Sasquatch, Beast of the Blue Ridge, Yeti — whatever you want to call it, the lore of Bigfoot is rich in the Appalachian Mountains. So much so that there is an entire festival dedicated to the elusive creature. The annual WNC Bigfoot Festival takes place next Saturday, May 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Marion.

So why Bigfoot?
Local group Bigfoot 911 receives tips and investigates Bigfoot encounters across Western North Carolina. In 2018, the group was inspired to create the region's first Bigfoot Festival, bringing attention to the close encounters the community has claimed to have with the cryptic creature. we want to be careful about the claims we make about Bigfoot's veracity lol

Here's what to expect
Before the festival on Saturday, the Lake James Bigfoot Conference will take place on Friday, May 19 at McDowell Technical Community College. Hear from keynote speaker Ron Morehead, who is regarded as the first to allegedly capture audio recordings of Bigfoot with Sierra Sounds.

Plus, on the morning of the official festival, you can chase Bigfoot through the streets of Marion at Saturday's Bigfoot Dash 5k.

Mayor Little declares Bigfoot Marion's official city animal. | Photo by John Sacco

Check out some highlights from Saturday's festival schedule:

10:15 a.m. - Mayor Steve Little proclaims Bigfoot as Marion's official city animal.amazing
12 p.m. - Enter the Bigfoot calling competition and let out your most guttural impression for the chance to win prizes. omggggg yezz
3:45 p.m. - Gather round at the town hall meeting to listen to stories of local Sasquatch encounters and share your own haunting tales.

You don't have to be convinced of Bigfoot's existence to have fun at this free event. In addition to the scheduled activities, festival goers can deck themselves out in Bigfoot-themed merch and indulge in Sasquatch-inspired foods — we have our eye on the Bigfoot Trax ice cream. Dive into the full schedule.