You’ll hear legends of this creature from all corners of the globe. Enticing tales of seeing a giant, humanoid creature in the darkness of forests or hearing a bellowing, unfamiliar call rattle through the branches, has led to local lore that has been passed down and rekindled for generations. We’re heading to two places where these tales are alive in the residents and the woods, to see what happens when our communities come together around a legend!
It’s a creature that even Jane Goodall doesn’t disprove the myths of, so we’re traveling to two places, one on the East coast of the United States and one of the West, where Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, reports are anything but rare. This edition of Saturdays Around the World will show you some of the fascinating ways communities are coming together to celebrate their Sasquatch heritage.
It’s an adventure like none we’ve ever gone on before. As it turns out, a legend can bring more than myth and mystery to the towns it surrounds! Just check out these stories for yourself.
Give us your best roar!
If you’ve ever been told you have a nice guttural yell, then maybe you should head to Whitehall, New York and toss your hat into the ring at the Sasquatch Calling Festival!
With hundreds of reported Bigfoot sightings from this small town in the Adirondack mountains, one ear-witness himself started this festival in 2016 to call the beast. Since then, it’s become a place for believers across the country to gather to celebrate something near and dear to them. To hear the story of this festival founder’s encounter with a legend, and a few of the contestants who are competing for the title of the best sasquatch call, check out this video from ESPN!
For more from ESPN’s sports magazine show, E:60, check them out here!
So, are you in?
The 2020 Sasquatch Calling Festival is scheduled for September 26th! You can RSVP to showcase your own calling skills and stay up to date with their events on their Facebook page. Start practicing now! (Though, you may want to let your neighbors know what you’re up to.)
Warning: we won’t be held responsible if you do end up calling in a Squatch of your own!
Or, maybe a group of Sasquatch enthusiasts is more your speed…
Our next stop is across the country in Oregon’s Mt. Hood National Park, where a group known as the Clackamas Sasquatchians heads out into the forest to find their favorite legendary creature. Their tactics are a bit different than what we just saw in New York. They use a diverse skill set to track down the forest’s most elusive creature.
See for yourself in this short video from Great Big Story!
Discover more amazing stories from around the world with Great Big Story over on their website or YouTube channel! They’re one of our favorite creators to keep up with—as you can probably tell from this collection of articles featuring them.
You can also stay connected with their work by subscribing to their channel or giving them a follow over on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, as well!
Any excuse to gather!
It doesn’t matter if you’re searching for Bigfoot or coming together over a car engine, communities that bring out the best in us and others are a wonderful way to find a sense of belonging and joy in this world. So, what does your community love to do? How do you celebrate it? Are you shouting about it from the hilltops? Or is it more of a quiet gathering?
Here are some of the wonderful ways people are coming together to celebrate what’s unique in their homes around the world! It’s all a little unproductive, nutty, loud, and messy. But boy, do these people know how to bring a community together.
Dive into a Pool of Grits at South Carolina’s World Grits Festival!
When your town is known for eating the most grits in your area, why not roll around in them? On this edition of Saturdays Around the World, we’re getting an exclusive view of what it’s like to be a contender in the amazing Rolling in the Grits contest in South Carolina!
Read Article Watch Video Listen to PodcastHow Mullets Saved This Australian Town!
How can a hairstyle straight out of the 80s save an entire town? Well, just look at what happens when 200 people proudly sporting mullets all come together! This is how some creative thinking brought a town back from the brink.
Read Article Watch Video Listen to PodcastHow Spain’s Human Towers Define Community
How do you build a tower of people 50 feet tall and weighing as much as three elephants? Maybe more importantly, why? The castell builders of Catalonia, Spain are, quite literally, the definition of an uplifting and supportive community.
Read Article Watch Video Listen to PodcastShare the unique ways your community gathers with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
Stay open to new possibilities!
- Sam
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” —Albert Einstein
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Notes:
- ESPN. “What It Takes to Win a Sasquatch Calling Competition | E:60.” YouTube, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTw79wWV9VU. Accessed 21 Apr. 2020. ↩
- Great Big Story. “Tracking Down Bigfoot.” YouTube, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff-4yd_B-l8&feature=emb_title. Accessed 21 Apr. 2020. ↩
