The WNC Bigfoot Festival began in Marion after regional interest in reported Bigfoot encounters helped inspire a public gathering for enthusiasts and curious visitors. The event treats the subject as both local folklore and entertainment, welcoming committed believers, skeptics and people simply interested in an unusual downtown festival.
Programming has included educational panels, researchers and speakers, a Bigfoot Calling Contest, themed merchandise, food vendors and family activities along Main Street. The downtown setting lets visitors move between festival programming and local businesses while costumed Sasquatch figures and cryptid artwork provide much of the visual atmosphere.