Escape from Oz, crawfish & more. Check out full event schedule on Mississippi Coast
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Imagine stepping into “The Wizard of Oz” movie in downtown Gulfport and meeting the characters in your favorite video games in Biloxi.
Both “tourism experiences” are on the way to South Mississippi this year, along with the Crawfish Music Festival and other favorites, as locals and tourists crave more entertainment options.
The Oz Escape has been held in Central Park in New York and other cities across the country and on July 20 the outdoor escape will see people dressed as Dorothy, the Tin Man and the great Oz roam Gulfport looking for clues.
Like the indoor escape rooms that debuted a few years ago on the Coast, participants follow clues to solve the mystery and get to their destination — in this case to escape from Oz and the wicked witch.
Questo, the company bringing the outdoor escape experience to Gulfport and more than 60 countries, blends a fictional story with a real city environment. It will follow the original “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” novel by L. Frank Baum.
“Our events bring together elements of escape rooms, scavenger hunts and mystery-solving, turning your city’s streets into magical worlds,” the company’s website says.
People can dress in costume or not. They use a mobile app on their cell phone to follow the clues and compete in challenges as they walk around the city. They can start the 90-minute adventure anytime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and race the clock or escape at their own pace.
The starting point and location of the Oz set will be emailed to teams before the event.
A team ticket costs $40 and admits two to six people to the event. Kids go free and it is recommended for ages 8 and older. Pets are allowed.
Other city escapes
Oz isn’t the only outdoor escape game in town — Hourglass Adventures has created Escape Biloxi and Escape Gulfport, along with other cities like Hattiesburg, Jackson and Meridian.
A company representative said there currently aren’t any events planned, since they played on the Coast in the last three, months, but plan on returning to South Mississippi soon.
Going gaming
A different kind of escape, Southernerds Festival comes May 25-26 to the Coast Convention Center in Biloxi. It is billed as family-friendly gathering of celebrities, vendors and fans of video games, table games, comics and other “nerd” fun.
Video game tournaments, table top games, Dungeons and Dragons and magic are all part of the festival.
John Ratzenberger may be best known to some people for his role in television shows, yet in the gaming world he’s credited on 20 video games. He will be at the Biloxi festival, along with Sting from the world of professional wrestling, and other celebrities.
More festivals & fun
Other new festivals are planned this year, along with all the favorites that celebrate food, music and arts on the Coast. Here’s what’s coming up:
April 19-21 — Crawfish Music Festival at Coast Coliseum, Biloxi
April 20 — Dragon Boat Festival for United Way at The Dock Bar & Grill in Gulfport
April 20 — Inaugural Arts and Antiques in the Alley at Fishbone Alley, downtown Gulfport
April 20 — Rockin’ the Earth Day Fest at War Memorial Park, Pass Christian
April 20 — First Gulf Coast Cannabis Festival on Biloxi Town Green
April 27 — 1699 Weekend of Discovery, 499 Front Beach Dr., Ocean Springs
April 27 — Flower Fest at Walter Anderson Museum of Arts, 510 Washington Ave., Ocean Springs
April 27 —Bay St. Louis Film Festival at 100 Men Hall, 303 Union St., Bay St. Louis
Coastal Mississippi has a calendar of packed with pirates, seafood, music and lots more festivals and events.
