceramics and 3D Design At Louisiana Tech, will kick off the Cavanaugh Lecture series for this spring discussing how a gap year and an unexpected encounter with clay facilitated an opportunity for self-awareness. Cassady uses ceramics, fiber, found objects, and metal to suggest the fragility of life and impermanence and to highlight the resilience and beauty of the natural world and human spirit. Cost: Free. Call: 318-445-2411.

February 21: Pineville Night of Lights Mardi Gras Parade, Main Street Pineville, 7:00pm. Pineville’s nighttime Mardi Gras Parade rolls down Main Street from the Red River to the entrance of Louisiana College. Cost: Free.

February 22: African American Culture & Heritage Center Honors, Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch Library (1115 Broadway Avenue, Alexandria), 11:00am-1:00pm. Coming into fruition a year ago, the African American Culture & Heritage Center was created to honor the past so that we could inspire the future. The theme for the 2nd Annual Induction into the African American Culture & Heritage Center is” Each Other’s Harvest: Fostering Community and Applauding Achievement”. Join us as we celebrate the handiwork and contributions of individuals whose harvest continues to bear fruit for the community in which they were born, raised and have served so diligently. If you missed last year’s event, you definitely don’t want to miss this year! A time of culture excellence and immense pride flows from wall to wall as we celebrate and honor the fruits of labor with the latest unveiling Cost: Free. Call: 318-445-3912. www.rpl.org

February 22: Live Gator Feeding Show, Paragon Casino Resort Hotel Atrium (711 Paragon Place, Marksville), 4:00pm. Join the crowd in the hotel lobby on the last Saturday of each month for a live alligator feeding show. Bring the children for photos with a baby gator after the show. You will also hear traditional songs and stories of south Louisiana’s flora and fauna performed by Tunica-Biloxi tribal members Donna Pierite and family. Cost: Free.

February 25: La40by2030 Tour. La40by2030 is an initiative whose goal is to improve Louisiana’s health outcomes from 50th to 40th by 2030. The tour will engage community members and leaders in a conversation to assess community assets and needs, and to advocate for programs and policies to achieve better and more equitable health outcomes. The Tour will stop at Vidalia Convention Center, located at 112 Front Street in Vidalia, from 9:30am to 11:30am; and the Martin Luther King Branch of the Rapides Parish Library, located at 1115 Broadway Avenue in Alexandria, from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. Call: 225-772-7029.

February 28-March 1: A Carnival of Orchids, Kees Park (2450 Highway 28 East, Pinville). The Central Louisiana Orchid Society presents a Carnival of Orchids for orchid growers, orchid enthusiasts, and for anyone wanting to see a wide variety of orchids in bloom, as well as those who are interested in learning more about the culture of orchids and how orchids are judged for competition. The show will be open from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on Friday and from 8:00am to 3:30pm on Saturday. Cost: Free. centrallouisianaorchidsociety.org

February 28: Classic Cars & College Cheerleaders Parade, Downtown Alexandria, 5:00pm. The Classic Cars & College Cheerleaders Parade will kick off Alexandria’s family-oriented Mardi Gras weekend. The Classic Cars & College Cheerleaders follows the same route as the Children’s Parade in downtown Alexandria. It features classic cars paired with college cheerleaders from colleges, universities, and high schools in Louisiana. Route: Downtown Alexandria – Murray – Fifth Street – Jackson – Third Street to St. James Street. Cost: Free. alexmardigras.net

February 28: Taste of Mardi Gras 2025, Randolph Riverfront Center (707 2nd Street, Alexandria), 7:00pm-11:30pm. The Louisiana Restaurant Association Cenla proudly presents the “Mardi Gras Ball for All Y’all!” Experience the culinary prowess of over 30 LRA member restaurants, each offering a tantalizing “taste” from their menu. The evening will also feature live music by the Chee Weez! Cost: $50.00 General Admission; $25.00 Children (10 & under). LRA.org

March 1: Experimental Aircraft Association 1st Saturday Breakfast, Buhlow Lake Airport (200 Lake Buhlow Road, Pineville), 7:30am-10:00am. Come enjoy a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage, pancakes, grits, potatoes, milk, orange juice, and more! Anyone interested in aviation and general cordial chatter with lakeside ambience is welcome and invited to come to enjoy breakfast with us! Cost: $10.00 Donation.

March 1: Central Louisiana Dutch Oven Cookers First Saturday Gathering, Indian Creek Recreation Area (100 Camp Ground Road, Woodworth), 9:00am-12:30pm. A delicious day with Dutch oven cooking enthusiasts. There is no charge for food, however, donations are accepted. Regular park admission applies. Call: 318-625-1762.

March 1: Krazy Larry’s Annual Auto Show & Swap Meet, Ragley Recreation Center (6719 Highway 12, Ragley), 8:00am-2:00pm. The event is hosted to raise funds for “Maverick”, a precious three-year-old who has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder; he faces developmental delays and other challenges.  Maverick needs specialized treatments which are not covered by insurance.  The proceeds will help Maverick’s family pay for the necessary treatments. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies will be awarded in 6 categories. Cost: By Donation. Call Larry DeFries: 337-884-6586.

March 1: AMGA Children’s Mardi Gras Parade, Downtown Alexandria, 10:00am. Calling all children and children at heart, join AMGA and Children’s Parade Grand Marshal Melissa Le, Miss Louisiana’s Outstanding Teen 2024, as they parade through Downtown Alexandria: Murray – Fifth Street – Jackson – Third Street to St. James Street. Cost: Free. Call Jenna Bonner: 318-542-9084. alexmardigras.net

March 1: Alexandria Zoo’s Mardi Gras Party, Alexandria Zoo (3016 Masonic Dr, Alexandria), 1:00pm-3:00pm. The animals are askin’ for you at Alexandria Zoo! Laissez les bons temps rouler! We’re rolling out the purple, green, and gold for a family-friendly Mardi Gras Party. Indulge in complimentary king cake courtesy of Atwood’s Bakery and get your groove on with live Zydeco and pop music by The LaCour Trio. Show off your Mardi Gras decorating skills by decking out your kid’s stroller or wagon (no throws). Cost: Regular admission. Call: 318-441-6810. thealexandriazoo.com

March 1: Krewe of Dionysos Mardi Gras Parade, Natchitoches, 6:00pm. Join the Krewe of Dionysos as they parade through Natchitoches starting on South Drive to Keyser, crossing Cane River Lake to University Parkway, 2nd Street, Texas Street and ending on Front Street. Cost: Free. kreweofdionysos.com

March 2: AMGA Krewes Parade, Mid-City Alexandria, 2:00pm. Grand Marshal and Alexandria native LSY Gymnast Annie Beard will lead the Krewes of the Alexandria Mardi Gras Association and local marching bands through the streets of Alexandria, starting on Texas Avenue – Masonic – Memorial Drive – North Boulevard and ending at Sam’s Club. Cost: Free. alexmardigras.net

March 8: Central Louisiana Master Gardener Association Plant Symposium, Pineville Main Street Community Center (708 Main Street, Pineville), 9:00am-2:00pm. The theme of this year’s Plant Symposium is “Adding Color in Your Landscape”. This event promises to be an engaging experience focused on the theme of incorporating vibrant colors into landscapes, making it an ideal gathering for anyone looking to rejuvenate their garden or landscape design. Light lunch is included. Cost: $35.00. Call: 318-359-5672 or 318-240-8231.

Sports

Ongoing-February 28: Burn It Off Boot Camp, Beyond Fitness at the Courtyard (5615H Jackson St, Alexandria), 4:00pm-4:45pm. Push yourself and see results! Kick off the New Year with a new mindset to crush your goals! It’s time to feel and look your best! Classes will meet Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pre-register by phone. Cost: $135. Call: 318-880-8759.

February 11, 18, 25 & March 4: Yoga in the Gallery, Alexandria Museum of Art (933 2nd Street, Alexandria), 5:45pm. Chill out every Tuesday with yoga classes taught by Learn with Laci. Registration is not required. Cost: Free. Call: 318-443-3458. themuseum.org

February 22: Fly Fishing 101, LDWF Booker-Fowler Hatchery (10 Joan Stokes Road, Forest Hill), 8:30am-12:30pm. The Kisatchie Fly Fishers will once again present their “Fly Fishing 101” clinic covering topics like: equipment, casting, knots and leaders.  Refreshments and handouts are provided. Pre-registration required. Cost: Free. Call Mike Carlin: 337-531-2275. kisatchiefly.org

February 27: Oak Wing Golf Club Benefit Tournament, Oak Wing Golf Club (2345 Vandenburg Drive, Alexandria), 11:00am. Oak Wing is thrilled to host a special outing benefiting the Cenla Food Bank! This fantastic event will be organized and run entirely by the club, allowing us to share in the proceeds while ensuring that our resources remain focused on providing meals to those in need. Registration includes lunch served after play and two complimentary beers per player. Additional beers can be purchased on the course for just $2.00 each. Cost: $250 per Team; $50.00 Mulligans. oakwinggolf.com

*All events subject to change.