Gumbo Fest to make a savory return Oct. 14-16

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

If it’s not the pandemic causing social upheaval, then it’s probably a hurricane to get in the way of one of south Louisiana’s most famous weekend festivals.

But when the 49th Bridge City Gumbo Festival resumes Oct. 14-16 on the grounds of Holy Guardian Angels Mission Church, all previous delays and obstacles will be forgotten, says organizer Niki Hebert.

Since Hurricane Ida canceled the festival last year – and seriously damaged the church – the festival will again honor the founding father of the event, the late Msgr. J. Anthony Luminais.

Almost single-handedly, Msgr. Luminais launched the Gumbo Fest as a way to bring his parish community together and also raise funds for construction of a new church,  several education buildings and an entire gumbo festival grounds – called Angel Square – on the Bridge City campus.

And, yes, even though Msgr. Luminais, who died in 2021, ran the festival like a benevolent dictator, he never took part as a judge in the gumbo cook-off.

The gift of gumbo

That’s because he always entered his own gumbo in the cooking contest, Hebert said.

“Gumbo built this church,” Hebert said with a laugh, repeating the line Msgr. Luminais always liked to use to get people fired up. “We are the gumbo capital of the world.”

Msgr. Luminais was so proud of his gumbo that he printed his recipe for all to save and try.

Festivities run Oct. 14 from 6 to 11 p.m.; Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Admission is $5 a person or $12 for the entire weekend. There are amusement rides for the kids with a $25 pay-one-price.

Gumbo Festival Park is located at 1701 Bridge City Ave. in Bridge City, but the festival this year will be held toward the front of the campus because Hurricane Ida heavily damaged the roofs of the gumbo booths.

Mass in CYO building

While the church and other facilities await restoration, parishioners are participating in Masses celebrated in the CYO building Msgr. Luminais built.

Hebert said the memories of Msgr. Luminais remain strong among the people he served in his decades as pastor.

“He was just a good person to raise money for the church,” Hebert said. “He was a great fundraiser, and he knew how to build community.

“The church is absolutely beautiful. It has Louisiana cypress, and all of the statues in there were made in Italy and  were stained, not painted.”

For more information on the festival, go to bridgecitygumbofestival.org. The gumbo cooking contest is open to the public and free of charge. Gumbo must be submitted by noon on Saturday to be judged.

“We have a distinguished panel of judges and chefs that come out,” Hebert said.

But the main gumbo and jambalaya that is served to the public is the same recipe that has been used since the first festival in 1973.

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