Cryptid Festivals

Uniquely American folk events occur around the country, primarily in late summer to fall, to celebrate the town’s local cryptid legend. The community day festivals always involve speakers, media coverage, vendors, themed food and drink items, tours and explanation of the legend, vendors, and often music or film screenings. Sometimes, there is even a parade. Often, the crowd includes some cosplayers or a person dressed as the creature for photo opportunities. Typically, the events are family-friendly. Often, proceeds are used to support the community or local causes.

The growth of hometown creature festivals

How many festivals exist that are focused on local cryptids? Here’s a list. The oldest of these festivals are those in Churubusco, Indiana, and Perry, New York, which both began in the 1950s when the community was keen to capitalize on their special creature to bring attention and some tourist dollars to their small towns. The current oldest still running festival is Bigfoot Daze in Willow Creek, CA that has been mostly active since 1960.

For more on the Turtle Days of Churubusco and hometown monster “protofestivals”, see J.A. Gutowski’s “The Protofestival: Local Guide to American Folk Behavior” in J. of Folklore Institute, 15:2, 1978, and hear him talk about the history of the Beast of Busco on Monster Talk episode 260.

Still the most famous festival is that dedicated to Mothman, in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. This event brings people from all over the world to the town where strange events took place and were subsequently made famous by writer John Keel.

Mothman Festival Participants

The success of the Mothman festival spawned others using the same template, such as the Lizard Man Stomp in Bishopville, South Carolina, and the Albatwitch Day in Columbia, Pennsylvania. These events become more popular every year.

A mixed blessing

Outsiders gladly flock to towns to see something out of the ordinary, whether it be a tragedy or festivities. The forerunner to these annual events might have been a one-time call for hunters to capture the monster. Brave seekers descended on the town to find the creature. The short-lived benefit to the local businesses was expanded to yearly coordinated events.

Most residents are proud of their local monster. The events are important for community identity. But some residents may have mixed feelings about the event. In the case of Mothman, the town is overrun with visitors for several days causing traffic congestion and interrupting daily life. Certainly, not everyone in town is keen on having outsiders (some of whom look pretty strange) invading their town. Others might not like the association with paranormal beliefs. Businesses, however, count on the influx of tourists to account for significant profits for the festival days. With the advent of social media, towns make a larger effort and are more successful in capitalizing on their community creature. The suspension of some events during Covid was particularly tough on merchants who count on the increased attention and cash flow. Town chambers of commerce will often heartily support expenditures on signage or statues to draw additional attention to the specialness of their towns.

Folklore traditions

Cryptid festivals are an understudied folklore tradition. With people now coming from a wider area to the small town for the day, we see a blending of local and national cultures. The event themes and the vendors cater to not just the local folklore tradition but also popular traditions. For example, while the festival may be dedicated to a locally significant legend, the themes will likely include wider New Age healers, psychics, paranormal subjects like ghosts and UFOs, and cryptids of all kinds.

With regards to the cryptids-of-honor at such events, the attention given to the subject not only helps to define and popularize the legend, but also can redefine the legends. The locals in charge may choose to present a sanitized or embellished version that veers ever more distant from the original witness accounts. Visitors who are learning the tale for the first time may come away with a very different impression of the creature than the original witness accounts or lore documents.

A parade for Bigfoot Daze in Willow Creek

Several towns across the U.S. vie for the use of Bigfoot as a town mascot. As of this original posting, 19 towns feature Bigfoot-themed festivals – with Willow Creek, California’s Bigfoot Daze still the reigning champion. This doesn’t count the various Bigfoot-related monsters who have their special localized monikers, like the Boggy Creek/Fouke Monster or Minerva Monster.

Inclusiveness

Some festivals have expanded to include more general cryptid themes encompassing all monsters. Five events in the list are for general “cryptid” interest but still retain the feeling of a festival or convention. I’ve left out of the listings the “conferences” which tend to be more structured indoor events that are not geared toward families but for researchers to share their knowledge. Small themed conferences like these are also growing as it’s not too difficult to organize and publicize a gathering of speakers who volunteer their services for a day.

Albatwitch Day 2022 in Pennsylvania feature all kinds of cryptid fun.

In the past 10 years, there has been a markedly different feeling of inclusiveness to these festivals. Thanks to cryptids becoming popular icons in the LGBTQ communities, cryptid events almost always are welcoming to those of alternative lifestyles. While the crowd still consists of families, retiree couples, and the guys in camo gear looking like they are ready for the hunt, the audiences for these events have diversified to include teens and young adults of various ethnic backgrounds. Cryptid festivals are a wonderful people-watching opportunity where you can view unique fashion choices and forms of personal expression.

Watch for more towns to pick up on the opportunities available by showcasing their local monster legends.

If you know of other festivals not included in the Modern Cryptozoology Cryptid Town Festivals list, please contact popcryptid(at)proton.me or leave a comment.

#Albatwitch #Bigfoot #BigfootDaze #cryptidFestival #cryptids #legends #MothmanFestival #popularCryptids #TurtleDays

Pop Cryptid Spectator 3

In this edition:

• Green Eyes and the explosion of cryptid festivals
• Appalachian folk horror
• Cryptid Media – Folk horror resurgence/British Cryptids
• Pop Cryptid – Jackalope or nope?

Hello and welcome to the 3rd edition of the Pop Cryptid Spectator – my chronicle of observing the changing appearance of and attitudes towards “cryptids” in popular culture. My interest is in exploring the expansion of cryptozoology into a mass cultural phenomenon – a cornucopia of strange entities that are labeled as “cryptids”. We can see a proliferation of popular cryptids in American culture and worldwide, largely in part to newer media and communication platforms, allowing their stories to spread (and evolve) like never before. Cryptid stories can be viewed through different lenses – a point that I make with several illustrative examples.

Green Eyes and the Explosion of Cryptid Festivals

Winter is the slow season for town festivals. Now is the time where organizers are planning their summer and fall events. A new event, the Green Eyes Festival in Chickamauga, Georgia, premiered in 2024 and was a great success for the small town mostly known for its Civil War battlefield. Old Green Eyes most certainly falls into the category of Pop Cryptid, since it has no significant provenance and is more like a ghost story. The creature’s form varies widely, being a ghost or ghoul prowling the fields of the dead, or can be more like a big cat or hairy monster. The commonality is the glowing green eyes. In a recent interview on the Monster Talk podcast, the founders of the festival revealed that they knew little of “cryptids” beforehand. The two young marketing professionals had heard the spooky stories, of course, but didn’t see it as an opportunity until they visited another well-known festival. As with most modern cryptid town events, inspiration inevitably traces back to the world-renowned Mothman Festival of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. It’s the OG event that launched a hundred imitators (and growing).

Green Eyes has no established canonical legend and, as such, its story evolves as others tell it. While some may argue it’s not a cryptid at all because of the lack of a zoological lens through which to view it, as part of the Pop Cryptid model I argue that any mystery creature that people say may exist (in whatever corporeal or incorporeal form), but can’t be pinned down, falls under the popular idea of a “cryptid” and will be labeled as such.

More: About Cryptid Festivals, and a Parade of Cryptids in Small town USA. Check the list of cryptid festivals in the US and see if one is near you.

Appalachian Folk horror

Sheepsquatch

Possibly more than any other US location, small towns in Appalachia are embracing their local legends and sprucing up the image of their local creature. Appalachian folklore, often exaggerated, is packaged and sold on media platforms. The reasons for this surge in place legends is complex and somewhat disputed – likely in response to populism, a need for enchantment, and a fascination with magic and mystery in your own backyard. Some social commentators (i.e., podcasters and TikTokkers) are suggesting that the Appalachian mountains are so old that ancient eldritch beings still exist here. Ok, then…

It might just be my TikTok feed but cryptid content goes hand in hand with claims of uncanny animals and evil zooform entities that you will encounter if you venture off the trail in the eastern forests. Eh, whatev… People have totally lost touch with nature and, therefore, it’s fairly easy to freak them out. The Appalachians are culturally rich and diverse. Unfortunately, as with indigenous folklore, legends and tales from a previous time and place are being enhanced and monetized for podcasts and videos. You might consider it visual Creepypasta as creators are taking bits from old or new scary stories and manufacturing fakelore.

Cryptid Media

Folk horror resurgence – British Cryptids

It’s not just the Appalachians experiencing rising interest in the past several years with the likes of Mothman, goatman, “not deer“, and areas of high strangeness. The folk horror genre is seeing worldwide popularity. Folk horror focuses on a place, local behaviors, traditions, and history to create a sense of foreboding, particularly to the outsider who comes into the scene unaware. Aspect of folk horror include occult figures like witches, or threats from demons or Satan itself. Monstrous beings also play a big role.

In a blend of folk horror and satire (with the occasionally ancient nude), the YouTube channel British Cryptids manufactured several new cryptids under the guise of lost documentaries from 1974. The series provides a sense of nostalgia as well as unsettling confusion about what’s real and what’s imaginary. Check out their channel where the titles include ‘Yorkshire Yeti’, ‘The Hereford Twiggywitch’, ‘Stag Men’, ’The Souter Sea Wolf’, ‘The Cumbrian Dregpike’ and ‘The Woodwose of Cannock Chase’. It’s like a sophisticated version of Fearsome Creatures made famous as North American lumberjack tales – they sound plausible, if you are out alone in the dark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0-lAdhxX7U

Pop Cryptid: Jackalope

A major theme of the Pop Goes the Cryptid model is the never-ending dispute about calling something a “cryptid”. As an example, I’m going to jump right into the deep end and talk about the Jackalope, a creature that is well-associated with “cryptid” online but that almost everyone who knows some history of the topic will say is not a cryptid because it’s a mythical creature, a hoax. Not so fast…

The world was a different place centuries (or even decades) ago. Ideas and language change. If we go by the general cryptid definition of “an animal/entity that is believed to be real but not recognized by zoology” then the Jackalope has a chance to be an official cryptid. There certainly are some people who have seen so many Jackalope depictions, yet do not know their taxidermic history, that they may assume they were a real animal. And, in the early days of natural history, the “horned rabbit” was assumed to be a real, genuine, unique animal because witnesses said so.

My reference is On the Trail of the Jackalope (2022) by Michael Branch, a comprehensive book that mostly treats the creature as a cultural creation but also briefly explores the idea of its cryptidness.

“[T]he horned rabbit is unalloyed Americana—a genuine artifact of this country’s folk culture—the mythical beast has also made its way across the oceans and around the world.”

The true home of the American Jackalope is Douglas, Wyoming where, according to the locals, about half the visitors leave believing the animals are real. Do they believe, or are they just having fun believing? Hard to judge. The same might be said about most cryptids as people like to imagine that tall tales are true because it makes life seem magical. This remains a strong theme in the Jackalope biography.

Jackalope from the video game Red Dead Redemption

One can argue that a “horned rabbit” is a real thing. Cottontail rabbits with horn-like protuberances over various parts of their bodies, particularly their heads, were found to be infected with a type of papillomavirus. There can be little doubt that such stricken rabbits would be viewed as mysterious, then and now. Branch notes that the prevalence of the horned rabbit across cultures suggests that they were at least somewhat based on these natural anomalies. Branch explains that precursors to the American Jackalope are numerous. The specific Jackalope may be a Wyoming invention, but it was not the first depiction of the horned rabbit.

Early naturalists such as Conrad Gessner, Joris Hoefnagel (16th century) and others depicted the horned hare as a real animal. Later, other natural historians weren’t so sure, but this uncertainty about its existence and speculation on the cause of horned hares undoubtedly sounds like the modern idea of a “cryptid”.

But this is the 21st century. We know better now, right?

There is ample evidence to show that most people are entirely ignorant of wildlife in their own backyard, let alone the zoological catalog of known animals. As with everything else in the modern world, we get our information from popular culture, not too much directly from qualified scientific experts. Branch quotes Loren Coleman who runs the International Cryptozoology Museum regarding his inclusion of the Jackalope in the museum: “I would read visitors’ online comments… and they would say things like ‘I didn’t know that the jackalope really existed.’ ” Coleman continues by explaining he reorganized the exhibit to depict the Jackalope along with other hoaxes. To me, there is a lot to unpack in that anecdote. Do we really know which cryptid is a manufactured hoax, which are imaginary creatures that people wish to be real, which are mistaken IDs influenced by lore and campfire tales, and which are real animals? The line is very blurry and all the information is not in. (P-G film, anyone?)

I’ve greatly expanded my idea regarding what a cryptid is in the past few years. I recognize that different people are viewing cryptids through various lenses (zoological, artistic, historical, cultural, etc.) If people wish to believe horned rabbits (jackalopes, wolpertingers, or other variations) are real animals hopping around in an alternative reality, that’s OK by me, as long as they aren’t declaring that in biology class. It’s important to recognize that horned rabbits have a history that can be legitimately viewed with a zoological lens, making them not dissimilar to the history of the “Kraken” that many assume equates to the giant squid (I don’t, but that’s another complicated story), or the merfolk, which are assumed to be misidentified aquatic mammals like dugongs and manatees. The history is muddy and fraught with flips, twists, and turns. The modern “expert cryptozoologist” statements discounting any creatures as “mythological” and not worthy of the label “cryptid” don’t hold much weight. People will believe whatever they want.

There was not a common word for creatures of dubious existence, until “cryptid”. Cryptids as general “mysterious animals” has come into its own as a useful label. We know this because that is how it’s widely employed in popular culture today. It’s your point of view about reality that may vary.

For more, click on Pop goes the Cryptid landing page. While you’re there, make sure you subscribe to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam. 

You can email me with comments, suggestions or questions at Popcryptid(at)proton.me

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https://sharonahill.com/?p=9171

The list of Cryptid Town Festivals keeps growing! More towns are celebrating their local monsters or cryptid creeps in a very public way. Summer and Fall 2024 brought us several new events to serve as evidence of the Pop Cryptid phenomenon across the US. Building on the success of the Mothman Festival, in particular, communities recognize the value of a monster mascot in their town. Cryptid-themed festivals often follow the general layout and activities made famous by Point Pleasant, with food trucks, vendors, music and speakers, attracting visitors and dollars to the town. Some cryptid attractions are more adult oriented with their beer gardens and grown-up cosplay. Others are family friendly with lots of kids events – because kids LOVE cryptids!

As shown in the examples below, the trend is very much about the storytelling and fun, and has little to do with the original aim of finding mystery animals new to science. We also see the term “cryptid” used ever more broadly and loosely to cover a wide array of weird beings.

Here are some of the latest Pop Cryptid events in small-town USA for 2024:

Green Eyes Festival

New this year is an event in honor of a Civil War era ghoul called “Green Eyes”. After being inspired by the local legend of a glow-eyed creature – more of a ghost than a mystery animal who reportedly prowls the Chickamauga, Georgia battlefield – the organizers used the template set by the world-famous Mothman Festival in West Virginia. The event caught the attention of community leaders. Very much in line with the phenomenon of Pop Cryptids, Chickamauga’s Economic Development and Events Director, Eric Pullen said, “I feel like this is going to create a new image for Chickamauga to a younger generation that primarily sees it as based on civil war history.” The first Green Eyes Festival, that honors the folklore and culture of Northwest Georgia/Southeast Tennessee, is Oct 5, 2024 and includes Green Eyes being awarded the keys to the city of Chickamauga.

Squonkapalooza

Johnstown, Pennsylvania hosted the second annual Squonkapalooza event to celebrate cryptids, particularly the ever-more popular Squonk. The squonk is a made-up creature first noted in the 1910 book Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods by William T. Cox. The squonk is dog-sized and excessively wrinkly, warty and so ugly that it cries constantly and, if caught, will dissolve into a pool of tears. The squonk has been unofficially noted as the “state cryptid of Pennsylvania”, an accolade that would be up for vigorous debate! According to the news report, visitors to the festival this year did seem to consider the squonk as some kind of mystery animal, more akin to the traditional view of cryptids. Maybe they didn’t know the silly backstory. But, more likely, they are just experiencing the Pop Cryptid wave of interest in weird creature tales just for fun.

Bigfoot and the Gateway to the Mysterious

The previous month, some 40 miles or so west of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Derry Borough mayor Grant Nicely issued a proclamation in August, 2024 to declare Bigfoot as the official cryptid of the borough. Bigfoot is a big deal to folks around Greensburg, Uniontown, and the Chestnut Ridge area. Cryptid sightings, and associated high strangeness, have been reported in the region for decades. In the past few years, thanks to social media and the increasing popularity of strange stories propagating online, the area has become a “a hub for those fascinated by the unexplained.” The proclamation now designates Derry Borough as “The Gateway to the Mysterious Chestnut Ridge” encouraging residents and visitors to explore its mysteries and drop some dough.

Flathead Lake monster sculpture

A sculpture of the Flathead Lake Monster was revealed at the Sacajawea Park in Polson, Montana in September 2024. The Polson Mayor, Eric Huffine, opened the ceremony to unveil the bronze statue, saying there are more than 100 years of stories and legends of the monster from Flathead Lake in Kalispell, also known as Flossie. They are very proud of their own beastie.

Have news of a cryptid festival or monument in your town? Contact popcryptid@proton.me

https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2024/10/02/parade-of-cryptids-in-small-town-usa/

#Bigfoot #cryptidFestival #cryptids #Georgia #GreenEyes #lakeMonsters #mascots #monsterLegends #monsters #Montana #MothmanFestival #Pennsylvania #Squonk