Creatures, Myths & Legends

Mothman festival honors Point Pleasant's infamous legend

By T.K. Randall
September 15, 2022

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) Described as a human-like entity with wings and glowing red eyes, the creature known as Mothman gained prominence after it was sighted multiple times in and around Point Pleasant, West Virginia from 1966 to 1967.

The first reported sighting occurred in November 1966 when five men who were digging a grave in a local cemetery described seeing a strange figure swooping over the trees overhead.

The creature was seen again only a few days later when two couples driving through the area encountered the terrifying spectacle of a human-like shape with glowing red eyes illuminated by their headlights.

As time went on, more and more people reported seeing the creature. When 46 people died in the collapse of the Silver Bridge in December 1967, Mothman came to be associated with the disaster.The phenomenon was later described by John Keel in his 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies which was itself turned into a movie starring Richard Gere in 2002.

The Mothman is also celebrated in Point Pleasant at a festival held each year in the town which typically features a range of activities, guest speakers, exhibits, competitions and more.

This year's festival is set to take place this weekend (Sept 17-18th).

You can check out some footage from one of the earlier festivals below.


Source: Herald Dispatch

Tags: Mothman