The 15th annual Mothman festival is less than a month away, and this year, organizers are expecting the attraction to drawa record number of people to join in on the festivities.
Denny Bellamy, director of the Mason County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, said he expects the record number of visitors will be the result of several different factors.
One of those factors is the 50-year anniversary of the first alleged Mothman sighting in Mason County, West Virginia.
He also said that the festival, now in its 15th year, continues to draw larger crowds each year.
“We typically see 5,000 people [at the festival], this year we’re looking at 8,000 to 9,000,” Bellamy said.
According to the festival’s Facebook page, there are already over 13,000 people interested in attending. Parking has been an issue for the festival in the past, but if even half of those interested show up, parking could turn into an even bigger issue.
However, the festival is making plans to expand this year, as they’ve experienced some congestion in the past.
“We want the festival to stretch from one end [of Main Street] to the other, not just be contained to one area,” Bellamy said.
The festival is constantly adding new attractions, as well. They even premiered the inaugural Mothman GeoTrail event this year, which was met with great success.
The geocaching event brought in over 350 people from 13 different states, according to organizer Jacob Farley.
The event was met with so much success that Farley and fellow organizers plan to bring it back next year andmake it bigger than ever.
Farley said he hopes to make it a “mega event,” spanning the course of several days and just prior to the annual Mothman festival.
In an effort to better publicize next year’s event, Farley will be at the Mason County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau booth at the Mothman Festival.
In addition to the geocaching event, the Mothman festival will be featuring activities like inflatables for kids, tram ride tours, and horse and carriage rides. The average carriage ride in Central Park lasts about 40 minutes, but these may turn out a bit shorter for those who want to get back to the festivities right away.
Cosplayers are also encouraged to attend in costume to celebrate over the weekend. A professional Mothman cosplayer will even be available for selfies throughout the festival.
The 15th annual Mothman festival will be occurring from September 17 – 18 this year.