After 27 years of party hopping, the last 12 for The Advocate, I am retiring.
I hope this finds you safe and sound. If you’re like me, you’re missing getting out and seeing friends and family. Hopefully, we’ll all get together at a party real soon!
In the grand scheme of things, canceling a party or two is not the most serious of complications caused by the coronavirus.
Welcome to Pam’s Party Calendar, a comprehensive listing of all the fundraisers, galas, Mardi Gras Balls, etc. happening in and around the Capital City. The idea is to prevent multiple events from taking place on the same night, splitting that all…
I’m still on a high from country music great Trisha Yearwood’s amazing performance with the Baton Rouge Symphony on March 7 for its 17th Irene W. & C.B. Pennington Great Performers in Concert, and I’m not the only one. She’s the new darling of…
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center handed out several awards at its “Our Community Celebration” reception on Feb. 18. Recipients included Marty and John Engquist, Rose Hudson and Dr. Tom Meek. The awards were presented by board Chairman Art Favre and…
Birthdays are special, and we do run items about parties for those turning 90 and older. We wish we could run everyone’s celebration, but that's just not possible. Today we're making an exception. After all, what good are rules if you can’t bend t…
The Louisiana Future Farmers of America Foundation hosted its first Blue & Gold Gala on Feb. 20 at the Crowne Plaza. Special guests included Louisiana Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Mike Strain, Louisiana Sugar Queen LXXVII Erin Blanchard, of Ce…
Mardi Gras is over, but it was a busy one filled with balls, parades and tons of parties. I hope you were able to be a part of some of the fun.
It was a packed house on Feb. 15 for Catholic Community Radio’s fifth annual Jazz & Jam Chef’s Brunch at the Crowne Plaza.
Mardi Gras is almost here, and the last of Baton Rouge’s Carnival fun wraps up Saturday at the 40th annual Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade, which rolls through downtown starting at noon.
While the flamingo is the official mascot of the Society for the Preservation of Lagniappe in Louisiana, which puts on the annual Spanish Town Mardi Gras Ball, it was LSU quarterback Joe Burrow who provided the inspiration.
Baton Rouge has Mardi Gras fever! Balls, parties and parades, mixed in with the usual social scene, are keeping everyone busy. To make sure you don't miss any of the fun, check out Pam's Party Calendar at theadvocate.com. You can even start puttin…
It was a bit strange to not see Ernest Gaines sitting on the stage of the Manship Theatre at the Literary Award event named in his honor.
Artist Henry Watson talked about his bas-relief art, and local architect Kevin Harris gave a behind-the-scenes tour of the Old State Capitol at the Jan. 26 meeting of the Friends of the Old State Capitol. Members also heard from outgoing President…
Baton Rouge Gallery’s 12th annual Surreal Salon Soiree brought an overflow crowd and some of the most amazing costumes I’ve ever seen to the Jan. 25 event.
On the afternoon of Jan. 12, the Crowne Plaza was transformed into a massive playground, complete with one of the biggest bounce houses I've ever seen, for the annual Mother-Son Dance benefiting Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.
Hope you’ve recovered from the holiday parties because now it's time for the Mardi Gras parties. The city’s first big ball of the season, the Krewe of Artemis Soirée, was held Jan. 18 at the Raising Cane’s River Center, and it was a beautiful affa…
Lots of organizations are kicking off the new year with new officers and board members. And, although the holidays are over, there were so many events we couldn't fit them all in.
On Jan. 10, Opéra Louisiane held its third annual Sing & Swing Celebrity Karaoke Dance Party at the Crowne Plaza. The competition was stiff, with participants making guests choose between LSU Elvis and the good Lord above.
It was a late Christmas celebration for 10 Baton Rouge nonprofits, thanks to the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge Foundation.
Fourteen young women made their debut when Le Cercle de Bacchus held its 62 annual Presentation Ball on Jan. 14 at the Raising Cane’s River Center Exhibition Hall.
Twelve “awe-inspiring” local women were honored at the inaugural #WCW Awards & Soirée on Dec. 12 at Embassy Suites Hotel. WCW stands for Women Crush Wednesday, and the event was created by local community volunteer and stand-up comic Tiffany D…
Happy New Year! I hope you rang in 2020 in style, getting this new decade get off to a great start. I know it’s going to be a busy one — the social calendar is already filling up!
Happy New Year! Are you excited about the new decade that lies ahead? I know 2020 is going to be a very busy year.
Trying to choose the Top 10 parties from the past year has been a Herculean task. We just have too much fun around here. But, hey, somebody's got to do it.
Merry Christmas! I hope you and your family are having a blessed day, and that Santa paid you a visit last night. The holidays are a special time of year, filled with lots of parties and time spent with friends. Here are a few of them …
The Baton Rouge Chapter of the Links' honored seven individuals as its Louisiana Role Models at its 14th annual Jazz Brunch on Dec. 14 at the Renaissance. Welcoming guests to the packed ballroom was chapter President Rose Hudson, who introduced st…
Nineteen Les Jeunes Amies seniors were presented Dec. 7 at the Baton Rouge Symphony League's Bal de la Symphonie at the Crowne Plaza, where league President Brandi Rinaudo welcomed guests.
If you’re like me, Christmas means music — lots and lots of music. I enjoy it all, from the off-the-wall “Dogs Barking Jingle Bells” and “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” to classics like “Deck the Halls” and “White Christmas” to the spirtual “…
Fourteen young women took their formal bows on Nov. 29 at the Baton Rouge Assembly’s 59th annual ball at the Raising Cane’s River Center.
Christmas is coming fast. I hope you’ve started shopping or, at the very least, made out your gift list. If you’re looking for some holiday fun, there’s lots from which to choose. Baton Rouge kicks things off this Friday with downtown’s Festival o…
Since 1971, the Emerge Center has recognized Baton Rouge Area Volunteer Activists, and did so once again on Nov. 22 with a luncheon at the Renaissance.
Thursday is Thanksgiving, the official beginning of the holiday season. As you gather with family and friends, take a moment to count your blessings.
Last week, Baton Rouge took a few moments to publicly thank some of those residents who go above and beyond to make our city better. It’s events like these that help put your life in perspective as the holiday season gets underway. Hope you and yo…
Forty teams from ExxonMobil cooked up enough jambalaya to feed the more than 200 employees and friends attending the company's 30th annual Capital Area United way Jambalaya Cookoff on Nov. 8.
Already November has had some highs and some lows. We beat Alabama! And, we lost our friend and cookbook queen Holly Clegg, who left us a playbook on how to die with dignity. We also marked the passing of acclaimed author Ernest Gaines, who gave v…
Baton Rouge, in fact the entire state, is still on a high after the Tigers beat Alabama on the Tide's home turf, no less. It was indeed a sweet victory!
What do you call a black-tie worthy fundraiser where you get to wear your “dressy” jeans and the guys can lose their ties? That would be the Sizzlin’ for SEALs Soirée benefiting the Navy SEAL Foundation held on Nov. 2.
Several fun events are taking place in the next couple of days. On Thursday night, Family Services Celebrate the Family All Red Event will honor Katie Baron, Brothers Reunited in Christ Kingdom, Jeanne McCollister McNeil and Casey Phillips. At the…
Last week was jam-packed with fun. One night I went to five events!
Baton Rouge is one of the most giving communities around and just one glance at this column is all the proof you need. Today, several groups celebrate supporting children in various ways.
The Junior League’s 35th annual Hollydays “Shopping for Cause” market, which kicked off Oct. 16 with the traditional Preview Gala, transformed the cavernous River Center Exhibition Hall into a wintry wonderland and put everyone in a happy, holiday mood.
Looking for something to do as the weekend approaches? Well, there’s lot to choose from. Thursday night alone has five events, starting at 5:30 p.m. with the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance’s Legacy of Lights Award honoring Virginia and John Nolan…
The Atchafalayla Basinkeeper celebrated its 15th anniversary on Oct. 10 at the Hilton Capitol Center with special guest speaker Bobby Kennedy Jr.
Six members of the Red Stick Kiwanis Club were recognized for their dedication and service to Kiwanis at the club’s 60th anniversary celebration on Oct. 3 at Drusilla Place. They included Gerard Ruth, 60 years; Charles Rea, 55 years; Charlie Jorda…
Sometimes a week just seems to have a theme. And the first week in October was all about color — and we're not talking about fall leaves. Thursday gave us the blues; Friday was all about yellow and green, and Sunday had us in the pink.
If you’re like me, you look for any excuse to get out of cooking supper in the middle of the week. This Thursday, Capital Area United Way has your back! Teams from throughout the area will be serving up the Louisiana favorite as part of CAUW’s 32n…
Ten years ago, a respectable crowd filled one of the black box theaters at the Shaw Center for the debut of BUST Breast Cancer. Heather Kleinpeter enlisted some local artists to create art bras that would be modeled and sold to benefit the fight a…
Forum 35 introduced members of its 2019 John W. Barton Sr. Community Leadership Development Program at a breakfast Sept. 24. This year’s cohort is the largest and most diverse in the program’s history representing a cross-section of the city’s bus…
The Louisiana Art & Science Museum was awash in color on Sept. 20 for its 34th annual gala, CHROMA: Color Your Senses, based on its current exhibit of artist Christopher Janney. Getting to meet him and check out his work was the cherry on top …