by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Other than jobs and sports, live entertainment and festivals bring more people Downtown than any other activities. The fuse was lit on the 2010 festival season Saturday when 10 teams of chefs from PHiNS (Parrot Heads in Natural Settings) cranked up the cookers and stirred the roux at the local Jimmy Buffett fan club’s Fifth Annual Gumbo Festival.
The club was founded 14 years ago and since 2006 has presented the outdoor culinary event at the Landing. It’s all for a good cause, said club co-founder Jim Coss.
“Jimmy Buffett wants all of his fan clubs to find a way to give something back to the community. We pick a different charity each year to benefit from our festival,” he added.
Between registration fees and the sale of $10 wristbands that allowed guests to sample each team’s gumbo and vote for their favorite concoction, the festival raised more than $2,500 for Gleaner’s Dispatch Inc., a local nonprofit that collects and then distributes fresh breads, fruits and vegetables to families in need. The group redirects more than $3.5 million worth of perishable food gathered from grocery stores and wholesalers to about 300,000 people in Duval, Clay and Nassau counties each year. Without those efforts, the food would be discarded when it could no longer be sold.
“I have met a lot of really nice people here today. This is a great opportunity to present what we do to people outside the Westside,” said Linda Lee, who is in charge of public relations for Gleaner’s Dispatch and set up a booth at the festival.
Landing General Manager Janice Lowe said the PHiNS Gumbo Festival is just one of the fundraising events the riverfront shopping and entertainment center will host this year.
“We think of the Landing as the heart of Downtown and we’re always glad to help nonprofit organizations raise money and share their message,” she explained.
The live music was headlined by “The Sauce Boss” who cooked a pot of gumbo on stage in between songs.
The first-place “Gumboholics” team: Erin Armstrong, Matt Moreland, Ronny Moore and Brian Pieklo.
Many of Gate River Run participants stopped by the festival on their way home including Gilbert and Wendy Weise. He’s what’s called a “streaker,” having run in the event every year since it debuted. Weise was wearing his 33rd finisher’s medal Saturday.
Downtown’s 2010 Festivals, Celebrations and Events
356-2466