MARION, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Bigfoot, a beloved fixture of Marion, N.C. since the first WNC Bigfoot Festival was held in 2018, is set to receive a special honor at this year’s jamboree.
The 2025 WNC Bigfoot Festival will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 23 on Main Street in Marion. Admission to the family-friendly festival is free.
The celebration will officially begin at 10:30 a.m. with a special proclamation by Mayor Steve Little: Bigfoot is to become the “town animal” of Marion.
What to expect at the sasquatch celebration
The festival is one of the largest cryptid celebrations in the entire Southeast, drawing thousands of sasquatch enthusiasts from all over the country to Western North Carolina.
“There will be about 150, 175 vendors present with everything Bigfoot that you can imagine,” said Freddie Killough, executive director of the Marion Business Association. “There will be Bigfoot experts talking, sharing about their area of expertise. That will be from the main stage. There will be a ‘Bigfoot call,’ where people come up on stage and do calling.”
Before the festival begins, speedy sasquatches are invited to participate in the Bigfoot 5K Dash at Marion Elementary School. Other Bigfoot athletes will compete in “The Final Footprint,” a Bigfoot-themed wrestling event, at 6 p.m. at The Box Factory, 29 Logan St. If you still haven’t had your fill of cryptid cardio by the end of the night, at 8 p.m., get Bigfoot-loose and fancy-free at the Bigfoot Boogie, The High Dive at Mica Town Brewing, 25 Brown St.
Vendors at the festival will be carrying sasquatch merchandise of all kinds. Killough has her own favorite piece of Bigfoot memorabilia.
“Oh my goodness, there’s every shirt imaginable, every keychain, hats. It’s just like you could have a whole Bigfoot-themed house in life,” Killough said. “There’s everything there. My favorite thing is that I have a keychain from the first year it happened and I hang onto that. I like my little keychain.”
Schedule of ‘squatch
Most events at the festival will take place on the Main Stage in front of the McDowell County courthouse. The schedule of events include:
10:30 a.m.
“Town animal” proclamation by Mayor Steve Little
11 a.m.
Terry Windell of Rock Hill Bigfoot
11:30 a.m.
Matt Seeber of East Tennessee Bigfoot
1 p.m.
Bigfoot Calling Contest, which participants can compete in for a chance to win bragging rights. To enter, pick up a ticket at the Bigfoot 911 booth.
1:30 p.m.
John Bruner, Bigfoot 911 and founder of the WNC Bigfoot Festival
2 p.m.
Zach “The Paranormal Roadtripper” Bales, author of The Bigfooter’s Atlas
2:30 p.m.
North Carolina Investigators of the Paranormal
All day
Enjoy live music from the festival Main Stage, explore local arts and crafts at the Bigfoot Pop-Up Market hosted by the McDowell Arts Council Association or try Bigfoot-inspired dishes from local Marion restaurants. Kids can play in the “Little Foot Zone,” featuring inflatables and other activities.
Refinery13, a Marion craft brew and beverage pub, will be offering the official WNC Bigfoot Festival 2025 Pint Glass, commemorating #WNCStrong and the resilience of WNC after Hurricane Helene.
Satellite parking for the festival is available at McDowell High School and McDowell Technical Community College. Shuttle buses will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit www.marionbigfootfestival.wordpress.com.