Bigfoot buffs will gather in Natchez this weekend to celebrate what is believed to be the earliest written account of the mythical creature.
On Dec. 25, 1721, French explorer Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix wrote a journal entry while spending time with the Natchez Indians along the Mississippi River. The entry, which references “a beast of an unknown species,” is pointed to by many cryptozoologists as the first bigfoot encounter on record.
“The first night I lay in the settlement, there happened a great alarm, about nine o’clock in the evening; upon asking the reason of it, I was told there was, in the neighborhood, a beast of an unknown species, of an extraordinary bulk, and whose cry did not in the least resemble that of any known animal,” Charlevoix wrote, adding that residents had claimed the creature had taken sheep and calves from their farmland.
“I told those who gave me this account, that an estranged wolf might very well have done all this and that, as to its cry, people were deceived in these matters every day. I could persuade nobody; they still would have it that it was some monstrous beast. It was heard again, and everyone ran out armed with what he could find, but it was to no purpose.”
Now, over three centuries since Charlevoix’s writing, still no bigfoot has been confirmed in the Natchez area, but the locals still believe that it wasn’t a wolf terrorizing the farm animals on that winter night in 1721.
To further show their belief, the Bigfoot Birthday Bash was created in 2021 with enthusiasts from all around coming to the river town to celebrate the creature’s unofficial birthday.
This year’s celebration will take place Friday, Nov. 17, and Saturday, Nov. 18 in downtown Natchez. Kicking off with a meet-and-greet at the Natchez Little Theatre at 6 p.m., a one-act play called “Bigfoot’s Revenge” will follow at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, the festivities will begin at 10 a.m. at Bluff Park. Admission is free and features live music, bigfoot-themed food, an auction, and various craft vendors. People are even encouraged to come dressed as bigfoot.
At 7 p.m., the Sasquatch Symposium will take the stage at the theatre with special guest M.K. Davis, a renowned bigfoot researcher, providing an analysis on not only Charlevoix’s account but other reported bigfoot sightings across the area.
To purchase tickets for the play or the symposium, click here. And don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled as this could be the perfect setting for bigfoot’s return.
