Speakers / Presentations
- Cameron Peck — Festival Introduction
- Rich McCandlish
- Jack Warren
- David Walker
- Joedy Cook
Music / Entertainment
- Jerrod Goggans
- Tim Buck
- Bigfoot Hunting Hook-Up Party
- Willow Jayne & the Lazy Day
Historic Nelsonville Public Square · Nelsonville, Ohio
October 2–4, 2026
Three days of Bigfoot and cryptid presentations, live music, food, vendors, free kids rides, family entertainment, and the Bigfoot Spotting Express.
Free Kids Rides
Live Music
Cryptid Presentations
Family Friendly
★Nelsonville•Appalachia•Bigfoot•Community★
First year. Nelsonville identity.
A Bigfoot festival that belongs here.
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.
Official 2026 Lineup
Festival Schedule
October 2–4, 2026 · Historic Nelsonville Public Square
Speakers / Presentations
- Kain
- Linda Sigman
- Doug Waller
- Bear
Music / Entertainment
- Eric Atkinson
- Landon Ross
- RabbleRouzer
- Breaking Free
Music / Entertainment
- Billy Bones & the Overtones
- Ryan Kilkenny
- Captain Chucke & the Cadillac South
- Graveyard Pete & the New Appalachian
Meet the Speakers
Researchers. Authors. Eyewitnesses.
Stories from the unexplained, field research from across Ohio and Appalachia, and firsthand perspectives on Bigfoot, Mothman, Dogman, and other cryptid phenomena.
Rich McCandlish
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.
Jack Warren
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.
David Walker
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.
Joedy Cook
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.
Kain Michael
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.
Linda Sigman
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.
Doug Waller
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.
Bear
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
Bigfoot Spotting Express
Make the train part of your festival weekend. The Bigfoot Spotting Express departs from the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway depot on Friday and Saturday.
Friday · Oct. 26:00 PM
Saturday · Oct. 36:00 PM
Approximately 2 hours · Reservations recommended.
Train Information & Tickets
Plan your weekend
Come for Bigfoot. Discover Nelsonville.
Festival activities are centered on the Historic Nelsonville Public Square in Athens County, Ohio. The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway depot and downtown businesses are close by.
Speakers, music, vendors, food, family activities, and festival programming.
Free kids rides and entertainment for all ages.
Parking, accessibility, maps, and final logistics will be added as they are confirmed.
Be part of NBF 2026
Vendors & Sponsors
Food vendors, makers, local organizations, businesses, and sponsors help build the festival weekend. Contact Bigfoot Educational Group Nelsonville for current opportunities.
Interested in participating?
[email protected]
Bigfoot Educational Group Nelsonville
Nelsonville Bigfoot Festival
October 2–4, 2026 · Nelsonville, Ohio
[email protected]