STL Knows How to Rally
Unless you live under a rock or out of the bi-state area - you’ve heard that Loufest was unexpectedly canceled just days before the event was set to kick off. More than just a change of plans for friends and family members across the region; losing out on Loufest is a loss for our whole city. We’ve been moved by the way our community has come together to make lemonade out of lemons and solve issues of surplus in product and lost wages for so many artists & small business owners across St. Louis.
We don’t know every single detail that went into the planning and execution of LouFest, but we do know one thing...lean in, we’ll share it with you:
Psst! Event planning is super stressful, it’s hard, and when it’s on a large scale and dependent on the weather- it’s a gamble. Okay… maybe none of those were secrets. But, we can’t help but feel for all of those who planned to attend and work this festival because it has become a St. Louis tradition of sorts - and it’s a tradition that many businesses have counted on to meet their bottom line. We’re not sharing this blog as a criticism of the events that occured that lead to the demise of the 2018 fest. Honestly, we don’t know the ins and outs beyond the blogs & articles shared. Here’s what we do know - St. Louis is spectacular.
Local businesses, concert venues, artists, restaurants, and more have rallied together and this weekend’s calendar is jam PACKED FULL of opportunities to get out and support one another. When St. Louis could have sat on the sidelines, kicked rocks, and shaken their fists at the impending monsoon - we decided to grab our galoshes and make plans to play in the rain.
Here’s a roundup of what we’ve found that’s happening this weekend in the Lou:
Music Record Shop’s Big Weekend Sale Fest: Music Record Shop is hosting a sale, performances, and signings at their shop. There’s a huge sale that’s going on for LouFest ticket holders + vendors will have the opportunity to sell their gear/merch they planned to sell at the fest. See all the details about the sale here.
2.The Sound of St. Louis Showcase at The Grandel / The Dark Room: You’re going to want to head to Midtown this Sunday. SO MANY St. Louis acts will grace the stage of The Grandel and The Dark Room - visit this link to check them out. The Kranzberg Arts Foundation, Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, Gaslight, the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, and Express Scripts all got together to make this full day of music happen.
3. In Lieu Fest: this fest gets the most pun-tacular award for 2018. Saturday & Sunday the folks at 2nd Shift Brewing, Southtown Pub, The Boathouse in Forest Park, STL-Style, Arch Apparel, & Steve’s Hot Dogs will all feature special events including combos of sales, musical and comedic performances, and have opened up their doors to intended Loufest vendors to sell their merchandise & tasty treats.
This week’s events prove to us that a worse case scenario can be turned into a spectacular opportunity to foster collaboration. Event planning is complicated and there are details surrounding the cancellation of Loufest that we’re sure we, and the rest of the public, will never be privy to. We’re in awe of the way our community circled the wagons to make this weekend happen. Stay safe, stay dry, and keep supporting local, St. Louis!
