Do you believe? Monster Fest returns to Canton for convention of the weird and mysterious
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
CANTON − Monster Fest is returning to downtown Canton this summer for a convention of the strange and unexplained.
Authors, filmmakers, vendors and podcasters will convene from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 29 at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, 320 Market Ave. S. Subjects include Bigfoot, UFOs, werewolves, sea creatures, the paranormal and other phenomena. Also featured will be live podcasts and speakers.
Here's what else we know about the second annual Monster Fest:
What's new at Monster Fest?
New to Monster Fest will be interactive workshops for those interested in undertaking their own paranormal research. Other workshops will include safety tips for conducting Bigfoot research in the woods; footprint casting; and data collection techniques for UFO research.
Food trucks also will be available outside the hotel, and the DoubleTree's restaurant and bar will be open.
Movie premiere will kick off Monster Fest 2
Kicking off Monster Fest 2 and premiering June 28 at the Canton Palace Theatre will be the Small Town Monsters film, "Cursed Waters: Creature of Lake Okanagan," which examines the legend of the Canadian water beast Ogopogo.
Doors open at 3 p.m. and showtime is 4:30 p.m. A question-and-answer session will proceed the film at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are available at https://cantonpalacetheatre.org.
Sightings have been reported over the centuries of a 60-foot long, hump-backed monster in Okanagan, one of the deepest lakes in North America. The film documents two researchers who travel to the lake in British Columbia in an attempt to find out what might lurk beneath the water.
Who will be special guests at Monster Fest 2?
Small Town Monsters, a Massillon-based independent film production company, is hosting the event in cooperation with Visit Canton. Small Town Monsters is headed by Seth Breedlove, whose numerous film credits include the "Minerva Monster" documentary about reported Bigfoot-like sightings in Stark County in the 1970s.
Last year's Monster Fest: Bigfoot, werewolves, UFOs and ghosts
Special guests will include:
Sheanna Steingass, who has appeared on the History Channel series, "The Proof Is Out There."
Ken Gerhard, an author and cryptozoologist who has appeared on various Travel Channel, Syfy and National Geographic shows.
Forrest Burgess and Scott Philbrook of the Astonishing Legends podcast.
Aaron Deese, a member of the Small Town Monsters staff and author of the 2023 release, "The Texas Dogman Triangle" and his follow-up book, "Hunting Grounds: Dogmen of The Lakes," scheduled for release this spring.
Lyle Blackburn, an author whose books include, "Texas Bigfoot," "Boggy Creek Casebook," "Sinister Swamps" and "MOMO: The strange case of the Missouri Monster."
Shannon LeGro, producer and host of "Into The Fray" and co-author of "Beyond the Fray: Bigfoot."
Hosts of the "Cryptid Campfire" podcast.
Jeremiah Bryon of the "Bigfoot Society" podcast.
How much do tickets cost?
Monster Fest 2 tickets can be purchased at http://www.stmmonsterfest.com/. General admission tickets also will be available at the door on the day of the event.
Presale tickets are $20.50 and $25 at the door. VIP packages are also available. Kids under age 12 are admitted free.
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com.
On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and Instagram at ed_balint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Monster Fest 2 returns to Canton. Bigfoot, UFOs, werewolves and more