Published: February 23, 2026
WMPG, a community non-profit radio station here at the University of Southern Maine, hosted its annual Mardi Gras celebration this past Tuesday. The McGoldrick Student Center was packed with vibrantly dressed attendees looking forward to the Cajun Cookin’ Challenge, a contest for local restaurants and caterers to showcase their Louisiana-style dishes. Gregory Arnold, the kitchen manager at Ruski’s in Portland, said, “I have been doing this since the original, probably about twenty-nine years ago. We used to do it at USM in the studio itself. A bunch of the DJ’s came back from a blues festival in New Orleans and wanted to make some Cajun food. So we said, ‘Let’s do it! Let’s open up the station and bring in listeners.’”
After two years of hosting the event, the crowd outgrew the WMPG station and moved to the former Woodbury Campus Center. “I’ve been doing it [the Cajun Cookin’ Challenge] most of these years. […] It’s so fun to see people. This is most definitely the busiest year yet. There were probably over four hundred people this year based on the amount of food we went through,” said Arnold.
At the beginning of the event, guests were given a voting slip with all of the restaurants, and after tasting each, could vote on their winner. Maggie Mae’s in Yarmouth brought both a Sweet Potato Jambalaya and a traditional Sausage Jambalaya. The USM dining hall service, Sodexo, served a Jambalaya Arancini with Cajun Rémoulade and Maque Choux, traditional Beignets, and a Hurricane Mocktail. Portland-based restaurants such as Po Boys and Pickles on Forest Ave, Ruski’s on Danforth St., and the Bayou Kitchen on Deering Ave all brought fierce competition. The Portland Country Club even brought savory Alligator Sausage and Crawfish Beignets.
While attendees sampled the food, the Ideal Maine Social Aid and Sanctuary Band, a Portland-based community ensemble, played New Orleans-style street band music. This group has performed at local events and protests including the Juneteenth Celebration with Maine Inside Out, Wayside Food Program, STRUT Pride Celebration, SecondStory Theater, the First Friday Artwalk, and many more. Their music was the perfect addition to such a festive day.
After about an hour of feasting, Ruski’s was announced as the winner. Gregory Arnold said, “[The] jumbo Jambalaya usually takes me about three to four days to make. It is definitely a labor of love! […] I won in 2012, but it has been a few years and I wasn’t expecting it. They ate right through thirteen pounds of jambalaya. I’ll have to make twenty pounds next year.”
When asked about his favorite part of the celebration, Rodney Mondor, the Dean of Students and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs here at USM, responded, “The food! Definitely the food!” Dean Mondor added, “It’s also the energy. It’s February, it’s been cold, it’s the winter time, so to have this room full with people and music is so great. […] The diversity of the crowd with both local community members and students makes it such a fun time!”
Overall, WMPG’s Mardi Gras was, once again, a success. Community members, students, and local businesses got together to celebrate music and culture. From all of the incredible Cajun dishes to the Ideal Maine Band, the event brought a warm energy to our cold Maine winter. If this year’s turnout is any indication, the event will be a beloved University of Southern Maine tradition for many years to come.
