Spring is coming, and so is festival season! If you've never been to a Bigfoot festival, you're in for a treat. Picture small-town main streets packed with vendors, costume contests, calling contests, guest speakers, food trucks, kids in fuzzy ears, and more Bigfoot statues per square mile than seems reasonable.
We've rounded up 36 Bigfoot festivals and conferences in 22 states on our festivals page, each with a link to the official organizer. Here's a month-by-month overview of the 2026 season.
Important: dates below are what organizers posted or what's been typical in past years. Always confirm on the official event page before you travel. Small events can change dates, venues or plans.
March
- East Alabama Bigfoot Town Hall (Seale, AL). This one kicked off the year on March 6–7, its third annual event. It's held at the Old Russell County Courthouse, which makes for one of the more unusual Bigfoot venues in the country.
April
- Fouke Monster Festival (Fouke, AR), April 24–25. A pilgrimage to the home of the Boggy Creek legend. It's based at the Fouke Community Center, and swamp tours have been part of the program. (Read our upcoming Fouke Monster post.)
- Estes Park Bigfoot Days (Estes Park, CO), April 24–25. Rocky Mountain Bigfoot fun at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. The festival in Bond Park is free, and there's even a Bigfoot half marathon and 5K for the runners.
- Weston Bigfoot Search (Weston, MO), April 25. A family-friendly Bigfoot search run by the local chamber of commerce.
May
- Ohio Bigfoot Conference (Salt Fork State Park area, Kimbolton, OH), May 2–3. One of the longest-running Bigfoot gatherings in the country, usually held the first weekend of May. Event listings say it has been running since 1989, and it's held at the Salt Fork Lodge & Conference Center inside Salt Fork State Park, the heart of Ohio's Grassman country. (See our upcoming post on the Ohio Grassman.)
- Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Festival (Townsend, TN), May 2. The sixth annual festival at the Townsend Event Center, on the quiet side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
- Red River Gorge Bigfoot Festival (Stanton, KY), May 30. A free festival at Stanton City Park in Powell County, in the Red River Gorge area.
June
- Great Florida Bigfoot Conference (Ocala, FL), June 12–13. The sixth annual conference, held at the World Equestrian Center. Local coverage says to expect a Skunk Ape-themed vendor row. (Meet the Florida Skunk Ape.)
- Forest County Bigfoot Festival (Marienville, PA), June 12–14. A Town Circle festival in Allegheny National Forest country, with a Bigfoot Hunt and a 5K.
- Glide Sasquatch Festival (Glide, OR), June 20. Free admission, in the Umpqua country of southern Oregon.
- Bigfoot Daze (Willow Creek, CA), June 27. The 64th annual edition, in the town that calls itself the "Bigfoot Capital of the World." The parade and festival center on Veterans Park, and Willow Creek is the gateway to Bluff Creek, where the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film was shot.
- Legends of the Mountains (Packwood, WA), June 27–28. The second annual speaker weekend in the Cascades, at Longmire Springs Brewing.
July
- Bigfoot Days (Remer, MN), July 10–11. The 10th annual edition in a little town that bills itself as the "Home of Bigfoot."
- Sasquatch Summer Fest (Oakridge, OR), July 10–11. The third year of this festival at Greenwaters Park in the Cascades.
- Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference (Gatlinburg, TN), July 25. The eighth annual speaker conference at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. It's a separate event from the Townsend festival in May.
August
- Maple Falls Bigfoot Festival (Maple Falls, WA), August 1. A park fundraiser in Whatcom County, which has declared itself a Sasquatch refuge area.
- Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival (McArthur, OH), August 14–15. At the Vinton County Fairgrounds. Entry is free; parking costs a fee.
- Irons Bigfoot Conference (Irons, MI), August 15–16. Hosted by The Fold Mysteries in the Manistee National Forest area.
- WNC Bigfoot Festival (Marion, NC), August 29. According to Wikipedia, this festival drew about 40,000 visitors in 2023, in a town of fewer than 8,000 people. Highlights include a free downtown festival, a Bigfoot calling contest and a 5K.
September
- Uwharrie Bigfoot Festival (New London, NC), September 4–6, over Labor Day weekend. It's held at Camp John J. Barnhardt near the Uwharrie National Forest.
- Mysterious X (Kanab, UT), September 24–27. Bigfoot, UFOs and the unexplained. Bigfoot is one part of a much broader program.
- Woodbooger Festival (Norton, VA), September 25–27. The City of Norton celebrates its own local legend, the Woodbooger, downtown and at Flag Rock Recreation Area, with a night search, a 5K trail race and guided hikes.
- Blue Ridge Bigfoot Fest (Wintergreen, VA), September 26. Held at Wintergreen Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Mt. Morris Bigfoot Festival (Mount Morris, MI), September 26–27. The third annual edition, hosted at Gillie's Coney Island.
October: peak Bigfoot season
October is the busiest month on the Bigfoot calendar, and 2026 is stacked.
- New York Bigfoot Conference (Johnstown, NY), October 2–3.
- Bigfoot at the 40 Festival & Conference (Honobia, OK), October 2–4. Formerly known as the Honobia Bigfoot Festival, it's held deep in Oklahoma's Kiamichi Mountains country. It takes place at Christ's 40 Acres, with camping on site. Services are very limited out there, so come prepared. (Bigfoot in Oklahoma is coming later this year.)
- Nelsonville Bigfoot Festival (Nelsonville, OH), October 2–4, its inaugural year. It's set for Historic Public Square.
- Minnesota Bigfoot Conference (Grand Rapids, MN), October 3.
- Ozark Mountain Bigfoot Conference (Nixa, MO), October 3. At the Ozarks Event Center.
- West Virginia Bigfoot Festival (Summersville, WV), October 9–11. Organized by the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum at Nicholas County Veterans Memorial Park.
- Bigfoot Festival Green Valley Lake (Green Valley Lake, CA), October 10. The second annual festival at Jim Reid Park in the San Bernardino Mountains.
- Texas Bigfoot Conference (Jefferson, TX), October 16–17. Jefferson has hosted this conference since 2000. It's held at the Jefferson Tourism & Visitor Center, a short drive from the cypress swamps of Caddo Lake. (See our upcoming Bigfoot in Texas guide.)
- Upper Cumberland Bigfoot Festival (Crossville, TN), October 17–18. At the Cumberland County Fairgrounds.
- Spirit of the Forest Bigfoot Festival (Celina, OH), October 23–24. Free admission at the Mercer County Fairgrounds.
November
- Sasquatch Summit (Ocean Shores, WA), November 13–14. A research conference at Quinault Beach Resort & Casino, running since 2013, that closes out the year on the Washington coast.
- Molena Bigfoot Fest (Molena, GA), November 14.
Festival vs. conference: what's the difference?
Roughly speaking, festivals are family-friendly community events with vendors, music, contests, food and lots of fun. Conferences focus on speakers and presentations, usually researchers, authors and TV personalities sharing evidence, stories and field techniques. Many events mix both. We'll break down the big conferences in a later post.
Tips for your first Bigfoot festival
- Check the official page a week before you go for schedule changes and parking info.
- Bring cash. Small-town vendors don't always take cards.
- Book lodging early for the big ones. Small towns fill up fast.
- Wear your Bigfoot gear. You'll fit right in. (We hear Everything Bigfoot™ shirts are very popular.)
- Enter a contest. Calling contests, costume contests and "best Bigfoot impression" are half the fun.
- Respect the town. Pack out your trash and support local businesses.
Find the full list, with official links and maps, on our festivals page. See you out there. PROCEED TO PARTY!
