Forest Co. commissioners hear Bigfoot Festival was big hit

Forest County commissioners heard about the success of the Bigfoot Festival in Marienville during the panel’s regular meeting Wednesday.

Robin Sharrow, the executive director of the Forest County Business Alliance and the administrative assistant at the Forest County community and economic development office, said the first Bigfoot Festival brought people into the area last weekend from as far away as New Jersey and Kentucky.

“The motels were sold out and the restaurants and bars did very well,” Sharrow said.

Some food vendors were out of food by Saturday night and other vendors saw record sales, Sharrow added.

The Business Alliance, which organized the festival, held a Bigfoot hunt in Allegheny National Forest, Sharrow said.

A number of silhouettes of Bigfoot were put up in the forest, and people were given clues where to find them, Sharrow said. Whoever found all the silhouettes first and took pictures with them won a prize, Sharrow said.

“It is a niche whether you believe or don’t believe in Bigfoot… People went out and just had fun. It was a family event,” Sharrow said.

In other business Wednesday, it was announced the commissioners put up a new sign in front of the courthouse on Monday.

Commissioner Bob Snyder said the panel decided to replace the sign after a tree fell on and damaged the old sign. It became apparent that the boards that made up the old sign were rotting, Snyder said.

The commissioners said the old sign had been in place for more than 20 years.

“It (the new sign) is definitely an upgrade,” commissioners chairman Mark Kingston said.