Cryptid Con: New Event Brings the Hunt for Bigfoot, Monsters, and Legends to Kentucky

Are you fascinated by tales of the strange and the unexplained? Are you you glued to the television during every Finding Bigfoot marathon? Have you ever wanted to meet your favorite monster-hunting television stars? Well this September, a brand new event from the folks behind the Nick Groff Tour is set to bring all things cryptozoological and creepy to Frankfort, Kentucky, and you won’t want to miss it.

Cryptid Con, named after the study of yet-to-be-officially-discovered creatures, is a weekend-long adventure for crypto-enthusiasts of all ages. Guests will meet television personalities from shows like Finding Bigfoot, Paranormal Lockdown, Mysteries at the Museum, and more, learn about monster hunting from seasoned researchers, hear tales from Kentucky’s homegrown weirdness, and even have the chance to snag some awesome Bigfoot-themed loot from dozens of unique vendors.

“With Cryptid Con we wanted to provide an event that anyone with an interest in the weird and unusual could enjoy,” said event co-founder Jennifer Kirkland. “You have the hard-core, dedicated cryptozoologists that will be able to network and learn from others that share their passion. Then, you have the casual fan who may only have been exposed to the pop culture versions of Bigfoot, Nessie and the like. We have created an event that covers the full spectrum.”

As it turns out, Kentucky is pretty much the perfect place to hold such an event too. The state has a rich history of monster sightings that date back to at least 1820, when famed adventurer Daniel Boone claimed to have shot and killed a hairy, 10-foot-tall beast in the Kentucky wilderness. Fast forward to the 50s and you’ve got the sudden appearance of extraterrestrial “goblins” which terrorized a rural farmhouse, much to the local media’s delight. Even today, tales of Sasquatch sightings and run-ins with cave-dwelling goblins still come creeping out of Kentucky’s dark forests at an alarming rate.

Finding Bigfoot’s James “Bobo” Fay and Cliff Barackman | Via Animal Planet

Cryptid Con attendees will have the opportunity to hear some of the most compelling tales of Kentucky cryptids straight from the investigators who’ve spent their lives tracking them. Cliff Barackman and James ‘Bobo’ Fay from Animal Planet’s hit series Finding Bigfoot will be on hand to discuss their adventures chasing Sasquatch in the Bluegrass State, as will Loren Coleman, founder of the International Cryptozoology Museum and arguably the most prolific cryptozoologist alive. Also in attendance is Geraldine Sutton-Stith, whose family were the witnesses to the original Hopkinsville Goblins encounter, now the basis of an upcoming film.

Paranormal Lockdown’s Nick Groff | Via Destination America

Even fans of ghostly encounters will have something to look forward to. Paranormal Lockdown‘s Nick Groff, whose Destination America series has featured notable Kentucky haunts, will be in attendance, as will the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal & Occult‘s Greg Newkirk and Dana Matthews, who’ve appeared on both Kindred Spirits and Paranormal Lockdown, as well as investigated supernatural Sasquatch sightings on Finding Bigfoot.

Other featured personalities include Pennsylvania-based researcher Stan Gordon, filmmaker Seth Breedlove, Bigfoot investigators Charlie Raymond, Colin Schneider, Robert Robinson, Ronald Murphy, Bill Brock, and many more.

Attendees who were quick on the draw will get to attend a sold-out Bigfoot expedition at a nearby location known for its Sasquatch sightings, but if even if you didn’t manage to snag a ticket to the hunt, you can still get down at a Bigfoot-sized afterparty complete with live music.

Vendors are set to include everyone from artists whipping up monster-themed prints, to cryptid action-figure companies, to local eats, and you’ll even have the opportunity have your photo snapped with the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine! Cryptid Con is sponsored by Jim Beam, so adults will have no shortage of Kentucky Bourbon to sip while talking monsters.

“We want people to be entertained, but we also want them to be educated,” said Cryptid Con co-founder Jeff Waldridge. “People are going to have a lot of fun, but at the end of the day, they’re going to walk away knowing a lot more about the reality behind cryptid sightings in Kentucky and beyond.”

Cryptid Con stomps into the Capital Plaza Hotel in Historic Downtown Frankfort, Kentucky on Saturday, September 9th and runs through Sunday the 10th. Tickets can be purchased online and start at $15 per day, with weekend and VIP passes available.

For more information about Cryptid Con, including special hotel rates, full guest and vendor list, and more, visit the official website.

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