Bigfoot enthusiasts meet in Nashville! Is he real?

Enthusiasts and skeptics alike are converging on Nashville, Indiana, this weekend for a conference dedicated to one of the world’s most enduring mysteries: Bigfoot.

The event, which happens in the heart of Brown County, attracts people of all ages. Organizers say the gathering is designed for everyone from dedicated “believers” to curious onlookers.

Great Day TV reporter Barney Wood talked to Patty Spitler and WISH-TV’s Pam Elliot about the gathering. “It was so fun,” said Wood, a WISH-TV personality who attended the event. “It’s all about just having fun.”

Wood, who said he has loved the legend of Bigfoot since childhood, noted that seeing famous footage of the creature fueled his interest. “I saw that footage, you know, of Bigfoot running in the woods,” he said. “I was like, I want this to be real so bad.”

The conference features several prominent figures in the field, including Mike Familant, a bona fide Bigfoot researcher. Familant and other researchers use the event to share data and findings from across the country.

While the main conference and its vendors are free to the public, some specific presentations require a paid ticket. The event space is filled with Bigfoot-themed artwork, pictures and plaster foot casts.

Much of the local interest centers on the Bigfoot Center of Indiana, located in Nashville and operated by a man named Leroy. According to researchers, the surrounding area is a prime location for sightings.

“Turns out Morgan Monroe State Forest is a hotbed of Bigfoot sightings,” Wood said, adding that some researchers claim Indiana ranks among the top three states for reported encounters.

When Barney asked Mike Familant what the purpose of the Bigfoot conferences are, Familant said the ultimate goal might be simpler than proving the existence of a cryptid.

“I don’t even know if I really care what it is,” Familant told Barney. “It’s just to get people together, a community, you get out in nature, get your kids, and just anything to go out in the woods to go for a hike.”

Watch the video and find out more about the elusive Bigfoot!

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