Feb. 20, 2023

The National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic is coming back to Sioux Falls next year.

The popular outdoors and conservation trade show and conference was scheduled to return in 2021, but the event was canceled because of the pandemic.

When Pheasant Fest first came to town in 2018, it was one of the biggest events in the organization’s history.

“Sioux Falls has shown over and over that we love the National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic, and this event loves us right back,” said Teri Schmidt, executive director of Experience Sioux Falls.

“We have delivered an incredible experience, despite being the smallest metro area to host, and that’s why this event keeps coming back. We can’t wait to welcome them again next year and deliver the win-win that this event creates for their industry and our community.”

Pheasant Fest was held last weekend in Minneapolis and drew a record crowd of more than 33,000, with a show floor that marked the largest footprint in the event’s history. It draws hundreds of the nation’s top outdoor retailers, outfitters, habitat equipment companies, dog breeders and dog trainers. Seminar discussions included everything from dog training and pheasant habitat to public lands hunting and opportunities in the upcoming farm bill.

Next year’s event will be March 1-3 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center complex. The last time Sioux Falls hosted the event, it generated an estimated $3.9 million in economic impact.

Pheasants Forever, with its Quail Forever division, is the nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to upland habitat conservation, with more than 400,000 members and supporters. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to more than 570,000 habitat projects benefiting 24 million acres.