Leave the lawyer jokes at home (unless they’re good ones or about good lawyers), and prepare to enjoy as much delicious homemade chili and gumbo as a body can hold for only $10.

On Saturday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., the Young Lawyers Section of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association is having its annual Gumbo and Chili Cook-Off at the Crying Eagle Brewing Company.

“We call it our OctoBARfest,” said Meagan Johnson, who explained that all proceeds from the event go to the Holiday Helping Hands Program.

“Holiday Helping Hands provides Christmas presents for families with a parent or parents who may have trouble providing gifts for their children,” Johnson said. “We work with local schools, and someone there lets us know which families need help. We’ve been doing this for many, many years.”

Cooking team tents will be set up in the Crying Eagle  front parking lot where teams will give out samples. Johnson said there were 12 teams last year. One $10 ticket is all it takes to sample every team’s food.

The competition is stiff and it’s anyone’s game, according to Johnson. She will be on a team using her grandmother’s gumbo recipe.   

“Her name was Lou Esther Hackberry and she lived in Hackberry,” Johnson said.   

The kids will enjoy the bounce house, candy and in addition to the cookoff winner chosen by a panel of judges, a people’s choice winner will be named based on the amount of $1 tickets collected.