Hundreds of people with Cajun-style food and fun on their minds attended GumboFest this past weekend at Cypress Falls Swimming Hole.
A project of the Wimberley Cajun Cultural Alliance, the proceeds from this year’s GumboFest benefitted My Neighbor’s Keeper. An aid organization that comes to the immediate assistance of Wimberley citizens who are victims of fire, floods, or other natural disasters, My Neighbors Keeper was founded in part by Tom Keyser. Preliminary results from the event on Saturday, April 22 show that at least $14,000 was raised.
The event was dedicated to Keyser, who died in 2022. Close friends wearing “Having a Tomtastic Day” t-shirts made in his honor, posed with his photograph and shared stories of the person who they agreed was a dedicated leader and “always the life of the party.”
Twelve teams of gumbo makers lined one side of the event grounds, competing for a $500 first prize. Festival participants queued to taste samples of the popular roux-based Cajun stew. The first prize went to the Rockin Ron team, with Ron Rawls as Team Captain. Second place went to the Crabby Daddies, with Team Captain Chad Smith at the helm. Third place was won by the Dis Bee Gumbo team with J.R. Jones as Team Captain.
The six-piece band, Chasons et Soulards, played South Louisiana French dancehall music, regaling the crowds with Jolie Blon and other favorites from their album “The Good, The Bad, and the Couyon.”
An area for children, vendors, a face painter, a raffle and a silent auction kept the party lively.
The annual festival chooses a recipient each year to support with proceeds from the event. In past years, they have supported Trees for the Blanco, the Katherine Anne Porter School and Barnabas Connection.
WCCA organizers were Travis Martin, Kristina Sandifer, Huey Sandifer, Joshua Jones, Heather Jones, Melissa Wolter, Callie Jones and Allison Seideman.
The committee thanked everyone who came out in support of the event and especially those who helped celebrate the memory of Tom Keyser.
“Without our sponsors, donations, volunteers, gumbo cookers, the Wimberley View, and all who attended, we couldn’t do this and ultimately help those in desperate need in our community,” organizer Kristina Sandifer wrote in an email. She extended a special thank you to Lynnsey Hastie at Cypress Falls for hosting the event for the past five years.
