The Louisiana Marathon

The Visit Baton Rouge Finish Festival is open to the public and features mouth-watering Louisiana food and an eclectic variety of local music.  Thousands of runners, spectators, foodies and music lovers enjoy the two-day festival each year.

The Visit Baton Rouge Finish Festival cranks up when runners participating in the Window World Louisiana Quarter Marathon & 5K and Louisiana Blue Kid's Marathon cross the finish line near the State Capitol Park on Saturday.  The Visit Baton Rouge Finish Fest continues on Sunday, following the Louisiana Marathon and Half Marathon.

A Taste of Louisiana

The Visit Baton Rouge Finish Festival showcases some of the best cuisine around. Our restaurant partners work hard to make your mouth water with all of your favorite Louisiana dishes!  

We will have Wally Tallin's Award winning Jambalaya, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Shrimp and Okra Gumbo and Vegan Gumbo at our showcase tents.  

The Finish Festival is open to the public. For access to food and beverages, you must have tickets, specific to that race-day. Each runner bib has tickets attached to the bottom, and each ticket is good for one beverage or one taste of food. 

World Class Entertainment

Kick off those running shoes and enjoy your Louisiana cuisine along with the music, like a true local. The Finish Festival will spotlight funky, eclectic Louisiana bands that attract visitors from around the globe year-round.

The Visit Baton Rouge Finish Festival is proud to offer an incredible line-up of outstanding local talent on both festival days. Like previous years, the festival anchors the experience and complements the course.  Below is the lineup from our 2025 event.  This page will be updated closer to the event in 2026.
 

SATURDAY @ THE FINISH FEST // January 18, 2025

8:30am - 11:30am // Pocket Chocolate

 

SUNDAY @ THE FINISH FEST // January 19, 2025 // 8:30am - 2:00pm

 

8:30am - 10:00am // Louisiana Yard Dogs

The Louisiana Yard Dogs are a blues rock trio steeped in the regional roots music of the Gulf Coast. From the Texas blues sounds of Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lightning Hopkins to the funky New Orleans sounds of the Meters and the Neville Brothers to the Mississippi sounds of Muddy Waters, mixed with the psychedelic sounds of Jimi Hendrix, the Louisiana Yard Dogs music is an extra spicy piping hot musical gumbo mixture of all these influences.  In the tradition of some of the most powerful trios in the history of rock and blues such as Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and ZZ Top, the Louisiana Yard Dogs are a small but powerful group that pack a dynamic punch.  The players have honed their craft relentlessly by performing, recording, and touring across the United States and internationally as professional musicians with many well-known artists including multiple Grammy Award Winners. 

10:30am - 12:00pm // Lost Bayou Ramblers

Lost Bayou Ramblers ‘ evolution as a Grammy winning Cajun band continues to excite, challenge, and redefine both genre expectations as well as cultural preconceptions.

Produced by Korey Richey (LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire) their 8th album, KALENDA, gave the band the title of "one of the most vital voices in contemporary Louisiana, and was awarded a Grammy for Best Regional Roots album in 2018.

The bands’ performance, produced by JACK WHITE, on the 2017 documentary series and record release, AMERICAN EPIC, solidifies Lost Bayou Ramblers’ international reputation as a traditional (while extremely progressive) Cajun band.

12:30pm - 2:00pm // Michael Foster Project

The Michael Foster Project is a Baton Rouge based brass band, covering multiple genres of music. From Traditional Jazz to Latin, Pop to Hip-Hop, this group is Baton Rouge's longest running brass band making their start in the late 90's. This group of top notched musicians have performed in just about every setting one can think of - Mardi Gras Balls, Miss USA Pageants, music festival in China, film festivals at Sundance and countless more! 

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Raising Cane's Kids Zone

Come visit the Raising Cane's Kids Zone next to the Welcome Center at AZ Young Park!  It’s a great way for kids to keep the fun and games going strong all weekend long. Your kids will have a blast exploring games for all ages and outdoor equipment, having their beautiful faces painted, and enjoying snacks and giveaways kindly provided by partners!