Historic Nelsonville Public Square · Nelsonville, Ohio
2027 Vendor Sign-Up · October 1–3, 2027
2027 Schedule Coming Soon
Held annually the first weekend of October.
Three days of Bigfoot and cryptid presentations, live music, food, vendors, free kids rides, family entertainment, and the Bigfoot Spotting Express.
NBF 2026 Photo Gallery & Retrospective
Explore photos, community highlights, local business impact, vendors, Bigfoot research, family activities, live music and video from the inaugural festival weekend.
View the 2026 Photo GalleryNews
Local news outlets covered the inaugural Nelsonville Bigfoot Festival and its focus on tourism, education, family activities, Bigfoot research, and bringing visitors to the Historic Nelsonville Public Square.
The Post looks back at the first Nelsonville Bigfoot Festival, featuring festival organizers, visiting attendees, researchers David Walker and Richard McCandlish, and the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway’s Bigfoot Spotting Express.
Read at The PostThe Athens Messenger reports on cryptid enthusiasts gathering in Nelsonville for the city’s first Bigfoot Festival and the event’s goal of drawing visitors and supporting local tourism.
Read at The Athens MessengerFirst year. Nelsonville identity.
The Nelsonville Bigfoot Festival is a new community festival built around Bigfoot education, Appalachian culture, music, family fun, and the businesses and landmarks that make Nelsonville worth visiting.
Our festival identity centers on the Nelsonville fountain, Bigfoot, the Hocking Valley, and the star-brick tradition that gives this town a visual history all its own.
Join the 2027 Festival
Interested in presenting or performing at the Nelsonville Bigfoot Festival, October 1–3, 2027? We welcome inquiries from new cryptid presenters and musical acts.
Share your research, stories, or expertise on Bigfoot and other cryptids. Email us your name, a short biography, and your proposed presentation topic.
Email About PresentingBands and solo performers interested in joining the festival lineup: email us your act name, musical style, and links to your music or live performances.
Email About PerformingContact us at bigfootgroupnelsonville@gmail.com.
Official 2026 Lineup
The 2027 schedule will be announced as plans are confirmed.
October 2–4, 2026 · Historic Nelsonville Public Square
Meet the Speakers
Stories from the unexplained, field research from across Ohio and Appalachia, and firsthand perspectives on Bigfoot, Mothman, Dogman, and other cryptid phenomena.
Cryptid Researcher & Author
Richard “Rich” McCandlish is a cryptid researcher and co-author of Supernatural Cryptids: Return of the Nephilim. His research includes years spent in and around Wayne National Forest documenting unusual experiences, photographs, and possible evidence. His public presentations also cover practical Bigfoot field methods, including track investigation and casting techniques.
Ohio Bigfoot Researcher
Jack Warren is a co-founding member of the Coshocton County Bigfoot Group and an experienced Ohio field researcher. His work has included documenting footprints, collecting eyewitness reports, preserving possible evidence, and sharing field research with the public at Bigfoot programs and events across Ohio.
Author & Cryptid Researcher
David Walker is the author of Supernatural Cryptids: Return of the Nephilim. His presentations explore Bigfoot, Dogman, Mothman, and broader theories surrounding unexplained creatures and their origins. Walker has appeared with Rich McCandlish for public cryptid programs combining field experiences with discussion of supernatural and cryptozoological theories.
Bigfoot & Dogman Researcher
Joedy Cook is the head of the North American Dogman Project and a retired U.S. Army and Iraq War veteran. He has investigated Bigfoot and Dogman reports since the early 1990s, founded Ohio-based cryptid research organizations, authored multiple books, and shared his research through conferences, radio, podcasts, and television.
House of Enoch · Sasquatch Researcher
Kain Michael is an Ohio Sasquatch researcher associated with the House of Enoch. He has publicly discussed more than a decade of research, unusual activity around his property, and claimed physical sightings. His experiences and ongoing field observations have been featured in Bigfoot podcast interviews and at Ohio cryptid events.
Mothman/UFO Eyewitness & Author
Linda Sigman brings a firsthand perspective from the era of the original Mothman reports. She has publicly recounted an unusual Mothman and UFO encounter from 1967 and is the author of Beyond the Pale Moonlight: A UFO-Mothman Encounter. Her story has been featured in interviews and paranormal programs examining the Point Pleasant-era phenomenon.
Ohio Bigfoot Investigator & Author
Doug Waller founded the Southeastern Ohio Society for Bigfoot Investigation in 2008. He has spent years collecting Ohio eyewitness reports, investigating possible encounters, speaking at libraries and Bigfoot events, and publishing books centered on Sasquatch reports from Ohio and the surrounding region.
Speaker Information Coming Soon
Bear is scheduled to appear Saturday afternoon. A full biography and presentation details will be added once the speaker information is confirmed.
Hocking Valley Scenic Railway
Make the train part of the October 1–3, 2027 festival weekend. The 2027 Bigfoot Spotting Express schedule will be posted as departures are confirmed.
2027 train times and ticket availability coming soon.
2027 Train Information
Our Festival Community
Food vendors, makers, local organizations, businesses, and sponsors help build the festival weekend. Vendor applications are now open for the 2027 Nelsonville Bigfoot Festival.
Bigfoot Educational Group Nelsonville
October 1–3, 2027 · Nelsonville, Ohio
bigfootgroupnelsonville@gmail.com