Downtown Baton Rouge will see the annual Third Street Songwriter’s Festival this weekend, April 21-23. The events will celebrate original music and local artists, some of whom have written for international stars. 
The weekend kicks off with a workshop on Friday by the Nashville Songwriters Association International at the Watermark Hotel. At the event, local songwriters can have their music heard by a panel of industry professionals. Prior registration is required. 
A second panel will be held Saturday at Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar, which will include representatives from NSAI and two publishing companies and will culminate in another listening panel and industry critique session. 
“After going to the festival, I started looking for more local artists to listen to,” communication studies sophomore Alyssa LeBlanc said. “There’s so much talent in our city that doesn’t always get recognized.” 
Throughout the weekend, songwriters will be performing at various venues, including Live After Five at Repentance Park, Happy’s, The Draft House, Huey’s, Jolie Pearl and The Blend. 
Also on Saturday, The Manship Theatre will host the “Hit Writer Showcase.” The event features eight singer-songwriters performing their music in two “Nashville Style” rounds. In this style, four artists take the stage at a time, performing their songs in-the-round while sharing music and the stories behind the songs. 
The first round will include Justin Ebach, who has written hits for Josh Turner and Brett Young, Rick “Huck” Huckaby who writes for Trace Adkins and Thomas Rhett, Brett Anderson who wrote the No. 1 hit “Lonely Tonight” by Blake Shelton and lastly, CJ Solar, a Baton Rouge native who writes for Justin Moore. 
The second round will include Wynn Varble whose songs have been nominated for several Country Music Awards, Jim McCormick, a New Orleans-based musician who has written for Jason Aldean and Brantley Gilbert, and Charlie Black & Dana Hunt Black. Hunt Black wrote a number of songs for George Strait including “Check Yes or No.” 
“I’m definitely going back this year,” LeBlanc said. “The festival seems to be a lot bigger this year. Plus, since it’s right before finals it’s a really great way to wind down between study sessions.”