Within the border landscape of Mid City’s eclectic neighborhoods, many would argue that Ogden Park comes out on top for quirky charm and advantageous geography.

The tidy enclave sits between Baton Rouge Magnet High School and Acadian Thruway, giving its residents the enviable ability to walk to dinner at Elsie’s Plate & Pie, stroll home sauced from Pelican to Mars, and saunter to French Truck Coffee for a day of remote work, or pretend work. No surprise, the funky vibe also lends itself to a signature arts festival, the Ogden Park Prowl—thankfully back in action this month after a six-year hiatus.

“We’re really excited about it,” says Ogden Park resident and Prowl planning committee member Jeff English. “The neighborhood is a place that’s just really diverse and welcoming. We’re right in the heart of Government Street.”

The afternoon festival will take place within Ogden Park’s eight blocks, bordered by Government Street, now well into its years as a retail-rich “complete street,” and North Boulevard, South Acadian Thruway and Ogden Drive. Attendees are asked to bike or park in available spots across the area and walk, since the neighborhood’s streets will be closed for the event.

Several dozen local artists, including Jade Brady, Natalie Clay, Samara Thomas and others, will set up booths in neighbors’ front yards selling a wide variety of media, from paintings and pottery to jewelry and soaps. Back-to-back musicians, among them youth bands from Baton Rouge Music Studios, will play on three stages on Hearthstone Drive and both ends of Beverly Drive. Mestizo Louisiana Mexican Restaurant, Simple Joe, Elsie’s and others from the immediate area will host vendor tents. And there will be plenty of children’s activities for keeping young’uns and parents occupied. Who can resist facepainting and hula hoops?

The event began in 2013 as a kind of collective garage sale for Ogden Park’s many artist-residents.

“It was this spontaneous idea they came up with at the Radio Bar,” says Ogden Park Prowl chair Blythe Johnson, “It was meant to give them a chance to buy each other’s art.”

The event grew significantly the next year, with other artists signing on. Those who didn’t reside in the neighborhood were hosted by other Ogden Park residents, who allowed makers to set up in their front yards. At its peak in 2019, the Prowl attracted more than 120 artists and food vendors, Johnson says.

The pandemic shuttered festivities in 2020 and 2021, followed by a loss of momentum in 2022 and 2023. But this year inspired a return since it’s also Ogden Park’s centennial.

Organizing any public festival can be tedious and time-consuming, but Johnson, who is also a Realtor, says she volunteered to help resuscitate the Prowl because she personally missed it. It was the main reason she and her husband bought a house in the neighborhood a few years ago, she says.

“I really wanted to move to Mid City, but Ogden Park was the only neighborhood my husband was interested in living in,” she says. “I’ve met several other people who say they moved here because of the Prowl, too.”

Fans say the block party’s magic is its unstructured joy. Along with shopping for local fine art, you might stumble upon an actual yard sale. Some residents throw house parties as though it were a south Louisiana parade day. Expect to see drag queen story time and street aerialists.

“Ogden Park is just a great place to live,” Johnson says. “And it means a lot to us to bring the Prowl back.” opprowl.org

This article was originally published in the October 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.