Gumbo Wars 2025

17th Annual Gumbo Wars Event

It is soon to be “Gumbo Time” in Central Florida, right here in historic Downtown Sanford. West End Trading Company on the corner of Sanford Avenue and 2nd Street will be the host location for this 17th annual event on Saturday October 11th from noon till 5pm.

More than 20 teams will be cooking and competing for the “Peoples’ Choice Award” for this year best Gumbo! Several vendors will be joining us also for this all-volunteer Fund Raiser. This wonderful event has raised over $150,000 in the previous 16 years!

We moved the venue from the previous location at “Fish on Fire” restaurant in the South-Orlando and the Conway area, due to our large crowds we out grew that location and wanted to have more impact on the youth fishing community and water conservation projects in Florida that we donate the proceeds too. Gumbo Wars president Phil Wolf says moving to downtown Sanford was a perfect fit for this type of event, more space, bigger crowds, means more funds raised for our mission.

I have been apart of the “Get Hookd’ on Lake Monroe” a FREE TO ENTER fishing tournament for the last 6 years hosted by West End Trading Company every January, when they agreed to partner with us by hosting the event our team of all volunteers were all on-board. Last years event was just 3 days post hurricane and attendance was-less than predictions but still very successful. We are hoping this years’ event will be record setting. The proceeds raised are donated back to our local youth fishing community and Florida’s clean water issues.

Our JAE (junior angler education) volunteer instructional program has introduced over 10,000 kids and parents to fishing over the last 16 years, making quite an impact through State of Florida’s “Hook Kids on Fishing” program. Local youth fishing clubs Seminole Jr Anglers, Osceola Anglers and Teen Sportfishing Association all provide volunteers from their clubs to help with our great event, we donate the proceeds raised back to their clubs for their efforts and they use it for whatever their clubs need. We also donate some of the proceeds to clean-water projects all throughout Florida.

Pre-event tasting bands are now on sale for $20 on-line, that gets you all the gumbo you can eat and a voting ticket for “People’s Choice Award”, $30 day of the event. We are still looking for more teams to compete and more vendors. $50 gets you a 10’X10’ tent space for vendors or cooks, the cooking team has to provide 5 gallons of Gumbo for serving, the winning team will get 50% of the total funds from the competing teams.

Live music, a DJ, lots of great raffle items and loads of fun to be had, for more info, for tasting bands, to volunteer or register as a cooking team or vendor visit Gumbowars.com or contact Phil Wolf at 407-790-9515 or by email phillip@coastalanglermagazine.com - We hope to see everyone there for a great time!