Registration for Vicksburg's Carnaval De Mardi Gras & Gumbo Cook-Off is underway - The Vicksburg Post

Registration for Vicksburg’s Carnaval De Mardi Gras & Gumbo Cook-Off is underway

Published 3:52 pm Friday, January 28, 2022

: Members of the Rusty's RiverFront Grill Carnaval De Mardi Gras Gumbo Cook-Off team stir up their roux. Registration is underway for teams interested in competing. The event will be held on Feb. 18 at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center following the Vicksburg Mardi Gras Parade in downtown Vicksburg. (Photo submitted)

For those with a flair for flavor, competing in the 10th Annual Carnaval De Mardi Gras & Gumbo Cook-Off could be the chance to shine.

Hundreds of partygoers will line up next month to taste test gumbo and when all is said and done, one team will walk away with the win.

Registration to participate in the gumbo cook-off, which will be held on Feb. 26 at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center following the Vicksburg Mardi Gras Parade in downtown Vicksburg, is now underway.

Entry fees are $50 before Feb. 19 and $75 afterward. The fee includes entry for four team members with a limit of six additional team members at $5 each.

There will be two categories of competition, seafood and non-seafood with first-, second- and third-place prizes awarded in each along with the “coveted” People’s Choice Award, Nancy Bell said.

Bell is the executive director for the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation, for which the proceeds of the event benefit.

“We are excited about this year’s event since we were unable to have it last year due to COVID-19,” Bell said.

In 2019, Bell said, 10 teams entered the competition, and she is hopeful even more will come out to participate this year. Teams participating in the cook-off will need to check-in no later than 7 a.m. the day of the event.

Each team will be provided a 10-by-10 site, and cookers are responsible for providing tables, chairs and a pop-up tent or tarp structure, Bell said.

Competitors will also need to provide their own cookstoves (propane), cooking supplies, ingredients, extension cords and trash bags for site equipment.

Teams will also be allowed no more than two coolers of alcohol, Bell said.

For more information or to register, call 601-636-5010, visit www.facebook.com/vicksburg.mardi.gras or email VFHPgumbo@gmail.com.

In addition to the gumbo cook-off, the event will include live music, dancing, food and drinks and activities for children.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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