Bigfoot Rendezvous to take place at Westwood Mall this weekend

POCATELLO — A Bigfoot event featuring speakers from all over the country is set for this weekend for any Sasquatch enthusiasts or anyone curious about the subject.

Brandon Tennant, organizer of what’s being called Bigfoot Rendezvous, said it is an event that is held every couple of years where people come together to tell about their experiences with Bigfoot. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Westwood Mall, 1800 Garrett Way. It will be located in the hallway next to Outer Limits.

“There’s a lot of Bigfoot enthusiasts,” he said. “It’s a huge part of American pop culture.”

Tennant said many people don’t realize the kind of impact Bigfoot has had on American pop culture. Native Americans had stories about Bigfoot-like creatures since before Europeans arrived.

“Every tribe in the country has a name for it,” he said. “It’s not something that just popped up in the 1960s.”

There are usually around 100 people that come to this event when it is being held. One year, they were able to get up to 300.

“Hopefully a lot of people will come together and share their stories,” Tennant said. “We’re expecting 100 to 150 attendees. We’re going to have a lot of vendors.”

Bigfoot Rendezvous will feature several speakers. One of the speakers is Idaho State University professor Dr. Jeff Meldrum, who is considered a world renowned expert on Bigfoot.

“Dr. Meldrum is going to be speaking on Friday and Saturday,” said Tennant. “We’ve got other speakers from Washington and Oregon.”

Another group that will be making an appearance at the event are YouTubers Squatch America. They travel around the country investigating Bigfoot stories and sites.

“(Another speaker) is Marc Myrsell who is an investigative reporter who does deep dives into classic Bigfoot stories,” Tennant said.

Tennant said Pocatello is a place with a lot of Bigfoot enthusiasts. They are not the biggest Bigfoot area, but there are some historical Bigfoot sightings in the region.

“There are historical Bigfoot sightings going back to 1908,” he said. “We don’t get the huge crowds they get in the Northwest or Ohio or Texas, but there’s a lot of Bigfoot enthusiasts.”

Tennant’s favorite part about Bigfoot Rendezvous is hearing the different stories people have about encounters with Bigfoot. He said he especially enjoys when someone who is skeptical about Bigfoot shares a story.

“A lot of people have stories that they don’t want to admit,” he said. “It’s great storytelling. It’s like living in a comic book.”

More information and tickets can be found online at sasquatchprints.com .