WIMBERLEY — The Wimberley Cajun Cultural Alliance will host its seventh annual Wimberley Gumbo Fest April 19 at the Cypress Falls Lodge and invites community members and beyond to join.
The Wimberley Gumbo Fest was originally put together by My Neighbor’s Keeper, a nonprofit that was started in 2011 in response to the wildfires in Bastrop and Smithville. According to its website, “$25,000 was raised [during the initial fundraiser, Burning Love] and $20,000 given to [the Bastrop and Smithville] fire departments. Realizing there was no immediate, short term emergency funding available for fire or flood victims in Wimberley, Tom Keyser, Madonna Kimball, Jamie Clark, Tom Jones and Keith Busby formed [My Neighbor’s Keeper] with the remaining $5,000.”
One of the nonprofit’s fundraisers was the Wimberley Gumbo Fest. Secretary treasurer of the Wimberley Cajun Cultural Alliance Kristina Sandifer recalls the first time she and her family attended the festival.
“So, back when we first moved here, in 2014, we found out about the gumbo cook-off. My husband’s from Louisiana and so, he was going to win. We did it for four years and then, the next year, we didn’t hear anything. We found out that the nonprofit that was putting it on is called My Neighbor’s Keeper,” said Sandifer.
My Neighbor’s Keeper ran the Gumbo Fest until 2019, when they were going to cancel it because of board changes and other complications, said Sandifer. Sandifer’s son, Travis Martin, suggested that they take it over. The 2019 Gumbo Fest was put on by six people, Sandifer, Sandifer’s husband, Martin, Martin’s girlfriend, Sandifer’s daughter and her husband.
“[The] six of us got together and put on the first one in 2019 and it was frigid cold. The temperature dropped like it often does. [The] wind was horrible,” said Sandifer.
After the first one, Martin founded the Wimberley Cajun Cultural Alliance, whose main focus is the Wimberley Gumbo Fest. During the first year, they raised $1,800 and in the years since, up to $15,000.
Over the years, the Wimberley Gumbo Fest has raised funds for a number of different foundations and organizations, including My Neighbor's Keeper and Trees for the Blanco, which is a project dedicated to the reforestation of the Blanco River after the floods in 2015.
“When we had the floods in 2015, people donated a lot and [My Neighbor’s Keeper] gave out several hundred thousand dollars to people in our area for the floods of 2015, so they’re very beloved in this town and one of their key organizers was a man named Tom Keyser,” said Sandifer
According to Sandifer, Keyser was the owner of a local restaurant, Ino'z, and was very involved in the community through My Neighbor’s Keeper. He was heavily involved in the Gumbo Fest, even after the Wimberley Cajun Cultural Alliance took over, donating time or items for the silent auction.
In 2022, Keyser was hit by a car while crossing the street after a Notre Dame game and he died. Since his passing, the Wimberley Gumbo Fest has solely donated to My Neighbor’s Keeper in his honor.
For the gumbo cook off portion of the festival, there are 12 to 15 teams that compete. To sign up for the cook off, there is a $100 fee and a set of rules, but otherwise no prerequisites. All proceeds go toward My Neighbor’s Keeper and funding for the next year.
Admittance to the event is $15 per person, while kids 12 and under are free. With every adult admittance, guests receive five free tasting tickets, which they can turn in to try the gumbo at different stations. Additional tasting tickets can be purchased for $1 a piece.
While the gumbo fest has plenty of volunteers, and it will never turn anyone away from volunteering, what it really needs now is sponsors.
“Sponsors [are] what we need more than anything. Companies that want to do it and anyone that sponsors, we give a certain number of entry [tickets], people then can enter free and get the free gumbo tickets,” said Sandifer.
The Gumbo Fest will take place April 19, starting at noon. The festival also offers vendors selling their wares, live music and an area for kids.
“We know it’s Easter weekend. It was the only available date we had,” said Sandifer. “If you’re here seeing your grandma and grandpa or whatever, come on out and have a family day for Easter [weekend].”
“The most important thing is My Neighbor’s Keeper,” said Sandifer. “This is Tom’s dream, is to be able to help his community and we just hope that people continue doing that.”
For more information about The Wimberley Gumbo Fest, visit www.wimberleygumbofest.com. To learn more about My Neighbor’s Keeper, visit www.mynknonprofit.org.
