Burden Museum & Gardens announces springtime activities

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By Rick Bogren, rbogren@agcenter.lsu.edu
BATON ROUGE — A cold, wet winter in Louisiana deserves to be followed by a warm spring. And Burden Museum & Gardens offers many activities to help people enjoy the changing seasons.
Special springtime events to remember
On Saturdays, March 7 and April 4, children ages 3 to 8 can enjoy StoryTime in the Garden from 9 a.m. to noon in the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. The morning will feature storybook readings and imagination-themed activities every half hour. The last reading begins at 11:30 a.m.. StoryTime is sponsored by the Junior League of Baton Rouge. Admission is free.
On Saturday, March 14, the LSU Rural Life Museum will present Louisiana Sew & Sow. The event will bring 18th and 19th century Louisiana to life by celebrating the start of the spring planting season with a look back at traditional life in the home and field. From sewing a quilt to sowing seeds in a field, families are invited to spend a day as an early Louisianan with unique demonstrations ranging from blacksmithing to animal-drawn plowing. Children and families can participate in hands on activities such as making candles, quill pens and butter churning. Presentations will be by costumed interpreters sharing about life in the old days.
On Saturday, March 28, from 3:30 to 6 p.m., Zapp’s International Beerfest at the LSU Rural Life Museum will feature more than 200 foreign and domestic beers, ales and homebrews for tasting. Limited to visitors 21 years of age and older, proper photo identification will be required to purchase tickets and enter the event. Non-alcoholic beverages will be available. General admission tickets are $40 each. Tickets at $100 for early entry at 2:30 p.m. include specialty beers and food from local restaurants. For more information, call 225-765-2437.
On Saturday, April 4, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the East Baton Rouge Master Gardeners will conduct their annual spring plant sale. The sale includes thousands of plants in hundreds of varieties of landscape ornamentals. The funds raised support activities such as plant health clinics, school gardens and educational classes for the community and various children’s programs. This public event includes free admission.
On Sunday, April 5, from 1:30 to 4 p.m., LSU Rural Life Museum will celebrate an Old-fashioned Easter Celebration. Children ages 2 through 8 will have the opportunity to enjoy customs associated with Easter in Louisiana by participating in many activities such as egg-dying, egg pacquing, egg races and, of course, an Easter egg hunt. Refreshments will be served throughout the day. Admission is $5 per person with children under 2 admitted at no charge.
On Thursday, April 23, from 6 to 9 p.m., the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens will present Gourmet in the Garden. The evening will include food creations from local restaurants prepared with locally grown products along with samplings of beverages from local mixologists.
The event is presented by the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens and the Louisiana Culinary Institute Foundation and sponsored in part by Republic National Distributing Company and Olinde Rentals. Tickets include samplings of food and cocktails along with live music. The cost is $50 per person before Feb. 14, $60 per person between Feb. 15 and April 19 and $70 thereafter. Tickets are available online at http://bit.ly/37h2j8m.
On Friday, April 24, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., the LSU Rural Life Museum will present An Evening at Windrush. This elegant Southern supper will capture the spirit of days gone by at Windrush. Guests will enjoy cocktails at the Burden home, a seated supper and desserts and coffee on the museum grounds.
Reservations are required. Reservations and information are available by calling 225-765-2437.
On Sunday, May 3, from noon until 4 p.m., the LSU Rural Life Museum 50th Anniversary Open House will present an afternoon of light refreshments, music and costumed interpreters throughout the museum. This event is free and open to the public.
Beginning May 3 through July 31, the LSU Rural Life Museum will continue the 50th Anniversary Exhibition Series, “Where peace and tranquility reign: the LSU Rural Life Museum through the eyes of Chao Ding.” In honor of the 50th anniversary of the LSU Rural Life Museum, Chao Ding, a graduate of LSU with a Master of Fine Arts, was commissioned to complete of series of paintings inspired by the buildings, scenes and atmosphere of the museum. This special exhibition is included with regular museum admission.
On Monday through Friday, May 11 to 15, from 9 a.m. until noon and on Saturday, May 16, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., the Botanic Gardens will celebrate national Public Gardens Week. This annual, weeklong event will be committed to emphasizing the import role public gardens across the country play in promoting education and exposure to our environment as well as our gardens. Each day of the week will have a themed agenda. The event is free and open to the public. National Public Gardens Week is a program supported by the American Public Gardens Association.