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Mothman Festival 2009
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Every year since 2002 as the leaves begin to change, the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia becomes the site of the Mothman Festival, dedicated of course to celebrating the history, legend, and lore that sprang from the 1966 sighting of an ominous man-like winged creature by Linda and Roger Scarberry. Though a more detailed history of the being dubbed the Mothman can be found online (and will soon be the subject of a feature on this very page) the purpose of today's article is to describe the first day of the 2009 Mothman Festival held September 19th, 2009.
Upon arrival to Point Pleasant, it is clear that this is a town which does not shy from the legend. Main Street and Fourth are the epicenter of activity, with the Historic State Theater providing lectures given by skeptical researchers, MUFON UFO researchers, and paranormal authors; the famed Mothman Museum run by local Mothman scholar Jeff Wamsley; dozens of vendor booths selling books, jewelry, t-shirts, and an assortment of other Mothman trinkets; and, of course, the Mothman statue itself.
The lectures themselves ran from pointed and intellectual to silly and borderline odd. Highlights of the talks we were able to see firsthand were Andy and Tonya Keyser who gave a very thoughtful presentation on healthy skepticism; Susan Sheppard, an alleged psychic whose main purpose for being here, it seems, was that she once thinks she heard the Mothman dancing on her roof and saw Asian-looking "Men in Black" as a small child. Her presentation went over well with the kooks in the crowd who never seemed interested at all in actually gathering facts, but instead tended to just be out for a good yarn. To each their own, I suppose. The MUFON Virginia chapter director Sue Swiatek lectured on UFOs and, disappointingly, seemed to come armed with no other information than what she had read on a website or (quite literally, live and in person) read aloud from a book. Finally, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, who was recently interviewed about her new release, "The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology" gave a talk on Real Vampires. While this humble reporter may not believe in the existence of such macabre creatures, the talk itself was humorous and intellectual, and made for interesting discussion.
The Mothman Museum, amazingly the only part of the festival that charges an entrance fee ($3) also left much to be desired. Imagine my bafflement when I followed behind a young woman who asked an attendant outside the museum if Mothman shirts were sold inside, only to have the answer be a resounding no. Instead of a collection of Mothman memorabilia and gifts, it seemed dedicated on this day to showcasing film props from the Richard Gere movie "The Mothman Prophecies," whose highly fictionalized account of the legend does a great disservice to the community. While I cannot say what it's style of operation is like on a normal business day, the first day of the festival certainly showed it to be little more than a dedication to the film. I do hope to return someday, but I would be hesitant to return to the museum itself simply because of the lack of Mothman memorabilia available on this day.
In my opinion, the real heart and soul of this festival was just off Main Street, on Fourth. This is where the vendors are; the books, t-shirts, jewelry, and dozens upon dozens of other items available for purchase can be found. The famed Mothman Statue is also located here, as is an assortment of color characters dressed as Men in Black or as the elusive Mothman itself. There is a general feeling of positivity and fun that emanates from this area and, as you may imagine, photo opportunities are plenty! To me, to truly experience the flavor of the festival, Fourth Street is the place to be.
While the festival is by no means perfect, the lectures, vendors, and Mothman enthusiasts that line the streets are what makes it enjoyable. While we are not able to return for the second and final day of the annual Mothman Festival this year, we do very much look forward to making the trek out again next year and, quite possibly, many times in the future. We would recommend that you do the same.
Thanks for reading.
