The East County restaurant and campground hosted its annual Braden River Gumbo Cookoff and Bluegrass Festival.
By
Amanda Sebastiano
| 11:12 a.m. November 15, 2015
East County
Neighbors
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When patrons arrived Nov. 14 at Linger Lodge restaurant and campground, their senses were instantly drawn to the aroma of peppers and garlic, and the twang of a fiddle and mandolin being played in the distance. The annual Braden River Gumbo Cookoff and Bluegrass Festival offered attendees six hours of bluegrass music, played by local bands, such as the Highway 41 bluegrass band, on a stage tucked beside the Braden River. The $15 admission fee also allowed patrons to taste gumbo concoctions, such as the Sunday Church Gumbo medley of sausage, chicken thigh meat and an assortment of spices and vegetables.
Cathy Rice and Judy Buonomano, of Bradenton, sample gumbo.
Stephen Spicer, of Bradenton, serves up his Sunday Church Gumbo.
John and Becky Dubowik, of Bradenton, enjoy a breezy afternoon and hot gumbo.
Jami Rowell, of Bradenton, serves Linger Lodge's gumbo recipe — a mixture of tomatoes, okra, sausage, chicken, shrimp and other ingredients.
Highway 41 bluegrass band members Mark Horn, Donnie Harvey and J.R. Davis, of Bradenton, entertain their audience.
Mark Horn, Highway 41 sings and plays the mandolin.
Attendees listen to bluegrass music after snacking on gumbo.
Bill and Diane McCall, of Bradenton, enjoy the show from the lawn.
Andrew Hitchcock, of Greensboro, N.C., enjoys live music with Robin and Henry Hatch, of Englewood.
Larry and Jane Nelson enjoy the annual festival when they return to Bradenton each year from their home in Wisconsin.
Lauren and Ray Ladd, of New York and Bradenton, spend the fall and winter months in East County.
Bradenton natives Wendy Dean, Joyce Wadsworth and Mary Durden love bluegrass music.
Chuck and Barbara Mitchell, of Bradenton, relax in their lawn chairs.
