The 2023 Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic is Almost Here — This is What to Expect

This year’s installment of the largest upland show in the US will be hosted in Minnesota and it sure to be a great time

With many hunting seasons behind us, another opening day is quickly approaching: the kick-off for Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic.

On February 17-19 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the 2023 installment of the event is shaping up to be an exciting one. Here’s what we’re expecting at this year’s three-day event.

What’s in store

Hosts Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are bringing plenty of things to get excited about to the Twin Cities. The show is housed at the Minneapolis Convention Center and will run from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets start at $15 for one day for individuals, $5 for youth between the ages of 6-16, and $35 a day for families.

According to PF/QF, the show “has something for everyone including hunters, landowners, and bird dog enthusiasts.” Further, as noted by PF/QF President and CEO Howard Vincent, the “National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic is driven by the person-to-person interactions surrounding our partners, exhibitors, bird dogs, hunting heritage, youth, banquets, and so much more.“

Multiple events will be held with topics ranging from the Bird Dog Parade, an Upland Rally, women in hunting, the Habitat Help Desk, bird dog trauma training, and more. The seminar schedule has yet to be released as of January 4.

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Other events of interest include multiple cooking demonstrations, panel discussions, youth events, and more. 

2023 Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever Film Fest

This popular film festival is back after a long hiatus! This year’s films feature southwestern quail, the boreal forests of Sweden, and everything in between. We will have two films featured in this year’s festival: the viral film featuring Stephen Faust in Through the Trees and the unreleased film Lapland Grouse which takes us to Sweden in pursuit of Capercaillie, Hazel, and Black Grouse.

Our friends from Ron Schara Productions will also be showing films as well as some Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever original projects!

WHERE: The Pourhouse in Downtown Minneapolis
WHEN: February 16, 2023, 7:00 PM
TICKETS: Buy Now

Vendors at Pheasant Fest

Plenty of recognizable brands and organizations will be at Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic this year, including multiple firearm manufacturers, member-supported non-profits, Project Upland, and others.

Some of the firearm and ammunition manufacturers slated to be at the show are Upland Gun Company, Beretta, Benelli, BOSS Shotshells, Bio Ammo, Browning, CZ-USA, Federal Premium, Fiocchi, Hevi-Shot, Kent, Remington, and Weatherby. Joining them are organizations such as Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Ruffed Grouse Society, TRCP, North American Grouse Partnership, multiple breed clubs, as well as brands like Sage and Braker, Hunt Redi, PYKE Gear, Orvis, OnX Maps, Eukanuba, and others. A map of the show floor can be found here. 

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Further, Project Upland and Hunting Dog Confidential will be at booths 1311 and 1313, which are right next to each other. Project Upland and our booth neighbors, Upland Gun Company and BHA, are close to the public lands pavilion, which was a new addition to the show in 2020. Stop by and say hello to our team, which will include Project Upland’s Founder and Creative Director A.J. DeRosa, our Director of Operations, Managing Editor of Hunting Dog Confidential Magazine, and Co-host of the Hunting Dog Confidential podcast Jennifer Wapenski, Project Upland’s Lead Filmmaker Kevin Erdvig, Project Upland’s Art Director Josh Powell, and Project Upland’s Managing Editor Gabriela Zaldumbide.

We will have great deals for magazine subscriptions and gear and would love to chat with you. Additionally, 10 percent of our sales will be dedicated to the Open Fields and Waters Program, a state-based conservation program created by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in 2009 to “increase public access opportunities to private lands.” According to Nebraska Game and Parks, over 850 landowners participate in OFW, a success for hunting access in a state that is overwhelmingly held by private landowners (97 percent). 

All in all, this year’s Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic is shaping up to be a great event. Be sure to book your tickets as soon as possible and come enjoy the weekend with like-minded individuals who care about protecting, enhancing, and creating premier upland bird habitat for generations to come.