Gumbo Fest hits the coast this November

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Get ready- the first annual Gumbo Fest is coming to Centennial Plaza in November. The coastal community, the Plaza, and full belies will be the perfect ingredients for a good time.

South Mississippi takes pride in fresh seafood, so organizers are looking for the best pot of gumbo on the coast. The award even comes with a $2,500 prize.

Tessie Lambert, Lodging and Leisure Chief Marketing Manager, says that they have been planning this event for seven months, and she’s excited for the hard work to finally pay off.

“I think that the things we have coming will really ‘wow’ our community,” Lambert said.

Organizers say the events will be held in November. Planners say there will be cooking competitions between locals, costal mayors, and music from Grammy award-winning stars, Cedric Burnside and Amanda Shaw.

Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes says he’s ready for everyone to gather and showcase their skills.

“We talk about ‘one coast’ being a cultural gumbo with all our amenities and natural resources and people and opportunity,” Mayor Hewes said. “And so why not have this type of festival surrounding gumbo and our seafood heritage.”

From rice to spice and our favorite seafood all mixed in the bowl, planners say the weather will be perfect for the event.

Jennifer Lee, Gulfport Main Street Association President, said the event just made sense.

“Going into November and December, there’s still a lot of great weather to be had before winter usually sets in around January, so we put our thinking caps on,” Lee said. “Everybody loves gumbo, and it just kinda fit as a way to bring everybody together.”

Sponsors of the event predict a huge turnout and can’t wait to see who takes home the best gumbo title.

Adam Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell Distributing, is excited about every aspect of the new fest.

“Great event, a great venue, a great team behind it, and a unique and really authentic concept that really fits the coast,” Mitchell said. “It seems like it’ll be something that really brings a lot of people out.”

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