Sept. 22, 2010
Mothman Festival
Story By Sandee Lloyd
Pictures By Sandee and Stephanie Lloyd
Between November 15, 1966 and December 15, 1967 the area around Pt. Pleasant, WV was terrorized by a creature called Mothman. There were over 100 sightings during that time period, ending with the collapse of the Silver Bridge. There were scattered sightings before and since that time, but the main body occurred during that thirteen-month period.
Fast forward 43 years to the present where the memory of Mothman is celebrated
in grand style with the Mothman Festival, two days of fun and spooky events
dealing with all things Mothman. This year's event was a heady mix of the
serious and the silly.
The historic State Theatre featured speakers including original witnesses to the Mothman sightings, authors, artists, a UFO investigator and a ghost hunter. The premiere of "Eyes of the Mothman" was on Saturday, with a bonus showing on Sunday.
Chad Lambert, Joe Clark, and Andy Colvin were among the speakers available to talk with festival goers or autograph their books and artwork. They and others had tables set up featuring their books or other creative works.
Original witnesses Faye Dewitt, Linda Scarberry and Tom Ury talked with visitors at the main information booth and recounted their stories about Mothman to many eager listeners. Their booth was always crowded.
Under the tents in addition to the authors and artists, were vendors of Mothman t-shirts in a vivid array of colors and designs, hats, posters, and just about anything you could think of with a mothman motif, including mothman-shaped cookies and stuffed toys called Mini-Moths.
Marion Brown makes Mothman-themed magnets and wind chimes. She explained that she starts with a 25 pound block of clay which she rolls out and cuts with a potter's needle, underglazes and fires the clay, reglazes and refires it, then gives it a final glaze and finishes with the lovely pieces she had on display. She also displayed Marshall, Ohio State and other types of wind chimes.
In the middle of the downtown area is a giant statue of Mothman, which endured a steady stream of people posing with it for pictures. There is always at least one person who climbs up in the arms of the statue for a picture and that day was no exception. Others climb onto the base of the statue to stand between its outstretched arms. Most were content to stand beside or in front of the statue, although many made scared faces and poses for their pictures. Bob Roach, the designer of the statue, was on hand to meet and talk with everyone.
A life-sized Mothman was walking around, constantly being stopped to pose with someone for pictures. He good-naturedly put up with it, one of the hazards of being the featured entity of the festival.
The Ghostbusters were walking around, complete with inflatable backpacks. Men in Black (or in this case, women) were also on hand. At one point the Ghostbusters and Men in Black met up and engaged in some impromptu dancing.
The Turtleman, Ernie Brown from Kentucky, demonstrated his barehanded technique of handling huge snapping turtles. He could be seen carrying one of the turtles through the streets, with the turtle's mouth wide open ready to snap anything within reach.
On the main street there was a car show and a copy of the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine Van on display. Kids of all ages loved that.
Walking around the festival were members of the Mothman Royal Court, girls of all ages in tiaras, crowns and sashes. They were seen all over mingling with the crowds.
On the corner in the midst of the festivities is The Point, a store featuring Mothman souvenirs and fancy coffee. A poster in the window announced that The Point is the only place that sells a Mothman Frappuccino. Owner Bob Landrum, his daughter Anne Ward and granddaughter Brandy Pennington were on hand to talk with the patrons. The store was doing a booming business. Outside on the sidewalk, son Bob L. Landrum was handling the sidewalk sale with Mothman t-shirts and other items. A life-size picture of Mothman stands on the sidewalk, with an oval opening for folks to place their face through for pictures. The opening has red reflector eyes that glow when a flash is used. People were taking turns getting their pictures made and making funny faces while doing so.
Down the street is Harris' Steakhouse, owned by Carolin Harris, who, along with Jeff Wamsley, originated the Mothman Festival nine years ago. Mrs. Harris' husband was killed when the Silver Bridge collapsed. Her steakhouse has genuine Art Deco features and walls covered with Mothman posters and signs. According to local residents, the restaurant has the best breakfast in town, as well as great steaks.
Jeff Wamsley was busy overseeing the smooth running of the festival but I was able to briefly speak with him. He said he became interested in Mothman from knowing the witnesses and wanted to learn all he could about it. He runs the Mothman Museum, which has an amazing assortment of newspaper clippings, pictures and memorabilia. He has written two books about Mothman and worked with the movie company that made "The Mothman Prophecies." He has also worked with television crews that have come to town making documentaries for "Monster Quest" and other shows. He maintains the website www.mothmanlives.com which has the full history and pictures of the areas where Mothman was seen.
Bands played on a stage on the riverfront Saturday and Sunday. The Jesse Crawford Band was performing when we were there.
Line dancers performed on the main street and after their performance gave lessons to anyone willing to come up and dance.
A psychic fair was going on, with psychics sitting at tables along the sidewalks and under the tents. People could have Tarot cards read or other psychic readings done.
There were a number of food vendors, one featuring Mothman pancakes, which showed the Mothman with his wings spread and big red eyes.
The Iron Gate Grill regularly features a Mothman Sandwich, but for the weekend offered a Mothman Burger, complete with eyes made of half olives on toothpicks, which was delicious. The Grill, along with its more formal sister the Iron Gate Restaurant, are in restored buildings owned by Debbie and Morgan Long. According to server Johnni Fulks, who was back at the Grill after a several-year absence, the restaurant is a wonderful place to work. The interior of the Grill is gorgeous, with a wooden bar made by Jack Kirwood. Mr. Kirwood also built the bar in the Iron Gate Restaurant, and helped with the restoration of the buildings. He made two beautiful wooden paddlewheel boats that sit atop a shelf. The Grill is full of old pictures and antiques.
Johnni kindly took me through both restaurants so I could see the results of the restorations. The Iron Gate Restaurant is more elegant with a grand piano in the dining area. Engagement parties and other formal affairs are often held there.
In between the restaurants is an open area with a stage where bands play. Eight bands were scheduled for Saturday, with "Unload" playing when we were there. The Grill has an open deck next to the concert area so diners can listen to the music while they eat.
Saturday evening featured a hayride out to the TNT area, where the Mothman was originally sighted. The area has concrete bunkers which were covered with dirt and grass for camouflage and were used by the military to store old ordinance after World War II. More recently, the bunkers have been leased to private concerns to store explosives. One bunker exploded back in May which prompted the government to close the bunker area until all the bunkers can be checked. Until late summer three of the bunkers were open for visits and were part of the tour.
Earlier in the summer, my daughter Stephanie and I visited The Point and Bob L. showed us pictures people had sent him that were taken out at the TNT area, some of which showed strange orbs and in one case a ghostly face. He drew us a map to the area. Naturally we had to check the bunkers out and take pictures.
The bunkers could be reached on foot but the paths were overgrown which made the bunkers a little tricky to locate. The only light in them came from the door opening and a small circular opening in the top. They were very spooky. Unfortunately people have sprayed the walls with graffiti, but they were mostly empty except for a few rusted and hopefully empty cans in one of them. The bunkers alter your voice and give it a metallic sound, even though they're concrete rather than metal. The bunkers are in the middle of a nature sanctuary that was lovely to walk through in midsummer.
Jeff Wamsley and his crew do a fantastic job with the festival and it gets bigger every year. It is definitely worth a trip to Pt. Pleasant to see the Mothman Festival in September.
Pictures show Johnni Fulks; Unload; Bob Landrum, Anne Ward and Brandy Pennington; Jesse Crawford Band; Turtleman; Jeff Wamsley; Marion Brown; Bob L. Landrum; Linda Scarberry; Faye Dewitt, Tom Ury; Chad Lambert; Joe Clark; Andy Colvin; Anneke Barker; and scenes from the festival.
These pictures and more can be seen at http://lloydphotography.ifp3.com.
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Story By Sandee Lloyd
Pictures By Sandee and Stephanie Lloyd
Between November 15, 1966 and December 15, 1967 the area around Pt. Pleasant, WV was terrorized by a creature called Mothman. There were over 100 sightings during that time period, ending with the collapse of the Silver Bridge. There were scattered sightings before and since that time, but the main body occurred during that thirteen-month period.
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The historic State Theatre featured speakers including original witnesses to the Mothman sightings, authors, artists, a UFO investigator and a ghost hunter. The premiere of "Eyes of the Mothman" was on Saturday, with a bonus showing on Sunday.
Chad Lambert, Joe Clark, and Andy Colvin were among the speakers available to talk with festival goers or autograph their books and artwork. They and others had tables set up featuring their books or other creative works.
Original witnesses Faye Dewitt, Linda Scarberry and Tom Ury talked with visitors at the main information booth and recounted their stories about Mothman to many eager listeners. Their booth was always crowded.
Under the tents in addition to the authors and artists, were vendors of Mothman t-shirts in a vivid array of colors and designs, hats, posters, and just about anything you could think of with a mothman motif, including mothman-shaped cookies and stuffed toys called Mini-Moths.
Marion Brown makes Mothman-themed magnets and wind chimes. She explained that she starts with a 25 pound block of clay which she rolls out and cuts with a potter's needle, underglazes and fires the clay, reglazes and refires it, then gives it a final glaze and finishes with the lovely pieces she had on display. She also displayed Marshall, Ohio State and other types of wind chimes.
In the middle of the downtown area is a giant statue of Mothman, which endured a steady stream of people posing with it for pictures. There is always at least one person who climbs up in the arms of the statue for a picture and that day was no exception. Others climb onto the base of the statue to stand between its outstretched arms. Most were content to stand beside or in front of the statue, although many made scared faces and poses for their pictures. Bob Roach, the designer of the statue, was on hand to meet and talk with everyone.
A life-sized Mothman was walking around, constantly being stopped to pose with someone for pictures. He good-naturedly put up with it, one of the hazards of being the featured entity of the festival.
The Ghostbusters were walking around, complete with inflatable backpacks. Men in Black (or in this case, women) were also on hand. At one point the Ghostbusters and Men in Black met up and engaged in some impromptu dancing.
The Turtleman, Ernie Brown from Kentucky, demonstrated his barehanded technique of handling huge snapping turtles. He could be seen carrying one of the turtles through the streets, with the turtle's mouth wide open ready to snap anything within reach.
On the main street there was a car show and a copy of the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine Van on display. Kids of all ages loved that.
Walking around the festival were members of the Mothman Royal Court, girls of all ages in tiaras, crowns and sashes. They were seen all over mingling with the crowds.
On the corner in the midst of the festivities is The Point, a store featuring Mothman souvenirs and fancy coffee. A poster in the window announced that The Point is the only place that sells a Mothman Frappuccino. Owner Bob Landrum, his daughter Anne Ward and granddaughter Brandy Pennington were on hand to talk with the patrons. The store was doing a booming business. Outside on the sidewalk, son Bob L. Landrum was handling the sidewalk sale with Mothman t-shirts and other items. A life-size picture of Mothman stands on the sidewalk, with an oval opening for folks to place their face through for pictures. The opening has red reflector eyes that glow when a flash is used. People were taking turns getting their pictures made and making funny faces while doing so.
Down the street is Harris' Steakhouse, owned by Carolin Harris, who, along with Jeff Wamsley, originated the Mothman Festival nine years ago. Mrs. Harris' husband was killed when the Silver Bridge collapsed. Her steakhouse has genuine Art Deco features and walls covered with Mothman posters and signs. According to local residents, the restaurant has the best breakfast in town, as well as great steaks.
Jeff Wamsley was busy overseeing the smooth running of the festival but I was able to briefly speak with him. He said he became interested in Mothman from knowing the witnesses and wanted to learn all he could about it. He runs the Mothman Museum, which has an amazing assortment of newspaper clippings, pictures and memorabilia. He has written two books about Mothman and worked with the movie company that made "The Mothman Prophecies." He has also worked with television crews that have come to town making documentaries for "Monster Quest" and other shows. He maintains the website www.mothmanlives.com which has the full history and pictures of the areas where Mothman was seen.
Bands played on a stage on the riverfront Saturday and Sunday. The Jesse Crawford Band was performing when we were there.
Line dancers performed on the main street and after their performance gave lessons to anyone willing to come up and dance.
A psychic fair was going on, with psychics sitting at tables along the sidewalks and under the tents. People could have Tarot cards read or other psychic readings done.
There were a number of food vendors, one featuring Mothman pancakes, which showed the Mothman with his wings spread and big red eyes.
The Iron Gate Grill regularly features a Mothman Sandwich, but for the weekend offered a Mothman Burger, complete with eyes made of half olives on toothpicks, which was delicious. The Grill, along with its more formal sister the Iron Gate Restaurant, are in restored buildings owned by Debbie and Morgan Long. According to server Johnni Fulks, who was back at the Grill after a several-year absence, the restaurant is a wonderful place to work. The interior of the Grill is gorgeous, with a wooden bar made by Jack Kirwood. Mr. Kirwood also built the bar in the Iron Gate Restaurant, and helped with the restoration of the buildings. He made two beautiful wooden paddlewheel boats that sit atop a shelf. The Grill is full of old pictures and antiques.
Johnni kindly took me through both restaurants so I could see the results of the restorations. The Iron Gate Restaurant is more elegant with a grand piano in the dining area. Engagement parties and other formal affairs are often held there.
In between the restaurants is an open area with a stage where bands play. Eight bands were scheduled for Saturday, with "Unload" playing when we were there. The Grill has an open deck next to the concert area so diners can listen to the music while they eat.
Saturday evening featured a hayride out to the TNT area, where the Mothman was originally sighted. The area has concrete bunkers which were covered with dirt and grass for camouflage and were used by the military to store old ordinance after World War II. More recently, the bunkers have been leased to private concerns to store explosives. One bunker exploded back in May which prompted the government to close the bunker area until all the bunkers can be checked. Until late summer three of the bunkers were open for visits and were part of the tour.
Earlier in the summer, my daughter Stephanie and I visited The Point and Bob L. showed us pictures people had sent him that were taken out at the TNT area, some of which showed strange orbs and in one case a ghostly face. He drew us a map to the area. Naturally we had to check the bunkers out and take pictures.
The bunkers could be reached on foot but the paths were overgrown which made the bunkers a little tricky to locate. The only light in them came from the door opening and a small circular opening in the top. They were very spooky. Unfortunately people have sprayed the walls with graffiti, but they were mostly empty except for a few rusted and hopefully empty cans in one of them. The bunkers alter your voice and give it a metallic sound, even though they're concrete rather than metal. The bunkers are in the middle of a nature sanctuary that was lovely to walk through in midsummer.
Jeff Wamsley and his crew do a fantastic job with the festival and it gets bigger every year. It is definitely worth a trip to Pt. Pleasant to see the Mothman Festival in September.
Pictures show Johnni Fulks; Unload; Bob Landrum, Anne Ward and Brandy Pennington; Jesse Crawford Band; Turtleman; Jeff Wamsley; Marion Brown; Bob L. Landrum; Linda Scarberry; Faye Dewitt, Tom Ury; Chad Lambert; Joe Clark; Andy Colvin; Anneke Barker; and scenes from the festival.
These pictures and more can be seen at http://lloydphotography.ifp3.com.
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