GONZALES, La. (BRPROUD) — The 57th annual Gonzales Jambalaya Festival kicked off Friday inside of the fairgrounds on South Irma Boulevard in Gonzales.

The three-day event consists of live music, games and a jambalaya cookoff. This year, 87 teams are fighting for the crown for the best jambalaya, one of them being Robin Parent’s son and husband.

“But all year they pump up for this contest,” Parent said.

Parent said her and her family will be at the festival all weekend, but for now she is cheering her favorite contestants on and considers their jambalaya to be the best.

“It’s flavorful, it’s light, it’s fluffy. It’s a staple here in Gonzales,” Parent said.

Essence Festival adds Usher to 2024 talent headliners

Mike Gonzales, interim president of the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival, said all contestants use the same ingredients and are given three hours to cook their recipe.

“So, we bought like 4,500 pounds of chicken for the contest,” Gonzales said. “Probably 1,500, 1,600, 1,800 pounds of rice we’ll cook through the weekend.”

Gonzales also said judges look at the appearance, rice texture, chicken flavor, overall flavor and the meat texture when it comes to judging the jambalaya recipes.

Besides the cookoff and family friendly activities that are popular for the festival, Gonzales said a major factor of the event is the positive economic impact it brings to the town.

“And this weekend we spend a lot of money in the local area. And even during the year we try to buy everything local when we’re buying all our ingredients,” Gonzales said.

Parent said the best thing about the festival is the environment. He encourages people to come and enjoy this year’s event.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

BRProud Daily News

“The people, the friends, the families, the, you know the kids get to play and it’s just like a peaceful. You know, everybody gets together,” Parent said.

Festival rides and food will be open until midnight on Friday. The event will go on until Sunday when a champion will be crowned for the best jambalaya.

For the full schedule of the festival, visit here.

Latest News

• Supreme Court won’t hear Michael Avenatti appeal over Nike extortion

• Audit: Louisiana Department of Transportation fails to follow wage rate requirements

• American car buyers appear to have an appetite for Chinese cars

• Paralympic rower Ben Washburne views being on the water as a ‘great escape’

• Burger King celebrates 70th birthday with a week of freebies

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com.