Cajun festival celebrates 40th annual event

The Lakehills Community Center held its 40 annual Medina Lake Cajun Festival on Saturday, Sept. 25th with a great turnout of people.

Eagerly attending the event after its COVID-induced cancellation last year, festival-goers had an abundance of homemade Cajun food fare to choose from.

The food, made by festival volunteers, featured savory dishes such as crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, boudin poppers, fried catfish, crawfish pies and a bread pudding with whiskey sauce.

Additionally, the variety of gumbos offered by the Great Gumbo Cook-off contestants was a unique Cajun taste experience.

40-year veteran contestant, Ma Harper, delighted the tastebuds with her award-winning gumbo prepared and cooked from scratch. Once again, Ma Harper, of Ma Harper’s Creole Kitchen in San Antonio, won first place in the professional division.

“Without my gumbo, there is no Cajun fest,” said Ma Harper.

Tibby’s Voodoo Gumbo made by Yvette Lanning won 1st place in the amateur division and the class of Lee Highschool in San Antonio won first place in the culinary students division.

Festivities would not be complete without the festive, rhythm and blues, toe-steppin’ feel of Zydeco music.

The event venue featured two separate stages where bands performed their musical talent for the crowds all day long. People enjoyed dancing and listening to the beats of Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Don Fontenot et Les Amis de la Louisiane, Ca Va Bien and The Countrymen.

In addition to the traditional Cajun food and music, the festival included many vendor tents, games and crafts for the children, game booths, festival souvenirs and a silent auction, which turned out to be a great success for the civic center.