The MEDINA LAKE CAJUN FESTIVAL originated in 1981 as the GREAT GUMBO COOK-OFF, and the gumbo cook-off remains a tremendous attraction to the festival.
Visitors can sample a wide variety of gumbos prepared by amateur, professional and culinary students from Texas, Louisiana and elsewhere. Come early for the best selection. (Some of the gumbo cooks run out early!)
The different entries are judged privately by expert people from Louisiana who actually know gumbo (no media or political celebrities), and awards are presented to the top winners in all categories as well as the showmanship category. (So expect some foolish and outrageous behavior among the participants.)

Click HERE to get the Rules & Registration Entry Form - (Right click to download)

What is Gumbo?
Gumbo is the dish most associated with the Cajun people. It can be described as a soup or stew with a roux base.
Roux is flour and oil cooked to a golden brown. It can take a long time to cook and is usually cooked in an iron skillet to evenly distribute the heat. Many kinds of meat can used in gumbo. Seafood is a big favorite including shrimp, crab, scallops and oysters. Crawfish, sausage, chicken, turkey, quail and other meats are also used. Vegetables such as peppers, celery, onion and garlic can be added to gumbo. Okra is also used by some gumbo cooks. A flavorful stock is the final ingredient.

Sampling Gumbo
The cooks will be located in an Oak Tree area by the Gazebo Stage. With the food tickets you buy at the ticket booth, you give tickets to a gumbo cook and they will give you a sample of their gumbo. "Regular" gumbo is four tickets. "Seafood" gumbo is five tickets. Seafood ingredients cost more, hence the higher price.

Do You Want to Enter the Great Gumbo Cook-off?
If you would like to compete, the entry fee is $40, at least 5 gallons of gumbo, and the cooked rice to go with it. Call (830)751-3130 to enter.
There are three categories: professional, amateur and culinary students.
Professionals are gumbo cooks who have a restaurant, work in one, or do catering and the like. This includes people who make their living in food service. Amateurs are people who do not cook for a living. Culinary Students are those currently enrollled in a culinary program.
The gumbo can be cooked ahead of time and heated up at the festival. You need to provide the cooked rice to go with the gumbo. The committee will provide cups, spoons, sanitary gloves and napkins.
If you use seafood, you can charge $2.50 a cup (five tickets). If you don't, the price is $2.00 a cup (four tickets). You will be given a collection can for the customers to place their food tickets in. You will be paid 70% of the value of the tickets based on the number of tickets you collect. The rest of the proceeds will be used to help fund the work of the sponsoring organization, the non-profit Medina Lake Betterment Association.

Trophies are:

  • First Place Professional
  • Second Place Professional
  • First Place Amateur
  • Second Place Amateur
  • First Place Culinary
  • Second Place Culinary
  • Showmanship

Click HERE to get the Rules & Registration Entry Form - (Right click to download)