If Bigfoot had wandered through Bond Park on Saturday morning, it might have struggled to stand out.
By 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, the annual Bigfoot Days festival was already in full swing, with thousands of visitors packing downtown Estes Park for a day of music, folklore, and squatch-themed celebration. Under sunny skies and brisk 42-degree temperatures that eventually warmed up to around 50 degrees, crowds bundled against the wind while embracing the event’s playful spirit.
Reaching the festival required patience. Parking was tight, but hey, at least the drive and walk in doubled as a front-row view of the morning’s 5K race, with runners streaming past cheering spectators along the route. As you approached Bond Park, you could hear live music from the Fort Collins band Tumbledown Shack, and it became clear just how big the event was.
Costumes were everywhere. Some attendees went all-in with full Bigfoot suits, including one older participant navigating the crowd with a cane, while others opted for lighter touches — oversized “Bigfoot feet” worn like hats or themed T-shirts and hoodies. The mood was buoyant and energetic, with groups laughing, snapping photos, and swapping stories about cryptids.
Vendors lined the park, offering everything from handmade crafts to tongue-in-cheek memorabilia. At booths like Sasquatch Outpost, shoppers browsed signs reading “Bigfoot saw me, but nobody believes him,” alongside DVDs with titles such as “American Sasquatch” and “The Bigfoot Alien Connection Revealed.” Conversations about sightings and theories flowed easily between strangers.
“This festival has grown really big since it first started, like the marathon, and the calling contest is always popular,” said Kenneth Collins, an early advocate for Bigfoot events in the region who attended in costume. “When I came here in 2007, I fought and fought for an event like this and brought Bigfoot people in for conferences. Then, around 2013, Estes Park stepped in and helped grow the event into what it is today.”
By early afternoon, it was clear the event had drawn a massive turnout. Maddie Hodges, special events coordinator for the Town of Estes Park and organizer of Bigfoot Days 2026, estimated roughly 7,000 attendees had already passed through the festival by 1:30 p.m., with more still arriving.
“Today is young,” Hodges said. “There’s still a couple more hours until 4, and then people will linger in town, and some people only come up for the evening movie.”
The crowd size created challenges in some areas. Talks featuring celebrity guests from the television series “Expedition Bigfoot” quickly reached capacity, with lines forming early and many attendees turned away once rooms filled.
“Every time I walk into the room, people are standing in the 100-plus-person room,” Hodges said. “It’s first come, first serve. Early bird gets the worm; that’s always my policy.”
When asked if she would consider moving the talks to a larger venue to accommodate the clear demand, Hodges stated that this was unlikely.
“That’s always a fun but hard question,” she said. “This event has grown from six to 60 plus vendors and 60 people coming to 6,000 to 8,000 people, but this is kind of the heart of town. I just think it’s just how it is and I think we have plans to just keep it here.”
Outside, the festival’s main stage remained a focal point, drawing steady crowds for music and events. One of the day’s biggest attractions was the Bigfoot calling contest at 12:30 p.m., which brought participants of all ages to the stage to test their creativity.
“I’m best friends with Bigfoot, so I know a lot about Bigfoot’s calling,” said emcee Ranger Jeff of the “Bigfoot & Jeff” TV show. “We’ve got some incredible, young, talented individuals up here that are going to give us their best Bigfoot call. You guys ready? Let’s hype them up and get them encouraged. Really get loud for them.”
Twelve children and nine adults competed, traveling from across Colorado and states including Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri. To determine winners, judges used a decibel meter to measure the reaction of the crowd. For Hodges, the contest was a personal highlight.
“Honestly, the Bigfoot calling contest is still my favorite,” she said. “And that was the biggest turnout I’ve ever seen.”
The weekend’s programming began the night before with a sold-out Bigfoot BBQ dinner at the Estes Park Events Complex, which Hodges described as an immersive kickoff to the festival.
“It was a completely sold-out evening and even had a big wait list,” she said. “We’re really excited to keep that going for years to come.”
Throughout the day, the festival’s footprint extended beyond Bond Park. Downtown businesses leaned into the theme with Bigfoot-decorated storefronts, drawing festivalgoers into shops and restaurants. Many Bigfoot Days visitors could be spotted walking along Elkhorn Avenue in event T-shirts.
Saturday’s schedule continued into the evening with film screenings at the Historic Park Theatre, including the local documentary “The High Strangeness of Colorado’s Bigfoot” and the feature “Squatch,” each accompanied by Q&A sessions and red carpet-style events.
Michelle Rodenburg, a Jefferson County teacher and children’s author who writes about Colorado creatures, attended for the first time as a vendor after trying for several years.
“It is such a positive vibe,” Rodenburg said. “Whether you believe or not, people here have come, and there’s a lot of laughter going on.”
That mix of curiosity, humor, and shared experience remained constant throughout the day. Hodges, who began her day before sunrise and planned to stay through the evening film events, says that sense of connection is what keeps people coming back.
“I got here at 5 a.m.,” she says. “I’ll be here until 10 p.m., but I love what I do, and I’m really grateful to help serve this community in Estes Park and the Bigfoot community.”
By late afternoon, as music from local band Stepmother Nature played and crowds explored downtown Estes, one thing was clear: whether or not Bigfoot exists, the festival dedicated to the legend is an unquestionable highlight of Estes Park’s spring season.
You must be logged in to post a comment.