STLCoffeeFest, St. Louis’ only coffee-focused festival, returns to the 18 Rails event space at City Foundry STL for a two-day celebration on February 28 and March 1. Guests can connect with top specialty roasters, explore curated exhibitions, and sample standout coffee and tea from across the metro area. Early-bird tickets—offered in two tiers and two time slots—are now available here. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Two-Day Event
Co-sponsored by Butler’s Pantry, the festival will feature up to 25 coffee and food vendors offering samples in a range of styles, including pourover, batch brew, cold brew, and espresso-based drinks. Confirmed participants include:
- Baked & Boiled Bagels
- Bijoux Handcrafted Chocolates
- Blueprint Coffee
- Bread & Bake
- Comet Coffee
- Germania Coffee Haus
- Goshen Coffee Roasters
- Idle Roasting Co.
- Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co.
- La Cosecha Coffee Roasters
- The London Tea Merchant
- Nari Chai
- Park Avenue Coffee
- Rolling Lawns Farm (Sample the cappuccino milk. Rolling Lawns Farm is also the milk provider to many local coffee shops.)
- STL Coffee Pass – (Support the local coffee community and enjoy a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free coffee or pastry at 30+ participating locations)
- Show Me the World Coffee & Tea
- Teleo Coffee
- The Washington Distilling Company (Sample the bourbon whiskey with Kona coffee beans and vodka-infused with Kona Coffee)
- Zensia Specialty Colombian Coffee
A complementary assortment of food vendors will be on hand as well, including:
- Coffee-flavored gooey butter cake, an STLCoffeeFest exclusive, from Park Avenue Coffee
- Tiramisu chocolates and coffee-infused chewy caramels from Bijoux Chocolates. Plus, a rich 68 percent dark chocolate European-style drinking chocolate with brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Artisan pastries from Comet Coffee
- Bagels and toppings from Baked and Boiled
- Sourdough cinnamon rolls, bread, and pastries from Bread & Bake
18 Rails will also serve coffee-themed alcoholic beverages, including coffee stouts and coffee-based cocktails featuring local spirits such as Sol Luna, a coffee whiskey created by Goshen Coffee’s Matt Foster, and coffee-infused vodka and whiskey from The Washington Distillery.
Locally roasted coffee beans, tea, and merchandise from many of the above vendors will also be available, as will STLCoffeeFest merchandise (with custom imprinting available).
More participants and food items will be added to the event website as they are confirmed.
Other features of STLCoffeeFest 2026:
- Workshops: Panels with local café owners, baristas, and industry experts covering the current coffee landscape, what it takes to run a shop, and more.
- Product Demos: Learn to brew better at home and recreate café-quality drinks through approachable techniques and insider tips.
- Hands-on Barista Classes: Train alongside local baristas to master pour-overs, explore espresso, or take part in a professional cupping. (These classes require an additional ticket beyond general admission.)
In addition to educational workshops, “how-to” demos for better brewing at home will be a new offering:
- Cold Foam & Cold Brew Made Simple
- The Art of Matcha & Coffee Cocktails
- Getting It Right: Grinder Settings & Bean Storage Tips
- Portable and Travel-Ready Brewing: Pour Over, French Press & AeroPress
The Tickets
The inaugural event in 2025 sold out, with nearly 1,000 attendees. Anticipating growing demand, a Sunday morning session has been added for 2026. Tickets are on sale now at stlcoffeefest.com
Saturday, February 28, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
- VIP Access: Early and all-day access starting at 9 a.m, plus a commemorative gift: $45 (early bird), $55 (after December 31)
- Morning Session: General admission from 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: $30 (early bird), $35 (after December 31)
- Afternoon Session: General admission from 1:00 p.m.–4 p.m.: $30 (early bird), $35 (after December 31)
Sunday, March 1, from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- VIP Access: Early access starting at 9 a.m, plus a commemorative gift: $45 (early bird), $50 (after December 31)
- Morning Session: General admission from 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: $30 (early bird), $35 (after December 31)
The Background
Bonnie Mann, a St. Louisan with a background in corporate philanthropy and event production, began pursuing her passion for food and coffee in 2020. As a self-employed blogger and food event creator, she explores unique culinary finds (“including specialty foods, kitchen gadgets, restaurant happenings, coffee talk, and anything else off-the-eaten-path”)—a pursuit that she calls “culinary trespassing.” Mann currently works part-time at Kaldi’s Coffee and trained in front-of-house and baking, to deepen her understanding of the coffee business.
Inspired by similar events in other cities and the absence of a local coffee festival, Mann decided it was time for St. Louis to host its own. “Our city celebrates everything—pizza, hamburgers, tacos, wine, beer—but never coffee,” she says.
Last year, Mann attended the Specialty Coffee Expo in Chicago, which showcases a wide array of coffee-related products and experiences but is geared toward industry professionals. “St. Louis needs an all-encompassing, consumer-focused coffee event,” she says. She chose February as the perfect time for an all-day, immersive coffee experience to brighten the winter months. The result was the inaugural STL Coffee Fest. Its success prompted a return engagement.
“Sipping hot beverages and learning about coffee on a cold afternoon is a delightful escape,” she says. “People crave experiences, and there aren’t that many in the middle of winter.”
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