57th Annual Jambalaya Festival in Gonzales

Come on out to the 57th annual Jambalaya Festival this weekend in Gonzales. From Friday, May 24th - Sunday, May 26th, your whole family can enjoy the vast variety of food, fun, music and activities that have made the Jambalaya Festival the can’t miss highlight of the year.

Photo byjambalayafestival.net

​​What is Jambalaya? Today it is a Cajun/Creole dish made from a mixture of meats, rice and seasonings blended to produce a delicious dish. It can be made (separately or all together) with ham, chicken, sausage, fresh pork, shrimp and oysters, to which is added shortening, rice, onion, garlic, pepper and other seasonings. ​​Starting with church fairs, which were the largest public gatherings at the turn of the century, Jambalaya emerged from small quantity indoor cooking to become the ideal dish for outdoor cooking over hardwood fires. Big black cast iron pots made preparation so easy and economical for use that Jambalaya was rapidly adapted for any event.

This year's festival will include music on 3 different stages, a car show, pageant, 1 mile and 5K run, carnival rides and of course, a jambalaya cooking contest.

For more details on the festival and to view the full event schedule, go to www.jambalayafestival.net