New wildlife expo still on schedule, but likely to be cancelled by COVID-19

Editor’s Note: This Mississippi Outdoor Expo has been cancelled.

The first Wildlife and Outdoor Expo is still scheduled to begin on July 31, but in reality, it faces long odds due to pandemic restrictions.

The event, which remains controversial — with a lawsuit filed against its organizers by the Mississippi Wildlife Foundation (MWF) after it took over the Foundation’s long-held weekend at the Mississippi Trade Mart for its Wildlife Extravaganza — is expected to be cancelled.

“We’ve been in touch with the Fairgrounds Commission, the Agriculture Commissioner and every entity involved and at this point (six weeks before the event), we’re still a go,” said Don Brazil, director of the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Foundation, one of the event’s lead sponsors. “Saying that, we realize it’s a foregone conclusion that we won’t be able to do it this year.”

It’s mostly an inside event, Brazil said, and is expected to attract similar crowds that visited the Extravaganza for the past 30 years — about 30,000 for the weekend.

“I don’t see the (social distancing) restrictions allowing that in July or August,” Brazil said. “However, if we do have to cancel the event, we are looking at holding two events in 2021, one in the spring in addition to our summer event, if we can get the spring date worked out.”