'This is the place to be': The 95th annual Coon Feed in Delafield is back on after canceling last year due to COVID-19
The 95th annual Tom McNulty Memorial Legion Coon Feed is back on this year after canceling last year due to COVID-19 concerns.
This year's event will be at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at American Legion Post 196, 333 N. Lapham Peak Road, Delafield. Admission is $18 for adults and free for ages 6 and younger.
"I'm hoping more people come than less. With COVID, that's the big question," said Post 196 adjutant Mark Corgiat. "Obviously, we're going forward this year. We didn't want to cancel it two years in a row." We're going to plan that it's going to be a normal Coon Feed."
The legion plans to slow roast about 300 to 350 pounds of raccoon meat, along with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sauerkraut, coleslaw, bread and dessert.
The event typically attracts about 300 to 350 people each year.
"What we have to offer is unique. People want to do things that are different," Corgiat said. "We get from all around the state, and all around the U.S. and typically one person internationally."
The legion gets the raccoon meat from a Jefferson County trapper who captures the animals for their fur and has been supplying the meat for about 11 years, said Corgiat.
The Coon Feed started in the mid-1920s by Tom McNulty and his hunting buddies. Over the years, the group moved from a kitchen to the garage and became a fundraiser for Delafield youth sports.
The event moved into the American Legion Post in the 1950s and has been there ever since. It is typically scheduled for the last Saturday in January.
Proceeds from the event support Boy Scout Troop 49 and Venture Group 196 in Summit, as well as American Legion baseball in Delafield.
"People are just really generous because they know that what we do is worthy," Corgiat said.
Additionally, money is donated to veterans programs to support homeless veterans, the VA Medical Center and prosthetic research.
The Coon Feed raises about $6,000 to $6,500 each year to donate to local youth and veterans programs.
For people who might be hesitant to try raccoon, Corgiat said it tastes a bit like corned beef. "If you can get rid of the mental portion, everything else flows pretty nicely," he said. "If you don't know what you're eating, it's a pretty good deal.
"Please come; it's a community event. We have a fun time. If you're looking for something to do on a cold, dark January Saturday, this is the place to be."
RELATED: 94th annual Tom McNulty Memorial Coon Feed
Contact Alex Groth at agroth@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The 95th annual Coon Feed in Delafield to take place Jan 29
