Zapp’s Beer Fest at the Rural Life Museum Saturday

In a little less than a decade, the Zapp’s Beer Fest has become a big deal. The event started in 2004 as a small fundraising event for the LSU Rural Life Museum, and it drew around 500 people. The following year, the crowd was almost too much to handle.

“That second year, we had more than 5,000 people come,” says Elizabeth McInnis, marketing manager for the Rural Life Museum. “We ran out of beer. We ran out of food. We had to turn people away, it was getting so big.”
This Saturday, 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m., the Rural Life Museum will host and celebrate the ninth annual Zapp’s Beer Fest. The event will feature more than 200 foreign and domestic beers, and McInnis says you can also expect to taste some local homebrews and microbrews. She’s looking forward to the jalapeno ale, one of many unique varieties on the roster.

The festival will feature music from the CJ Solar Band and food. Tickets are $30 per person and only 2,000 tickets will be sold. You must be 21 or older to attend. To purchase advance tickets or get more information, call 765-2437. Proceeds from the event benefit the museum’s efforts to maintain some of the older buildings.

“This was designed for the 25-to-30-year-olds to get them to come out here,” McInnis says. “Now, it’s turned into something more. There are groups of people coming. They bring their lawn chairs, and they’re here until the last minute.” For more information, click here. —Matthew Sigur