The air in New Iberia will be thick this weekend, thick with the unmistakable aroma of gumbo!

The Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce's 32nd Annual World Championship Gumbo Cookoff will be held this weekend, October 8th and 9th, in New Iberia.

This event is one of the largest cookoffs around, with several categories of gumbo. Amateur, professional, seafood, and non-seafood categories mean that you'll find a gumbo you'll love.

But only one gumbo can win in each category. Who will it be this year?

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This year should be HUGE, as over 70 teams have signed up to compete.

And it's not only the gumbos that will be judged: each year the teams are encouraged to decorate their booths and perform a skit to ante up the competition.

Saturday, October 8th, is the perfect day to bring the family for children's activities all day. There's also a 5k run on Saturday, the Youth Gumbo Cookoff, the Cajun Creole Fest and the Meanest Beans Cookoff.

The music lineup for Saturday is as follows:

Chubby Carrier & Bayou Swamp Band     10 AM - 12:30 PM

The Bad Boys                                                    1 - 4 PM

Swampland Revival                                       4:30 - 7 PM

On Sunday, the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff will take place, with over 70 teams vying for the title of World Champion. Teams will begin serving gumbo at 11 AM.

Musical entertainment scheduled for Sunday:

Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie 10 AM - 12:30 PM Nonc Nu & Da Wild Matous                                 1 - 3:30 PM

Entry to the event is free, and food and beverages will be available for purchase.

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This event is a huge economic shot in the arm for New Iberia. According to the Chamber of Commerce:

Presented by Savoie’s Sausage & Food Products and hosted by the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce, the Gumbo Cook-off has been showcasing the best attributes of the community and helping to spotlight local business since 1989, all while stimulating New Iberia’s economy. The economic impact of the event is conservatively estimated over $1.5 million, and that impact grows every year.

Due to the sheer size of the event and to accommodate the droves of people the event expects to attract, the city is shutting down several streets in the Downtown New Iberia area.

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If you frequent New Iberia, or if you plan to be there this weekend, please keep the street closures listed above in mind and plan your visit accordingly.

We hope to see you this weekend over a bowl of gumbo in New Iberia!

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