Ocean Springs celebrates MLK Jr. Day with annual Wild Game Fest

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WXXV) — In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, community members gathered at MLK Jr. Park in Ocean Springs for the annual Wild Game Fest.

Turtle stew, deer chili, and raccoon aren’t the only dishes you’ll find at the annual event. Grill masters came out in full force to share their home cooked delicacies in a celebration which has captivated the Ocean Springs community for over 50 years.

What began as a group effort in the 1970’s now continues decades later, upheld by family and friends determined to keep it alive. And if you were wondering “Why wild game?” Joe Daley is one of the original organizers and he filled us in.

“Everybody can get a chicken. It’s hard to get a raccoon and a opossum… ribs and all that… we wanted something wild. That’s what we used to eat years ago because we couldn’t afford a steak. So, you had to eat wild game… years ago,” said Daley.

The event wouldn’t be possible without Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church right across the street, and Steven Gipson says its all about community and love.