Orangetober brings Pumpkins, Gumbo Cook-Off

Orangetober Festival is coming to Orange’s Riverside Pavilion Oct. 1-2.

Highlights include an insane number of pumpkins -- more than 11,000 – trucked in from the Panhandle and the Gumbo Cook-Off put on by the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce.

The free community event kicks off at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 1 and tours of the Pumpkin Village will show off the melons and gourds.

Of course, a field of pumpkins means photo opps for the entire family.

Kids’ games and activities include a rock-climbing wall and a bounce house. Live entertainment will be on the Riverside Pavilion stage.

Food and craft beer will be available nearby.

Orangetober Festival resumes at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 and features the Fifth Annual Gumbo Cook-Off, with a dozen or more cooking teams entered.

Categories include chicken and sausage, seafood, and combination.

Don’t miss the Pumpkin Pie eating contest, a Cornhole Tournament, more craft beer and food and live entertainment.

Sunday, come back to Riverfront Pavilion for a free pumpkin pickup. Families, businesses and individuals are encouraged to bring a few pumpkins home for decorating, carving or eating purposes.

“I’m really excited about the Gumbo Cook-Off,” said Leigh Ann Dallas, event manager for the City of Orange.

There were no fall events last year because of COVID-19 and the 2019, coming soon after Tropical Storm Imelda, couldn’t find enough entries.

“It’s great the Chamber helped us out; they’re putting it on for us. They got a lot of teams, which is good,” Dallas said.

“People really missed it.”