NEW IBERIA, La. --- Gumbo is a pi�ce de r�sistance in Southern Louisiana, so it's no surprise the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff calls Iberia Parish home. Every year, on the second weekend in October, the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce hosts the cookoff in Bouligny Plaza on New Iberia's historic and award winning Main Street.
The 25th annual event will occur Oct. 11-12, 2014.
"You get it all with the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff: the best Cajun and Zydeco music, locals who love to chat with visitors, a wide variety of Cajun and Creole food on Saturday like crawfish �touff�e, fried alligator sausage, charbroiled oysters, crab cakes, corn and crab bisque and, of course, the best gumbo in the world on Sunday," said Janet Faulk-Gonzales, CEO of the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce.
Saturday, the Roux Run (5K and 1-mile fun run) begins the day. The chefs mix and concoct "anything but gumbo" for attendees to sample. It's a fantastic way to try Louisiana's traditional dishes all in one convenient location! Local museums hold tours during the day and downtown businesses open for shopping with special deals only available during cookoff weekend.
The 4-H club will have an agricultural-based "gumbo tour" from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. There will be a youth gumbo cookoff Saturday as well, with tasting at 6 p.m.
Saturday's musical lineup includes Leroy Thomas & The Zydeco Roadrunners, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Sideshow and BeauSoleil.
The "battle of the rouxs" kicks off bright and early at 6 a.m. on Sunday. The cooks stir and chop while support crews perform skits and participate in the booth decoration contest until 11 a.m. when tasting starts. Winners are announced at 3:30 p.m. Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie will provide the morning's soundtrack with Roddie Romero & The Hub City All Stars closing the event.
"For the 25th anniversary, visitors can expect more than 100 different gumbos prepared for their tasting, all set up in beautiful downtown New Iberia," continued Faulk-Gonzales. "Attending the event is a great way to kick back and spend a relaxing weekend in October."
To celebrate the cookoff's anniversary, the Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting a gumbo getaway contest at IberiaTravel.com/Gumbo-Getaway. Participants can win a free 2-night stay in New Iberia complete with dinner, Gumbo Bucks to spend at the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff and a VIP attraction pass.
For more information, visit IberiaTravel.com or IberiaChamber.org/Gumbo-Cookoff.
