In less than ten days, the thirteenth-annual Mothman Festival commences in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. There will be a host of speakers discussing the massive creature that flew over small-town America five decades ago. There will be vendors galore, including the uber-famous Mothman pancakes. There will even be a Miss Mothman Festival Pageant, which has to be the coolest and weirdest beauty contest ever held.
The Mothman Festival is arguably the most famous gathering held in honor of cryptozoology (literally translated as “the study of hidden animals”). But Mothman is not the only surreptitious critter hiding out in bucolic America. In fact, the Mothman Festival is not the only festival in honor of a monster. So what other cryptid conventions are out there?
Bigfoot Gatherings
Although not ordinarily associated with Bigfoot, native Ohioans know that their countryside is lousy with primitive ape sightings. Consequently, the pastoral Salt Fork Resort in Cambridge hosts an annual Bigfoot conference which boasts a Hall of Fame for the most devoted Bigfoot researchers. Out in Washington state, locals have decided that beautiful melodies are the best way to soothe the savage beast, and as such, organize the Sasquatch! Music Festival every Memorial Day Weekend. Bud Light even sponsored this year’s fest, proving that corporate opportunities for the cryptid world might truly be an untapped market.
UFO Conventions
But let’s step away from the anthropomorphic ape for a moment and look to the skies. Each year, Roswell, New Mexico hosts a multi-day extravaganza in honor of its extraterrestrial history. But if desert weather isn’t your thing, you can probably find an alien-centric gathering closer to home. Mutual UFO Network (better known as MUFON) hosts conferences across the country; check your local chapter for more information (I’ve located at least three annual events in Pennsylvania alone).
Beast Fest & Beyond
The Jersey Devil doesn’t get his own festival, but the New Jersey Pine Barrens tourism bureau incorporates the Garden State cryptid into much of its promotional material. And North Carolina seizes on its storied history as the home of the Beast of Bladenboro by hosting Beast Fest each October.
In the meantime, for those of you anywhere near West Virginia, I would highly recommend a detour to Point Pleasant next weekend. A Weird Wanderer’s bucket list is not complete without at least one visit to the beloved Mothman Festival.
Have you ever attended a festival dedicated to a supernatural monster? Tell me about it in the comments below!
Happy haunting!