With the 8th Annual Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo this weekend, it seems only appropriate to talk about everyone’s favorite cryptid.
The legend of Bigfoot has fascinated both believers and skeptics for centuries. Almost every culture has a creature such as Bigfoot in their folk history. While most people associate Bigfoot or Sasquatch with the Pacific Northwest, it seems the hairy cryptid has made a few appearances in Western New York, particularly in Chautauqua County.
In recent years, there have been over 30 reports from different people living throughout Chautauqua County that led Peter Wiemer to begin the Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo in 2012. Bringing together eyewitnesses and experts, the Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo offers a safe environment for people to share their findings, physical evidence, and experiences, as well as attend lectures from experts, view films about Bigfoot, and for a lucky few, even go on a Bigfoot trek.
Today, more than 30% of Americans believe in the possibility of Bigfoot. In this fast-paced, high tech world, we have no hard physical evidence of the creature’s existence, but according to the Bigfoot Field Research Organization, there have also been sightings in Allegany, Orleans, Erie, and Niagara County.
Learn more about local Bigfoot sightings in our Haunted Atlas of Western New York coming Fall 2019.
If you own a haunted bar, cafe, hotel, or restaurant and you’d like us to check it out, reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. If you have a favorite haunted hot spot with great food and atmosphere and you’d like to share it with us, hit us up on social media or leave a comment below! We’d love to hear from you… Thanks for joining us, and Happy Haunting!