IBERIA PARISH (JEANERETTE) — The Third Annual Creole Festival and Gumbo Cook-Off will be held this weekend at the historic Albania Mansion, located just outside of Jeanerette in St. Mary Parish.
The event is expected to draw large crowds, though some are grappling with mixed emotions about attending due to the venue's complex history.
"One of my friends in particular was like 'I can't believe you would buy that place,'" said Albania Mansion owner and New Orleans native, Liz Creel.
Albania Mansion, a three-story home built in the early 1800s, was constructed by enslaved African Americans.
Today, Creel has worked to preserve the mansion while acknowledging its painful past.
“My belief is that what they did is they left us a message in a bottle, and that message is, ‘I am somebody, I am important,’” Creel said. “I left this magnificent, beautiful piece of architecture so that one day, somebody might say, ‘Tell me about the people who actually built this place.’”
Creel hopes festival attendees will remember the mansion’s history as they enjoy the festivities.
“It represents something terrible, but if we hide it away, then all the lessons are lost,” she explained.
The festival will feature 19 gumbo cooks, competing in the annual cook-off. According to Jeanie Clements, Creole Festival president, the chefs will begin cooking early in the morning to prepare their dishes.
All gumbo cooked during the event will be available for purchase and enjoyment by attendees.
“It’s free admission to get in, please come out and enjoy,” Clements said.
However, tickets will be available for activities like pony rides, gumbo tastings, and drinks in the children’s area. Three bands will be featured throughout the day on the property as well.
One hundred percent of the money raised at the event will go toward the refurbishment of Jeanerette, with funds helping to revitalize the city.
Attendees are encouraged to visit the mansion’s grounds and learn more about its history, with a plaque dedicated to reminding visitors of the enslaved labor that built the property.
“We have to take the hard road, we can’t look away,” Creel said.
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