Bigfoot will have big presence at Derry Railroad Days

Bigfoot will play a big role at this year’s Derry Railroad Days Festival.

Activities — including presentations by those who have researched the cryptid and a bus tour of local areas where sightings have been reported — will add a new dimension to this weekend’s annual festival in downtown Derry Borough.

Inspired by numerous reported sightings of Bigfoot on the section of the ridge overlooking the town, Derry Borough officials are looking to tap into the cryptid’s increasing popularity to attract more visitors through four days of activities.

Ron Murphy, one of the Bigfoot presenters, will be joined by Eric Altman, executive director of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society, and Stan Gordon of Greensburg, a longtime researcher of sightings of Bigfoot, UFOs and other anomalies. The Bigfoot talks are planned for 8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

“My love for Bigfoot and this area started when I was a kid,” said Murphy. “I have had a respect for the natural world ever since looking around Chestnut Ridge for Bigfoot.”

At a special meeting at noon Thursday, borough council was slated to vote on purchase of a $3,200 Bigfoot statue. The statue is set to make its debut at a presentation set for 8 p.m. Saturday at the festival stage.

“There’s going to be an unveiling of sorts of a plan that the borough is putting together to commemorate Bigfoot,” said Nathan Bundy, vice president of borough council and a festival board member. “It’s something fun for the community to get behind.”

Thursday’s presentation will follow the traditional Hobo Picnic, which features food vendors and railroad-themed songs, kicking off the weekend’s festivities at 5:30 p.m. at Mossback Park on South Chestnut Street.

The activities on Thursday and Friday are the precursor to the first day of the annual festival, which is set for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday with more than 70 food and craft vendors and live music on the stage at Chestnut and East Second Avenue.

The Railroad Days parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, with units lining up at 9 a.m. at Germano Hall, 100 W. Second St.

“Bigfoot is rumored to make an appearance,” said Bundy. A costumed Altman portrayed the creature at this summer’s Fourth of July parade in neighboring Latrobe.

Pet owners are invited to dress up their dogs and join the Derry parade. Dogs must be leashed and are not allowed in the festival or band areas.

On Saturday, Murphy will lead three bus tours covering both sides of the ridge, highlighting the reported Bigfoot sightings and local natural history. The tours will depart at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. from the town’s restored caboose, near the railroad tracks at the north end of South Chestnut.

“One of the final stops will be the Sleepy Hollow causeway along Route 30, where a Wilpen resident is said to have had an encounter in the ’60s,” Murphy said.

On Sunday, a 10 a.m. religious service will be followed by the festival finale from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A cornhole tournament beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday is new this year.

Also new are Bigfoot competitions for kids 12 or younger. In addition to entering a coloring contest, kids can submit for judging by 8 p.m. Saturday their decorated concept of a “tree knocker,” made from their own materials.

Festival committee chairperson Peggy VanDyke explained a tree knocker, typically made of wood, is struck against a tree in the hope of getting a response from a Bigfoot. VanDyke said prize winners in the contest will be announced at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Calling contest

A Bigfoot calling contest at 3 p.m. Sunday will judge vocalizations competitors make in an effort to get a similar answer from the mythical creature.

Calls associated with Bigfoot differ across the country, according to Murphy.

“Around Pennsylvania, it can range from a howl to a sort of guttural moan,” he said. “One of the things that is most reported is a high-pitched sound like a whoop.”

As in past years, festival visitors will find features pertaining to the town’s origin as a former maintenance hub along the Pennsylvania Railroad. Pittsburgh Independent Hi-Railers will have a model train display set up Saturday and Sunday in the American Legion post, 111 W. Second Ave. Also on view will be models of Derry’s former railroad bridge, station and engine roundhouse.

Those attending festival presentations are advised to bring their own chairs.

Reservations for the cornhole tournament and tickets for the bus tour can be obtained in advance at the festival website, derryrailroaddays.com. Any remaining spots will be sold at the event.