The Prospect KC’s 3rd Annual Gumbo Fest returns this weekend

Members of BoysGrow serve gumbo at The Prospect KC Gumbo Fest in 2023 // Photo by Joe Ellett

This year’s Gumbo Fest is all about the gumbo ideology as a symbol of adaptation through struggle and resistance. Sink your teeth into this living history on Saturday, April 26, in the heart of midtown.

Returning for its third year, the annual Gumbo Fest is a celebration of community resilience and culinary excellence that supports The Prospect KC’s mission of ending food insecurity in Kansas City. The Prospect KC was founded in 2019 by Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant. The non-profit is a social enterprise designed to address systemic inequities caused by food apartheid, including food insecurity, unemployment, and housing instability. McAfee-Bryant and team do this through a variety of programs that provide workforce development, including case management, skill management, financial and nutrition education, childcare, and job training.  

Courtesy The Prospect KC

Festival attendees enjoy gumbo tastings, live music from Back Alley Brass Band, free kids’ activities, and more. Behind the gumbo dishes themselves are ten local chef teams, all competing for the title of Best Gumbo in KC. Past winners include Lula Southern Cookhouse and two-time champions The Prospect KC Culinary Students.

Tickets start at $15, and the event runs from 12 – 4 p.m. at St.Paul’s Day School at 4041 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64111.