Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/mothmanfestival
The legend of Mothman in West Virginia goes back nearly 60 years. As the story goes it was November 12, 1966, five men were digging a grave at a cemetery near Clendenin, West Virginia when they encountered a “man-like figure” with red eyes who flew out of the trees and over their heads. Only a few days later two young couples in Point Pleasant reported to the police there they encountered a “large white creature whose eyes glowed red when their car headlights hit them.” Bo couples insisted that the creature was a flying man with ten-foot wings who terrorized them as they drove away.
For the next week, there were similar sightings reported by members of the community. The local sheriff wrote the sightings off. It was his belief that what people were seeing was actually an unusually large heron that had been spotted in the area. Reports of sightings continued until December 15, 1967, when there when the Silver Bridge collapsed in town, causing the death of 46 people. After the incident, all sightings of the legendary Mothman ceased.
As the legend grew over the years there has been a lot of speculation about who or what Mothman might have been. Ufologists and paranormal authors claim that he was an alien. A book, The Mothman Prophecies, was published in 1975 wherein the author stated that townspeople had claimed precognitions regarding the collapse of the bridge and pointed to the appearance of the Mothman as the reason for why they knew ahead of time.
Whatever the case may be, the town of Point Pleasant embrace their Mothman and hold an annual gathering to commemorate the mysterious visitor. Held annually in Downtown Point Pleasant, West Virginia and features live local music, local designed art and wares, and amazing food from local vendors. The festival is located in in the heart of Main Street and is held on the third weekend in September. Admission to the Festival is free, though there are often some individual events and attractions that have a small fee attached to them.
Whether you are a local who is celebrating the town folklore or a curious visitor seeking to find out more about the Mothman, this festival is a fun time for all.
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