Business & Tech

'BigFoot' Sightings Reported in Salem

BigFoot is coming out of the woods, and he's looking for a little help from locals and tourists as he acclimates to the Witch City.

In recent weeks, there have been several BigFoot sightings on the outskirts of Salem.

"I have been contemplating for years whether or not to come out of the New England woods and show the world that I do in fact exist," BigFoot told Patch in a press release. "I’ve tried to come out before, but every time I did, someone would take a picture of me and it would become a phenomenon, which mostly consisted of people ridiculing me by calling me 'a beast.'"

But one day, BigFoot said he was fortunate enough to meet new friends Patrick Sargent and Brian Cox (), who showed BigFoot around Salem and made him decide the Witch City is the place to be.

Word on the street is he's going to be hitting the town this October, thanks to some help from his friends.

But who is BigFoot and why is he here? Well, this brand of BigFoot is a bit different than the average cryptid that makes a home in heavily wooded areas of the Pacific Northwest.

This BigFoot is green, bigger, on wheels and has a love of good company (and beer). He's also eager to make new friends and sponsor events. Most recently, he helped out as a sponsor at in , which contributed a portion of earnings to the .

So what exactly is BigFoot?

He's a 15-foot tall, 26,000 pound boxtruck (with big eyes and a big grin), and he needs your help.

BigFoot hopes to get involved in even more Salem festivies as he emerges and gets beer taps installed so he's ready for events. He also hopes to grow a new coat (advertisements on his trailer).

First and foremost, he's looking for a sponsor to help him publish "BigFoot's Necessary Nine," a brochure dedicated to helping tourists find all the places that are fun and all the activities that the locals do. The sponsorship will be sold on Ebay in the coming days.

This month, BigFoot will be at the corner of Hawthorne Boulevard and Charter Street during the season to get to know visitors and locals. To learn more about him, visit www.helpbigfoot.com.

The Story Behind BigFoot

Sargent and Cox are the Salem residents and college friends behind BigFoot and Witchtoberfest.

"We thought it would be a cool idea to make it [the truck] into a character with a personality," Sargent said. "BigFoot is this huge beast, a gentle giant."

And, Cox said, the idea that the character was "living alone in the woods in isolation and being exiled and ridiculed" and then made the decision "he's ready to come out" and socialize, was a great way to personalize and create a character fit for sponsorships and advertisement opportunities.

Sargent said he came up with the idea to make the truck into a character and Cox said he sketched the idea before it came to life on the truck.

Bigfoot's story of coming out of the woods and acclimating with Salemites coincides with the Necessary Nine brochure that is designed to give visitors the information they need to have a truly local experience, Sargent explained.

When he's out and about during Haunted Happenings, Sargent said people often ask for suggestions and some "want to be like a local. Those trips [the ones when you're like a local] are the best trips," Sargent said.

Cox said his journey with Sargent organizing Wichtoberfest (which had a successful second year) getting the truck in January and developing the BigFoot character "has been really exciting. We're not afraid to be different and try things," Cox said.

Of the friend's partnership and willingness to try new stuff out, "It's like a tennis match," Sargent said.

"Singles or doubles?" Cox asked.

Most of the time, "it's more doubles," Sargent said.


Salem Patch will publish the Ebay link for the Necessary Nine sponsorship when it goes live. For information on BigFoot check out the website and Facebook page. We'll also keep you up-to-date on his location throughout the month.

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