Turkey Day Festival

Oglethorpe hosts the Turkey Day Festival the fourth Saturday in March to coincide with opening day of turkey hunting season in Georgia. Throughout the morning, hunters bring in their birds to be photographed and measured for beard length, spur size, wingspan and weight. The first bird and largest bird of the day, as well as the youngest hunter of the day each earn $100. Attendees will enjoy live music, food, games and exhibits, and they can participate in cake walks, obstacle courses, dunking booths and riding the mechanical bull.

Because of wildlife management practices and rich woodlands, Macon County is known for its prize deer and turkeys. When the National Wild Turkey Federation formed in 1973, there were only 1.3 million wild turkeys. Today, that number stands at more than 7 million birds throughout North America, and the population in Georgia is around 300,000.