Brew in the Lou: Craft Beer Festival Supports Lutheran School Scholarships
SAINT LOUIS - Community members can support local schools and enjoy craft beer and chili at the upcoming Brew in the Lou festival.
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From 1–5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Francis Park in St. Louis, you can try unlimited craft beer tastings, vote for your favorite chili contest competitor, and shop over 80 local vendors. The Lutheran Elementary School Association (LESA) hosts the event to raise money for scholarships and support for local Lutheran schools across the Greater St. Louis region.
“We're the largest craft beer festival in the St. Louis area,” said organizer Libby Gutberlet. “We have some people who have been coming all 14 years. There are some diehards.”
The festival features craft breweries, distilleries and wineries from across the area. Gutberlet expects there to be over 100 tastings available. Attendees will receive a tasting glass and are encouraged to try as many samples as they want.
A chili contest will run concurrently, with several churches and home brewers competing to showcase their chili recipes. Attendees will vote on their favorite, and the winner receives bragging rights.
A few food trucks will be onsite, as well as over 80 craft vendors. Gutberlet encourages people to shop and enjoy everything Brew in the Lou has to offer.
Tickets cost $55 in advance or $65 at the gate. VIP passes are $125. There are also tickets available for those who don’t plan to drink, and there will be nonalcoholic beverages at the event.
All proceeds go back to LESA, which works hard to advance Lutheran education in the city and beyond.
“Our organization started 22 years ago, and it was built on a couple of premises,” Gutberlet shared. “One of our bases was providing scholarships and tuition assistance so that Lutheran school was accessible to people of every need. The other thing was the idea that every Lutheran school kind of is a silo.”
LESA encourages Lutheran school administrators to connect and mentor one another. The goal is to provide additional support.
Last year, LESA awarded over 700 scholarships, totaling $600,000. LESA wants to make Lutheran education more accessible to families.
Gutberlet noted that the St. Louis area has “quite a large group of Lutheran schools and churches.” These organizations connect and support one another, and LESA facilitates this work.
She added that a Lutheran education is special, and families have the option to send their children to Lutheran schools across the region.
“No one spends more time with your child than the teacher,” she said. “The teacher becomes a very important part of shaping that child’s life. When you’re choosing a school, you do have a choice of where you send your kids. Think about where you want your kid to be and who you want your kid to be spending all that time with. We believe our schools are a great option for your kids, starting with preschool all the way up through high school.”
You can support this mission and enjoy a fun day of craft beer and chili at the Oct. 10 Brew in the Lou festival. For more information, including how to get your tickets, visit the official Brew in the Lou website or their official Facebook page. For more about the Lutheran Elementary School Association, visit their official website.
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