Nitro's Festival of Fright!

This Halloween season has been a season of firsts for my family.  I'm not sure why our schedules seem to be so different than they were last year, but we're finding that we have much more time to attend quite a few of our local Fall/Halloween events! Each year we say we're going to try and go....but this is the first time in a LONG time we've had the opportunity to attend Shocka-Con in Charleston and Hurricane's annual Harvest Festival.  And for the first time EVER we got to attend Nitro's Festival of Fright!

In its third year, Nitro's Festival of Fright is a pretty cool family-friendly event with a little something for everyone.  It's held at Nitro's Ridenour Lake, which is a beautiful setting with lots of space.  We didn't get the chance to check out the line-up of bands that played Friday night, but it definitely looked like a great show with local favorites, The Renfields, Robot Jurassic,  REL-X and Ghost Road.  We did, however, get to do most of the activities the following Saturday.

We had kind of a late start since Luke had jujitsu class at noon.  But, we left right afterwards and made it in plenty of time to see the ACW wrestling show by 2 pm.  It was absolutely sweltering with temperatures in the lower 90's and the sun beating down (I actually ended up getting sunburned.  Who gets sunburned at a damn Halloween festival?), but the guys managed to put on a good show.  They even managed to bring in some classic wrestling legends such as Tracy Smothers, Mr. Hughes, and Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake. Michael Myers added a touch of Halloween absurdity by serving as a manager? valet?

After wrestling, I had planned on having a tarot card reading.  It's my goal to work in a little
paranormal/supernatural wherever I go, lol. I was really disappointed, however, to see that sometime during the show, the lady doing readings had packed up and left.  So, instead, we let my son Luke get in as much Autumn/Halloween fun as possible.  He ran into a friend while at the festival, so they spent a few minutes playing games.  They did a ring-toss, rolled some pumpkins down a hill to see whose would reach the bottom first, and then shot zombies with Nerf guns.  While the festival itself was free to attend, and the wrestling show was free to watch, there was a very minimal charge ($1) for the games, which, if I remember correctly, was to raise money for some club or program at Nitro High School.

When the boys had their fill of games, Luke's buddy joined back up with his family and we walked over to the pumpkin carving area.  We were extremely lucky in that we got the last pumpkin available.  The guys working the pumpkin carving event were really awesome.  Our assistant cut off the top of our pumpkin and even scooped the guts out for us!  He then let Luke have a marker and a carving kit and let him have at it.  To my astonishment, Luke drew his face and carved his pumpkin ALL BY HIMSELF!   Luke turned 9 years old a few weeks ago, and this year is already shaping up to be quite a transitional year for him, as we found out at the Hurricane Harvest Festival last weekend.  He's not a little kid anymore.  He's too big for bouncy houses and many of the little kid activities found at family-friendly events and festivals.  Yet, he's not quite ready to be a big kid yet.  Carving his own pumpkin was a big step for him...and he only managed to stab himself once with the safety knife.

Another big transitional step for Luke was the Trail of Terror!  Normally, Luke is not the kind of kid who really enjoys haunted houses and similar attractions.  But, for whatever reason, when we were telling him about the activities available and asking him if the festival was something he'd like to go to, he latched onto the idea of that trail and wouldn't shut up about how cool it was going to be.

The opening of the trail was delayed by about 45 minutes, and I thought for sure as we were waiting, Luke was going to change his mind.  He was determined, though...and really excited.  We paid our $5 per person admission fee, which I secretly thought was going to turn into thousands of dollars worth of therapy costs in the near future.  As we waited for our turn to go down the trail, the ladies working the entrance did an excellent job interacting with and entertaining the line.  They had some awesome witchy costumes, which were beautiful...but just a tad out of place for a zombie-themed haunted trail.  When it was finally our turn, we started off hearing a quick back story.  I absolutely loved how they tied in the true history of Nitro's role in World War One and made that the basis of the zombie theme along the trail.  Our guide then took us down the path where we'd encounter zombie after zombie...and also quite a few mutant spiders, rats, and other creatures.

It's important to note that we went on the trail while it was still full daylight, so we could easily see all of the zombies well ahead of time.  That took a little of the spookiness out of it, but at the same time, you could get a good look at the wonderful makeup and it afforded the zombies the opportunity to focus on meaningful interactions with guests, and not JUST jump scares.  Things were fairly calm at first, and then you hit the climax of the trail. The zombies completely take over and run amok, causing plenty of screams from the crowd. Luke even got chased down by a couple of different zombies, which as his mother, I found absolutely hilarious.  The volunteers really knew how to work the crowd and create a fun atmosphere.  Luke was scared, but not traumatized. He left the trail with a newfound confidence, and I left full of pride for my little dude who showed so much bravery and tried something new that I thought he'd never do in a million years.

The only downside of the trail is my own personal issues.  Despite my horrific back pain, I still try to
do everything that I want to do and not accept my physical limitations. I love haunted attractions, and wanted to share my son's first experience with such...but the walk up the hill to the head of the trail, and then the incline at the beginning of the trail was way too much for me, unfortunately.  It caused us to fall well behind the pack. At one point, I was in so much pain and so out of breath, that I, deader than any zombie, just sorta laid across a toxic waste barrel for a few minutes.  I have to hand it to the volunteers---they made sure I wasn't actually dying and that Luke and I made it out of the trail safely without ever breaking character.

Overall, the whole day was a really nice family experience for us.  I got to pick up a few souvenirs from Jeff Wamsley at the Mothman Museum booth and I got two beautiful stained glass ornaments from Kelly Bryant's Studio 13 booth.  There were a few things that I wish would have gone a bit smoother.  It seems like a lot of vendors packed up and left when wrestling was over.  The food was good, but it was a bit pricey and I would have liked to have seen a bit more variety. Having to bring your own seating for the wrestling was a pain when you had to park so far away or ride the shuttle.  Still, we made it through and everyone we encountered was extremely kind and helpful...and yet our festival experience wasn't quite over yet!

After dropping Luke off at his grandmother's for the night, Aaron and I grabbed some dinner and headed home to rest for awhile. Then we headed back out to Ridenour to wrap up this year's festival with a midnight drive-in showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show!  All evening long, there were FREE movies being offered on an inflatable screen.  Some were kid-friendly, and some were a little scarier...but we chose to come for Rocky!  Ever since Aaron and I started dating, we've tried to go to at least one showing of Rocky Horror each October, and this was the perfect chance.  We had a parking pass, but didn't end up needing it.  We arrived about 20 minutes 'til midnight and the weather was perfect.  We could hear and see perfectly, and got to sit comfortably in the car while watching our favorite movie.  My little black heart was thrilled that some of the people around us were into the audience participation lines and some even got up and did the Time Warp.  No concessions were available for purchase, but we brought our own snacks and had a great time.  It was the perfect ending to a nice event.

I'd like to thank Jim Caudill, Tim Arnott, and everyone else who volunteered at this year's festival or who came out in the heat to entertain us, cook for us, and provide us with lots of fun art and other goodies.  Like I said, everyone was just really nice and it made for quite a special experience.  Being able to see my son carve his own pumpkin and bravely push himself to do a haunted trail was an experience I won't forget.

Mothman Festival 2018

Another year and another Mothman Festival behind us.  For me, the Mothman Festival usually signifies the official beginning of the Halloween season, and this was one of the most fun years yet!

For the second year in a row, I didn't get my own vendor table, but I DID end up Saturday helping Aaron work the table his aunt/mother rented, and despite the unbearable heat, we had a really nice time.  That oppressive heat kept me from moving around too much, but I did get out a few times to see the sights.

One of the first things I did this year was see Tonya and Joey Madia speak at the State Theater.  Their talk, titled "Ghostesses, Portals, and MIBs: Our Haunted Life So Far", was a really interesting look at the hauntings and other strange things they've witnessed while living in West Virginia and elsewhere, as well as their journey into becoming investigators of the paranormal and developing their psychic gifts.  I was personally fascinated with the story they told about an odd experience of theirs after visiting Pt. Pleasant's famous TNT area.  An episode of missing time and a shared visual sighting of an interdimensional being on the side of the road led to a series of friendships and opportunities that resulted in them being able to share their knowledge on the Mothman Festival stage.

Joey and Tonya Madia's Speaker Promo

While I was glad I got to catch the Madias'  talk, it couldn't have come at a worse time!  Shortly after settling into my seat at the back of the theater, I get a text message from Aaron, saying he had met Jacob The Carpetbagger!!!

For a couple of years now, I've been following the Carpetbagger on YouTube.  I love his dry wit and hilarious commentary as he travels around the country visiting strange festivals, unique museums, old school roadside attractions, and just about everything else strange and fascinating.  A couple of months ago, Aaron sat down and watched a few of the Carpetbaggers videos with me and apparently became an instant fan.  I was really upset I didn't get to meet the Carpetbagger, but was quite bemused that Aaron actually shows up IN THE CARPETBAGGER'S MOTHMAN FESTIVAL VIDEO!!!!

Aaron and The Carpetbagger

My other highlight of the festival was spending way too much money.  I picked up a Mothman headband and ornament from a vendor outside the Mason Jar.  I bought a kickass pair of Mothman leggings from a little boutique on Main Street.  I picked up two books, The Unexplained Presents The South Dakota Road Guide to Haunted Locations and The Unexplained Presents The Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations, both by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk. Aaron walked away with a huge bag of baked goods.

We also purchased a few pieces of epic art from The Art of Eerie Eric.  Eerie Eric takes these idyllic, pastoral painted scenes...and then adds a creepy twist!  Unfortunately, we weren't for us---we purchased them for an out-of-town friend who couldn't make it to the festival.  But, we are definitely planning on ordering something online in the near future!

Sample of Eerie Eric's art! 

Like every year, we were completely blown away by how nice everyone was.  There is simply no place like the Mothman Festival where people from so many walks of life come together to celebrate cryptozoology, the paranormal, horror, history, and fandom in peace.  The big draw for this year's festival was Bethesda.  Their new Fallout 76 game features several creatures from WV mythology, notably the Mothman, so giveaways, cosplay, and exclusive merchandise were big hits this year.  And again, for another year we were so blown away by the level of creativity displayed by the various vendors.  For all price points, you can take away a really cool handmade Mothman souvenir, fine art, T-shirts, books, and so much more.  The variety of food offerings was also really good this year, and there were plenty of Mothman themed treats to go around.

I can't wait to go back next year, but first I've got a few more paranormal conventions and events to tackle!  Stay spooky, ya'll!

Mothman Festival 2017

The third weekend in September is always my favorite time of the year! Not only do we celebrate my son's birthday...but that's the weekend of the annual Mothman Festival in downtown Point Pleasant, WV!

This year, the festival celebrated its sixteenth anniversary, and took place September 16th-17th.  And, once again, the family and I were there for both days. However, it was in a slightly different capacity this year. I decided not to do my own table, but my mother-in-law and her sister-in-law DID decide to do a table! Aunt Betty, a renowned local potter, made several beautiful Mothman dishes, car coasters, and key chains. Gayla, my mother-in-law, an excellent artist and crafter, designed a variety of hats, bags, fans and other small items adorned with hand-drawn Mothmans (Mothmen?) on each piece. I was even able to sneak a few of my own items (used books, treat bags, pins and magnets) onto their table and sold enough to pay for parking and and a few souvenirs...but more on that later, lol.

Anyway, my boyfriend and I helped man the family vendor booth Saturday. We were located in a prime spot, nearly right across from the world's only Mothman Museum. Not only did our location allow plenty of visitors to walk right past us without being too squished...it also allowed us a first look at Mothman, Batman, and Sasquatch. Yes, this unholy trio was using the cafe directly behind us as a staging area. Several times throughout the day, we'd watch them enter the cafe for a quick break, and then reemerge. The greatest part of all of this was seeing Batman carry out Mothman's wings through the narrow door, and then placing them on his back for him when they made it safely to the sidewalk. It was a very surreal experience.  Later on in the day, a fourth character emerged from the cafe and I immediately ran over and accosted him! It was none other than Mothman's Braxton County cousin, the Flatwoods Monster! I did have to laugh, however. The Braxton County/Flatwoods Monster costume contains a wide hoop skirt-like bottom. When going up and down the narrow staircase to the cafe, his handlers had to lift his skirt and turn it sideways, revealing a pair of work boots and hairy people-legs underneath. It kinda killed the magic, lol.

For a couple of hours on Saturday, we were also joined by my Mom and my son, Luke. I have yet to figure it out, but Luke absolutely loves the Mothman Festival and insists on coming every year. This year, his big highlight of the festival was going to his very first haunted house! This 'haunted house' was just an inflatable maze you could walk through for $5, but it was actually quite well done. There were a few spooky props set up along the path, but what surprised me was that there were a few actual scare actors hiding in there, waiting to jump out at you. At one point, we had to squeeze past a butcher knife-waving maniac to exit the maze, much to Luke's chagrin. It did scare him a bit, but he took it like a champ and I'm really proud of him. He had seen this maze on the way into the festival and had made up his mind that he was going to go through it. It was an excellent introduction to 'real' haunted house attractions, but given that he just turned 8, I think we'll wait a couple more years before moving him up to the next step!

With all of this going on, my boyfriend and I still managed to catch one of the speakers on Saturday. The lectures were once again being held in the historic (and haunted!) State Theater and once again, covered a diverse array of paranormal topics. The speakers are absolutely my favorite part of the Mothman Festival! I cannot stress how awesome this aspect of the festival really is. The festival is technically free (this year there was a fee for parking), but the quality of the lectures and lecturers is outstanding. You'd pay a lot of money to see the same or similar speakers and topics at other festivals. Anyway, the lecture we chose for Saturday was 'The History of the Infamous TNT Area' with Tad Greathouse. 

Obviously, I love lectures that are of a paranormal nature, but ones that are history-based are even better! Tad had done a ton of research into the early years of the WV Ordnance Works, later known as the infamous TNT area, where Mothman was originally sighted and believed to have lived. It was an interesting talk, and inspired me to start doing some additional research of my own on the area.

We were back Sunday, but this time, my boyfriend and I were by ourselves. We volunteered to take over the table so that his mom and aunt could rest up after sitting there all day Saturday. Since Sunday was kind of a slow day, we decided to pack up a little early and enjoy the last few hours of the festival. We caught another speaker, Bill Brock, who gave a talk on portals. We also took advantage of the smaller crowd to get some shopping done. We both bought a Mothman t-shirt at the museum. We found Luke the greatest hoodie of all time---complete with leather Mothman wings and studs. And of course, I chose a book to take home. This year I went with David Weatherly's Black Eyed Children. I'll be posting a review soon, so keep an eye out for that!

Finally, we rounded out our evening with a stop at the Mountain Monsters tent. This was the second year the AIMS team attended the Mothman Festival, but last year, they were so busy you couldn't get anywhere near them. We got some autographs and chatted for a few. All the guys seemed like really sweet, down-to-earth people, but Buck and Willie seemed especially kind and humble. They were really taking the time to meet with and talk on a personal level with all the fans. It was actually kinda touching, and I'm so glad we decided to go over there this year.

Overall, it was another fabulous event. Parking is always a pain, and this year, the shuttle service was convenient, but at $10 was still a little overpriced in my opinion. Aside from that, though, it was wonderful. There seemed to be more food vendors this year, and they were spaced out a little better, so the wait for food was significantly shorter than last year. As far as vendors in general, there was an excellent mix and everyone had such creative and clever merchandise. I could have easily spent thousands of dollars on all the handmade jewelry, print art, sculpture, etc. And, everyone we encountered was so incredibly nice. I don't know what it is about this festival, but it seems to bring out the best in people, lol. People from so many walks of life come out, many in awesome costumes, and just for a few hours, get along with everyone, lol. It really is my favorite festival and I'm already making plans for next year!

My boyfriend shot some video of the festival. Please check it out below!

ScareFest 2016 Recap

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I made the drive to Lexington, Ky to attend the tri-state's largest paranormal and horror convention----ScareFest! The festival/convention is hosted by ghost hunter and author Patti Starr, and features tons of vendors, paranormal lectures, celebrity panels, photo ops, autograph signings, costume contests/cosplay, and much, much more! 2016 marked a landmark event with ScareFest kicking off the first National Ghost Hunting Day by coordinating what may have been the world's largest ghost hunt.

I always have a really great time at ScareFest, although admittedly, this year's lineup of guests and celebrities just didn't seem as strong as it usually is. That may have been a blessing, though....the lines for celebrity meet and greets were actually quite short and for each lecture we attended, we were able to walk right in and get a good seat.

Since the lines were so short, I went ahead and got autographs from the Ghost Hunters, Jason Hawes and Steve Gonsalves. Tango was there, and I had my picture taken with him as well with the other two, but for some reason, his autograph was an extra $10 and I just didn't bother with it, lol. The woman taking the money for the autographs already thought that I hadn't paid for my other autographs, so I didn't want to confuse her any more than she already was, lol. I had met Grant before, but this was my first time meeting the other guys. They weren't rude or anything, but they weren't especially chatty or accommodating, either.

As for the lectures, we chose to go all paranormal this year. There were a few celebrity/movie panels, but nothing we were dying to see, so we went with:

1. Kyl T. Cobb: The Facts Behind the Exorcist---Kyl gave an impressive and really interesting account of the true story that inspired what many claim is the scariest movie of all time. Being a historical researcher myself, I found it very...satisfying...seeing how a little detective work resulted in finding the actual 'possessed' boy and the facts surrounding his case. The lecture included a brief discussion on demonic possession in general, with comparisons to demons in western vs. eastern cultures. The whole thing was very well done; Cobb was a great public speaker, has plenty of credentials, and shared some really interesting facts that I had never heard before.

2. Steve Kulls: Sasquatch: The Truth You've Been Told vs. Actuality---This was another great presentation on fact vs. fiction. The discussion included many aspects of Sasquatch lore, including a vocabulary lesson on where the terms 'Sasquatch' and 'Bigfoot' originated, but the main focus seemed to be on the Patterson-Gimlin footage. Digitally enhanced and stabilized footage was presented, as well as information about how the alleged confessions of a hoax didn't actually happen the way the media portrayed. Oddly enough, I had already seen most of the enhanced footage presented in a class I took last year, but it was still fun to watch.

3. Shannon Byers: How Not to be a Ghost Hunter---Known as the Paranormal Genealogist, Shannon Byers is one of my favorite researchers of the paranormal and we have eerily similar philosophies, lol. Seriously, almost every single thing she presented in this How Not to be a Ghost Hunter presentation was something that I've blogged about, have said in the past, or what I currently practice and preach, lol. So, unfortunately, I really didn't LEARN a whole lot, but it was very validating that others out there take the same approach as I do. Shannon had given a presentation on Friday, I believe, about the truth behind Pearl Bryan and the hauntings of Bobby Mackey's, and I'm REALLY disappointed that I missed that one---I've been preaching for years about all the misinformation that is spread about that place and our less-than-stellar investigation experience there back in 2007.

In addition to checking out the speakers, we spent plenty of time out in the vendors' area. I bought a stack of used books on the paranormal, a Ghostbusters t-shirt for my son, some novelty soap items, and even some items for mine and Aaron's Halloween costumes! It was fun walking around and seeing the way everyone was dressed...and there were plenty of people dressed as clowns. With the creepy clown panic going on throughout the tri-state area and down south, I thought that was pretty brave of them! We also got to enjoy a fairly good lunch in the Rupp food court. The best part was waiting in line for our Chinese food, and seeing Tom Savini waiting for HIS Chinese food, just like any other non-celebrity.

Overall, this wasn't the best year for ScareFest in terms of attendance or level of celebrity guests, but I still had a great time, and I'm glad that we concentrated on the paranormal lectures this time. As a paranormal investigator, I feel that it is REALLY important to attend educational events such as this in order to not only learn some new skills and learn what is currently happening in the field, but to also network with others. A paranormal investigator can never have too many resources to draw from, and ScareFest definitely provides an opportunity to meet and learn from some of the best in the field.

Mothman Festival 2015 (Day 3) and Final Thoughts

Better late than never, right? I promised over a month ago to discuss my three days spent at this year's Mothman Festival in Pt. Pleasant, WV...and just never got around to finishing it, lol. I thought I better get around to it before I had to start writing about Mothman Festival 2016. Anyway...

Like I said before, I really only planned on attending one day of festival activities, but ended up being there for all three days of Mothy fun. Since Carrie couldn't make it down on Saturday, I returned with her on Sunday, the third and final day of the festival. The main thing we wanted to accomplish on Sunday was attending the panel discussion of the event's speakers.

Rosemary Guiley moderated the discussion with guest speakers Susan Sheppard of the Parkersburg Ghost Tours, researcher Joedy Cook, cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard, cryptozoologist Lyle Blackburn, UFO researcher Stan Gordon, and cryptid researcher Bill Brock. As with the individual talks, the panel discussion took place within the historic (and haunted!) State Theater and was really quite interesting. Rosemary got the ball rolling by asking some general questions of the speakers, and then the mic was opened up to the audience.

Previously, Carrie and I had had an in-depth discussion about an issue in cryptozoology and had wanted to get the panel's take on it---but neither one of us could actually bring ourselves to standing up in front of everyone and asking our question. So, after the discussion was over, we followed the speakers back over to vendor's row. We browsed around a bit to take in all the cool art, t-shirts, books, and other paranormal/horror novelty themed merchandise for sale. We stopped by Jen's PlushyBoo booth and had a great conversation with her and her family. I was bummed that I missed my opportunity to pick up a plush Mothman (she had sold out) but she gave me a wonderful deal on a Braxton County Monster AND Man in Black plushy. Seriously, if you haven't checked out her work, go do so NOW. These little cuddly cryptids are so well made, so adorable, and just so freakin' awesome. They'd be  great gifts for paranormal researchers and enthusiasts, look great on the shelf of any collector of curiosities, or serve as a unique toy for the kids in your life. Here's her Etsy and here's her Facebook page.

My lil' cuties!

After we talked with Jen, we continued to make our way through the vendor's area...and saw Ken Gerhard at his table. Carrie and I had both been impressed with Ken's answers and his personality at the panel discussion, and since he wasn't currently bombarded with fans at the time, we decided to go have a chat...and ask the question that had been plaguing us, lol. Our question basically was about why more witnesses didn't come forward describing Bigfoot's, uh...junk. After reading several works by Linda Godfry, it seemed like several other cryptids always had their gender visible...but with Bigfoot it never really was talked about all that much.

Ken was obviously amused by our questions, but handled it like a true pro. Without making us feel too weird (we handled that all on our own) he gave some pretty good answers as to why more people aren't describing Bigfoot genitalia. And since I know you're DYING to know....basically, there are a few reasons why this phenomena is under reported. There actually have been several well documented cases of people having up-close encounters with Sasquatch creatures and they definitely reported being able to tell a difference between males and females, but generally, witnesses never get close enough to notice that detail because its not a very noticeable detail, lol. In general, primates are NOT well-endowed in relation to their body size, humans being the exception. So, in summary, people aren't reporting seeing Bigfoot junk because its too tiny to see from the distance which they are being observed.

Can you find the igloo?

After our little talk, we caught the tram tour through Pt. Pleasant and we were lucky to have Dennis Bellamy, the head guy of tourism in the city, as our guide. We learned a lot about the history of Pt. Pleasant, but a few items stuck out in particular to me. For starters, most locals still will not talk about or embrace the idea of the Mothman. After the Silver Bridge collapsed, it was like the issue was never discussed again and the Mothman mania that had gone on over the past year died down as the town mourned the loss of so many of its own. Secondly, the whole Chief Cornstalk curse thing---total fabrication. It came about as part of a play put on by the local elementary school in conjunction with the town in 1926. Still, I loved the tour, and it was a great value at only $3 a ticket. By then, though, we were getting a little tired.

However, no trip to Pt. Pleasant is ever complete without a trip to the TNT area to check out the old igloos. At one point, there were only three igloos down one little road that I knew to be open. On this trip, however, we noticed a bunch of cars parked at ANOTHER side road, so we parked the car and walked down the path to find that two igloos that I had never been in before were open. It's always a fun experience walking into those, hearing the strange acoustics, and imagining what it must have been like during the days of TNT manufacture in the area. It can definitely get a tad...spooky.

So that wrapped up our day in Pt. Pleasant, and Mothman Festival weekend for me. This year, I tried to cram in several things that I normally don't do during the festival. Every year we go to the Mothman Museum, take a tour of the Lowe Hotel, and visit the River Museum. And, if its not too busy, we eat at Harris'. All of these are wonderfully fun things to do, and I recommend them to anyone coming to the festival or visiting the area throughout the year. This year, I just wanted to do things a little differently! There are only so many hours in a day, and the Mothman Festival is so packed full of awesome activities for everyone.

I really have to congratulate Jeff Wamsley, Ashley Wamsley-Watts, and the many others who really come together to pull off such an awesome festival! As I alluded to above, there is literally so much to do that its nearly impossible to cram it all into one weekend. I also have to give the staff and guests major props---there really isn't anywhere else, and certainly no where around here, where you're going to find the caliber of speakers the Mothman Festival brings in...and for FREE! And, unlike many other conventions and festivals, the Mothman Festival allows an opportunity to really network with and get to know so many members of the paranormal community. If you haven't been, I highly recommend making the trip. Next year will be the festival's 15th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the Mothman sightings, so it's sure to be big in 2016.

Mothman Festival 2015 Day 1
Mothman Festival 2015 Day 2