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Bigfoot, Dogman, UFOs, and the paranormal—meet top researchers, hear firsthand experiencer stories, and shop specialty vendors.
What stalks the deep woods? What watches from the dark? What waits beyond what we understand?
Join us, Saturday, August 8th 2026 for a day of Guest Speakers and Experiencers with presentations and firsthand accounts on various cryptid topics ranging from Bigfoot to Dogman to UFOs and more. Meet well-known voices, featured personalities, well-known investigators and authors, and explore unique cryptid merchandise, art, and collectible needs in our expansive two-story vendor hall.
See M.K. Davis, Chester Moore, Tim "Coonbo" Baker, Miguel Ramirez, The Half Inch Wrench Crew, Joseph Ringling, Kenny MoMo, Harley Owens, K.A. Shaffer, David Eller, and more!
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Across the Volunteer State, a myriad of local and regional names stand for Bigfoot-like creatures seen and encountered just outside local townships and communities. From the Flintville Monster to the White Screamer of White Bluff, to "Old Green Eyes" of Lookout Mountain and the Screaming Jacks of the Cumberland Plateau - reports of hairy Wildmen have remained consistent across the ages.
Join us Saturday, August 8th, 2026 for the return of Tennessee Wildman Con —Middle Tennessee’s premier gathering for Bigfoot, cryptid, and paranormal enthusiasts. Hear firsthand accounts from experiencers and researchers, dive into presentations covering Bigfoot, Dogman, UFOs, and other unexplained phenomena, and explore an expansive vendor hall packed with unique cryptid merchandise, art, and collectibles.
Whether you’re a lifelong researcher or simply curious about the unknown, this is your chance to step into the mystery.
Whether captured in the tall tales of the European frontiersmen whom first entered it's remote foothills and hollows or the matter of fact re-tellings of the Indigenous peoples whom once lived here along side them, within Tennessee's wooded, rural deep country, legends not only walk and wail, they leave imprints everywhere - Upon the wild grounds on which they tread and in the lives of those that encounter them, the communities they haunt and the mythic stories and legends they leave echo across the state's history.
From the Smoky Mountains in the east to the karst-ridden Cumberland Mountains of Middle Tennessee, and from the river and lake bottoms of the Tennessee basin to the sprawling floodplains along the Mississippi river at our western edge, the Volunteer State has always held a deep history marked with the mysterious, the extraordinary, the paranormal and the bizarre.
Most infamous of Tennessee's fortean folklores is quite likely the Bell Witch of Adams, Tennessee - But did you know that a 6ft 5inch hair-covered Wildman was tracked, hunted down and captured in Middle Tennessee, near Sparta, in the late 1800's?
Have you ever heard of the "Tennessee Pygmies" purportedly discovered throughout the nineteenth century, with thousands of them seemingly buried en-mass with their remains interned in acres-large slate-box graveyards along the western edge of the Cumberland Mountains? Were you aware that the local indigenous tribes of the region all accepted their existence quite matter of factly and both respected and feared them?
Were you aware that one of America's first reported cryptids, the "Cheeklaceela" described as a 4 foot tall "Dragon", was made by multiple military soldiers serving during the Nickajack Expedition of 1794, a few miles northeast of Cookeville, Tennessee?
Did you know that the region west of Nashville, near Dickson, Burns and White Bluff are legendary for sightings and encounters with the infamous "Werewolf" of Burns/Montgomery Bell? Did you know those legends stem from an encounter two brothers had that was reported in the regional papers of the time, in an area that's now within the state park itself, that purportedly ended in the death of one of the brothers via the attack from a large, hairy man-thing?
The great state of Tennessee has a long and lengthy history with cryptozoology and strange phenomenon. So let's explore some of it with the Researchers, Field Investigators and Experiencers that are out looking for these mysterious phenomenon, shall we?
Guest Speaker : M.K. Davis
Speaking on the subject of Bigfoot and the always contraversal Patterson/Gimlin film!
M.K. Davis is widely regarded as one of the most respected and influential researchers in the modern study of Sasquatch, with more than three decades dedicated to investigating one of the world’s greatest enduring mysteries.
For over 30 years, Davis has pursued the Bigfoot phenomenon with a rare combination of technical expertise, field experience, and relentless curiosity.
His journey into Sasquatch research began in an unexpected place: astrophotography.
Long before becoming known in the cryptid world, Davis developed a deep understanding of photographic science through his work capturing faint celestial objects—an exacting discipline requiring precision, patience, and a trained eye for detail. That background would prove pivotal when he encountered something that changed the trajectory of his life: two exceptionally high-quality frames from the legendary Patterson–Gimlin film.
What Davis saw in those frames was unlike the low-quality reproductions commonly circulated in television specials and theatrical documentaries. The detail, structure, and movement visible in the original imagery sparked an immediate and consuming investigation.
That inquiry would become a decades-long pursuit.
Driven to uncover the truth behind the most famous piece of Bigfoot footage ever captured, Davis traveled extensively across the country, working to obtain the highest-quality available frames from the original film source. Through advanced image analysis and painstaking digital reprocessing, he stabilized the footage, removed camera shake and hand-motion artifacts, and produced what many consider to be the clearest and most technically refined presentation of the Patterson-Gimlin film to date.
But for Davis, the film was never the endpoint.
It was the doorway.
His work with the footage opened larger and more profound questions:
What is the true nature of Sasquatch?
Why does this phenomenon persist across generations and cultures?
And what does its existence mean for humanity’s understanding of the natural world?
Those questions pushed Davis beyond the film and into the field.
Over the years, he has traveled and hiked through some of the most historically significant wilderness areas associated with Sasquatch reports and unexplained phenomena. His fieldwork has taken him from the legendary Bluff Creek region of Northern California—the site of the Patterson-Gimlin encounter—to the remote Jarbidge Wilderness, through the harsh landscapes of Death Valley National Park, the rugged terrain of Joshua Tree National Park, the Texas Hill Country, the deep Louisiana swamps, the Everglades National Park, and countless wilderness corridors in between.
His work has made him a sought-after speaker, analyst, and voice within the Sasquatch research community, respected for his methodical approach and willingness to ask difficult questions where others settle for easy answers.
Outside of his research, Davis has been married to his wife Debbie for 47 years. Together, they have built a family that includes four children, five grandchildren, and their beloved companions, Buddy and Neffi.
After a long and successful career in the chemical industry, Davis now dedicates much of his time to the continued study of unexplained phenomena—bringing decades of technical skill, field experience, and intellectual rigor to the search for answers.
For many in the Bigfoot world, M.K. Davis is more than a researcher.
He is a pioneer in the pursuit of the unknown.
Guest Speaker: Chester Moore
Chester Moore is an award-winning wildlife journalist, conservationist and investigator.
Author of 15 books including the recently released expanded edition of "Bigfoot South: Examining Cryptozoology’s Greatest Mystery in the Southern United States".
He is the host of Dark Outdoors, a podcast that investigates true crime, strange encounters and human-wildlife conflict. He is also host of the YouTube channel-Chester Moore Wildlife Journalist & Investigator.
He has been seen on many wildlife television programs including Animal Planet’s “Animal X”, Nat Geo’s “When Sharks Attack” and various programs on Discovery, The Travel Channel, The Outdoors Channel and Destination America.
He and his wife Lisa are children’s advocates that are founders of the Wild Wishes® program that grants wildlife encounters for children with a critical illness, traumatic loss and other life struggles.
He contributes to dozens of magazines and web platforms, is Editor-In-Chief of Texas Fish & Game magazine and produces weekly content on his blog at highercalling.net.
His favorite place to be is in the woods or on the water, often with a fly rod in hand and usually in the company of family and friends.
Host "Moore Outdoors" Newstalk AM 560 KLVI
Guest Speaker: Darrell Denton "The Tennessee Bigfoot Man"
Speaking on the subject of Bigfoot and other cryptid hominids
Admin of the online Cryptid Community Bigfoot Believers and Other Creatures.
While growing up in Tennessee Mr. Denton had hunted his Grandfathers Cannon County farm all of his life, but in November of 1992 his life would be changed for ever, when while 25 feet up in a Deer Stand Mr. Denton saw a "Monster" in the woods. This first encounter scared Mr. Denton like he’d never known before, and he didn’t go into the woods for many years after. Then approximately 7 years after that encounter, Mr. Denton had his secound encounter while fishing on the Cumberland River with a different type of creature. This Creature was unexpected but not aggressive like the first. Since then Mr. Denton has researched, and experienced and had many encounters and sightings both good and bad with the Forest People, Bigfoot and in the last 5 years, Dogman. Mr. Denton's Research team consist of some of his closest friends, Martin Groves, Barton Nunnelly, and now Mr. Ron Morehead, as well as still researching a certain area with his good friend Billy Howell. After nearly 32 years Mr. Denton has seen and experienced things that he would never have believed could exist in our woods and National and Federal Parks. Mr. Denton knows for a fact, there are MONSTERS in Tennessee.
Guest Speaker: Tim "Coonbo" Baker
Tim Baker, also known as “Coonbo” in the Bigfoot/Sasquatch community has been actively researching Bigfoot, cryptids and other phenomena for over 50 years. Growing up on their family farm in northwest Alabama, he had his first encounter with a “Booger” or “Catamount” (now known as Bigfoot or Sasquatch) before his 3rd birthday and started learning about them from his parents and grandparents at that time. He had his first up-close, full-body sighting at the age of 4 and continues to have interactions with them on their farm to this day. At the age of 12, in 1967, he first called a bigfoot to him using just his voice. He started seriously researching Bigfoot in 1975 but had been researching UFOs and archaeological cover-ups before that.
He attended Auburn University, majoring in Civil Engineering and the University of Alabama, Huntsville, majoring in Electrical Engineering. In 1980, he went to work as a test engineer for a major Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) government contractor in Huntsville, Alabama, doing projects for the Nuclear industry, the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and the Army Missile Command. He held both a Nuclear “Q” as well as Top Secret security clearances for years. He went back to school and earned engineering certifications in six additional specialties, and manned a console in Mission Control during seven Space Shuttle missions and in other facilities during several other missions. He was in Mission Control when the Challenger Disaster occurred.
He has worked hard to apply science, technology, and research to the study of Bigfoot, Cryptids, and other Phenomena.
He worked in RDT&E for 14 years, traveling extensively during that time, learning that most government installations have a population of Bigfoot living there. In the early 80’s while researching sonic weapons, he was the first to discover that Bigfoot can generate and use infrasound and performed pioneering research in that field, often designing and building his own equipment. Later, also found that they use ultrasound. Since 1984, has researched Dogman and closely studied the incidents in LBL. In the early 2000’s, he and another researcher started a long-term project to determine if Bigfoot are related to Nephilim, which led to him being the very first to use a Shofar to successfully call Bigfoot.
Has researched, feet on the ground, in the boonies, in 43 out of 50 states, and several foreign countries. Has spoken in over 100 Blogtalk Radio and YouTube programs about his research, encounters and other related subjects. Mr. Baker knows they exist, and is not trying to prove they exist, but rather, his focus is on teaching others about them.
Guest Speaker : Miguel Ramirez of Sasquatch Theory
Miguel Ramirez is a researcher and outdoorsman from the Ozarks of Central Missouri, where he grew up hunting whitetail deer and spending much of his life immersed in the wilderness. His lifelong connection to the outdoors fostered a deep respect for nature and the remote landscapes of the Ozark region.
Over the years, Miguel experienced a number of unusual events in the woods—encounters he initially attributed to mountain lions, paranormal activity, or unknown individuals moving through isolated areas. However, everything changed after what he believes was a direct encounter with a clan of Sasquatch on his property. That experience propelled him deeper into the mystery surrounding the phenomenon and inspired him to begin documenting unexplained activity throughout the Ozarks and beyond.
Today, Miguel is best known as the creator and host of the popular YouTube channel Sasquatch Theory (130k subscribers), where he shares eyewitness encounters, field investigations, audio recordings, and ongoing research related to the Bigfoot phenomenon. Passionate about both the outdoors and the pursuit of answers, Miguel enjoys connecting with others in the research community and continuing the search for evidence while exploring some of the most remote wilderness areas in America.
Guest Speaker : Adam Whited
Special Guest : Shelby Whited
of The Half Inch Wrench Crew
The Half Inch Wrench Crew is an independent, rapidly growing YouTube channel with over 15,000 subscribers that focuses heavily on Bigfoot hunting, cryptid investigations, and paranormal encounters. While the core dynamic of the crew revolves around family—featuring brothers, Adam Whited and Shelby Whited—their content blends rural outdoor exploration with supernatural investigations in and around the Ozark region of Missourri.
The Half Inch Wrench Crew has quickly become one of the fastest-growing names in the world of Bigfoot, cryptid, and paranormal research. With a dedicated following of more than 15,000 subscribers on YouTube, the crew has earned a reputation for taking viewers deep into some of the most remote and mysterious locations across the Ozarks and beyond.
Led by brothers Adam and Shelby Whited, The Half Inch Wrench Crew combines a passion for the outdoors with a relentless curiosity for the unknown. Their investigations have taken them into dense forests, isolated backroads, and legendary hotspots where reports of Sasquatch, strange creatures, unexplained lights, and paranormal activity have persisted for generations.
Known for their authentic, boots-on-the-ground approach, Adam and Shelby bring viewers along on real-world expeditions, documenting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and exploring some of the most intriguing mysteries hidden within the American wilderness. Their blend of family camaraderie, outdoor adventure, and investigative fieldwork has helped build a loyal audience that continues to grow with every new expedition.
Whether tracking reports of Bigfoot activity, investigating cryptid encounters, or exploring the unexplained, The Half Inch Wrench Crew approaches every case with enthusiasm, determination, and a genuine passion for uncovering the truth.
Guest Speaker: Joseph Ringling the Ozark Hairy Man
Joseph Ringling is a former U.S. Marine, explorer, skipper, scuba diver, bioacoustic audiologist, Guinness World Record holder, and longtime Sasquatch investigator whose passion for exploration and discovery has taken him across some of the most remote regions of the world.
Joseph’s journey into Sasquatch research began while backpacking off-trail through the Ozark Mountains, where he repeatedly encountered unusual primitive structures deep within isolated wilderness areas. These formations—ranging from trail markers and hunting blinds to teepee-like shelters and strange symbolic arrangements—appeared far more primitive than known Native American construction methods and sparked years of investigation into their origins.
Driven by curiosity and a lifelong willingness to confront the unknown head-on, Joseph began documenting these structures across forests throughout North America. His research eventually led him toward the possibility of organized Sasquatch clans inhabiting remote wilderness regions. Since then, he has spent years conducting field investigations, collaborating with researchers across the country, and collecting audio recordings documenting alleged nocturnal Sasquatch activity.
Combining his military background with advanced tactical field equipment and wilderness survival experience, Joseph has pursued close-range observations and encounters in some of the most active reported Sasquatch regions in the United States. Drawing comparisons to his earlier experiences observing large predators while on safari in Kenya and Tanzania, Joseph describes modern Sasquatch investigations as a kind of “American safari” hidden within the forests of North America.
Over the years, Joseph has worked alongside multiple investigation groups and research teams, including the Missouri Bigfoot Patrol, Sasquatch Theory, Half Inch Wrench Crew, independent investigators, and numerous BFRO expeditions throughout the Ozarks and Colorado regions.
Today, Joseph continues to share his experiences, audio research, and field observations with audiences interested in one of North America’s greatest enduring mysteries.
Guest Speaker: Randy Hutchings
Founder and lead-investigator of Fortean TN
Co-founder and Event Director of the Tennessee Wildman Con: A Cryptid Convention 2023-2026
Co-founder and Event Director of the Tennessee Cryptid CampOut 2025 - a four day/four night expedition into a well known Bigfoot hotspot on the Cumberland Plateau, giving Bigfoot enthusiasts a chance to learn on-site boots-on-the-ground research techniques.
As seen in the Hulu docu-series "Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal".
Author of the books, "Bear Mountain Bigfoot: The Case for Sasquatch on the Southern Cumberland Plateau" and "Tennessee Pygmy: Legend or Reality".
A Bigfoot field Investigator for nearly thirty years, Randy Hutchings was born and raised in the shadow of the region of the Appalachians known as the Cumberland Plateau, and as a child found himself often hiking and camping it's many varied gulfs and hollows. It was during such a trip in the nineteen-nineties to a local abandoned quarry that he and his cousin both witnessed having a boulder thrown at them from some distance, all the while whatever was responsible bellowed and yelled like "something between an angry Bull and a Howler Monkey". This began a trek into Cryptozoology that he never really meant to find himself on, becoming a boots-on-the-ground field investigator for several Bigfoot research groups such as the BFRO (Bigfoot Field Research Organization), GCBRO (Gulf Coast Bigfoot Research Organization), SRI (Sasquatch Research Initiative) and several others, before finally founding Fortean TN in 2015 - a field investigative group that researches fringe topics within the state of Tennessee, be it Bigfoot and other Cryptid sightings, Paranormal experiences such as hauntings, UFO/UAP sightings and encounters as well as "forbidden archeology" within the state.
Guest Speaker: Joshua Manning
Co-founder and field-investigator for Fortean TN
Co-founder and Assistant Event Director at the Tennessee Wildman Con : A Cryptid Convention 2023-2026
Co-founder and Assistant Event Director of the Tennessee Cryptid CampOut.
Joshua Manning is a Boston-based filmmaker, live-event producer, and dedicated Bigfoot researcher whose path into the unexplained was permanently altered by an extended and deeply personal Sasquatch encounter while visiting friends on the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee. What began as curiosity quickly evolved into a relentless pursuit of understanding the mystery behind one of North America’s most enduring legends.
With years of experience producing live events throughout New England, Joshua has helped build communities centered around exploration, storytelling, and the unknown. He is the co-founder of the Tennessee Wildman Con and the Tennessee Cryptid CampOut, two rapidly growing events that bring together researchers, experiencers, and enthusiasts from across the country.
Joshua’s approach to Bigfoot research is deeply immersive and holistic—favoring solitude, long wilderness treks, and direct communion with the natural world in pursuit of answers. By stepping away from noise and into the wild, he seeks not only evidence, but a deeper understanding of the environment and intelligence behind the phenomenon.
Guest Speaker - Catman "Gato" Hero
Speaking on the subect of local Bigfoot sightings.
Co-Founder and Field Investigator for Fortean TN
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Catman Hero moved to Tennessee in 1996, where he's resided in McMinnville ever since. Catman's unique name is taken from his involvement with the RLSH community - Real Life Super Heroes, or RLSH for short, is a term coined by the news media for a phenomenon where individuals take on personas partially inspired by the fictional superheroes portrayed in various media - such as in comic books, television shows, and movies - in the real world in an effort to make the world a better place through community advocacy and social networking. Catman has been active in RLSH community outreach for over twenty (20) years, working primarily within Middle Tennessee during that time.
It was during the Summer of 2016 that Catman was initiated into the Cryptozoological world, when he and two other witnesses experienced "something with chocolate brown hair all over it" seemingly engaging in a "peek-a-boo" fashion from between several downed trees. This instance cumulated quickly into Catman witnessing first hand as this creature "spider-crawled" backwards away from him. Ever since, Catman has been steadily involving himself more and more with interviewing experiencers and tracking down eyewitnesses to cryptid occurrances all over the state of Tennessee.
Guest Speaker: Harley Owens
Raised in the rugged Appalachian region of East Tennessee, Harley Owens began as a typical outdoorsman- hunting, fishing, and exploring forested woodlands. But on September 23rd 2020, a startling encounter near Pound, Virginia, shot his worldview: he discovered massive footprints and heard eerie, inhuman vocalizations. This experience was captured in a single shaky photo before his phone died, and spurred a 3 year hiatus from the woods until Thanksgiving 2023, when he mustered the courage to return.
Since reclaiming his path, Harley has fully embraced field research. He’s captured additional evidence- footprints, photos, and audio- documenting multiple encounters with Bigfoot and even Dogmen in the Smoky Mountains. His work is rooted in authenticity and transparency, as he shares firsthand findings without sensationalism but pure truth.
Harley founded Owens Outdoors: Smoky Mountain Cryptids formerly Bigfoot Reports & Data, a community-driven group on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube dedicated to analyzing cryptid sightings and evidence in Appalachia.
He’s a sought after guest on cryptid-focused podcasts such as Strangeology and The Confessionals, as well as YouTube series like Beyond BMR and Bigfoot Society, where he discusses his encounters, field techniques, and his journey from skepticism to active boots on the ground investigations.
Explore our expansive two-story air-conditioned vendor hall featuring specialty cryptid merchandise, handmade artwork, books, collectibles, apparel, and paranormal curiosities from vendors across the region and beyond.
Meet authors, creators, investigators, and community figures throughout the day.
Special Guest: Kenny MoMo
Kenny MoMo is a longtime Bigfoot researcher and forensic-style sketch artist based out of the Kansas City region of Missouri. With more than 25 years dedicated to investigating the Sasquatch phenomenon, Kenny has become well known for combining field research with artistic reconstruction to help bring eyewitness encounters to life.
Specializing in forensic-style Bigfoot illustrations, Kenny works closely with witnesses to recreate detailed visual representations of what they experienced in the field. Through careful interviewing and artistic interpretation, he transforms firsthand descriptions into striking pen-and-paper sketches that capture the unique features, expressions, and characteristics reported by experiencers.
Over the years, Kenny has spoken with numerous eyewitnesses from across the country, documenting a wide variety of sightings and encounter reports while continuing his own boots-on-the-ground investigations throughout the Midwest and beyond. His work provides a fascinating visual perspective into the Sasquatch mystery, helping bridge the gap between eyewitness testimony and tangible representation.
Passionate about both art and cryptid research, Kenny continues to share his illustrations, experiences, and insights with the Bigfoot community while pursuing answers to one of North America’s greatest unsolved mysteries.
Special Guest : K.A. (Kelly) Shaffer
K. A. (Kelly) Shaffer is a paranormal investigator, author, and founder of K2 Paranormal Research, where she leads evidence-based investigations grounded in historical context, environmental awareness, and deep respect for the unseen. Her work is guided by a clear philosophy: the paranormal is not entertainment—it is history that hasn’t finished speaking yet.
She is also the creator of The Haunted Adventure Club, a curated dark tourism experience that brings investigators and enthusiasts into some of the most haunted and historically significant locations in the country. Through immersive, hands-on exploration, Kelly creates space for meaningful engagement with the past—where every investigation is approached with intention, integrity, and accountability.
As the author of The Paranormal Pages series, Kelly blends firsthand investigation with research and reflection, offering readers an honest, grounded perspective on the unexplained. Her work avoids sensationalism, focusing instead on preserving stories, documenting experiences, and honoring the people and events connected to each location.
Kelly is also the founder of Thorn & Flame Apothecary, a spiritually inspired brand centered on intuition, personal empowerment, and reconnecting with inner awareness. Through this work, she encourages others to trust their instincts, strengthen their discernment, and walk their path with confidence.
Known for her direct approach, steady presence, and unwavering integrity, Kelly brings a balanced and authentic voice to both the paranormal and dark tourism communities—bridging research and intuition, curiosity and responsibility.
Whether leading investigations, writing, or speaking, her mission remains constant: to seek truth, honor the past, and create space for thoughtful exploration of the unknown—without fear, and without fiction.
Special Guest: David Eller
David Eller is an award winning artist, an author, a cryptozoologist and a field researcher/adventurer who is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
He has studied bigfoot and other cryptids, mysteries and unexplained phenomena since he was 8 years old, his first investigation of bigfoot type creatures being conducted in 1973 in the area around Murphysboro, Illinois after multiple sightings of the creatures were reported. He was 14 years old at the time. Since then, David has travelled the North American continent and the world conducting his research and seeking answers to various mysteries.
His book, “The Pagoda”, tells the story of his year long investigation of an area in Tennessee now known as a “holy grail of bigfoot sites” due to the many encounters David had there.
A well known speaker, David has appeared on numerous podcasts and radio broadcasts and has been featured as a lecturer at many cryptid themed conferences and conventions. His signature style…honest and informative…has become a favorite by those wanting to learn more about the world of the unexplained. He is now the subject of a documentary that is currently being filmed by a production company based in Illinois.
David is the founder and lead investigator of P.U.R.S.U.E., the Paranormal Unit for the Research and Study of Unexplained Events. This group was designed to be an educated force for the investigation of the mysteries of our world. With an emphasis on travel, he and his partner…Janice Nolan..now move across the U.S. and delve into local reports of monsters and unexplained activities.
They are currently working on a documentary about the many sightings of mystery water beasts on the Georgia coast.David and Janice were married in 2026. Their personal interests and abilities fit together tightly and their experiences and findings mesh together to create a solid research bond. The team of David and Janice Eller are now recognized as a unique and dedicated partnership in the study of mysteries and monsters.
Special Guest - Janice Nolan-Eller
Special Guests: Liam and Xander Pierce of Cryptid Core Co.
Liam Pierce
Liam is a father, entrepreneur, and lifelong investigator of things most people dismiss. He has spent his career building businesses, and his personal life chasing answers about UAP, the paranormal, and the unexplained. As a certified NLP Master Practitioner, he understands how the human mind builds meaning from experience, and how it works to explain away anything that does not fit.
He founded Cryptid Core Co. alongside his son Xander because what they witnessed together could not be explained away, and because Xander has been fascinated by cryptids his entire life. Liam wanted to give him a real platform to pursue what he loves, with someone who takes him seriously walking alongside him. Within Cryptid Core Co., Liam leads the UAP and paranormal side of the work.
Xander Pierce
Xander is 14 years old and has been obsessed with cryptids for as long as he can remember. He reads everything he can find. Sasquatch, Dogman, Mothman, Skunk Ape. He studies the sightings, the witnesses, the patterns, and the histories most people overlook.
He founded Cryptid Core Co. alongside his dad because the work is real, the encounters are real, and he wants to spend his life investigating them. Liam takes him seriously, has the experience to build something professional with him, and is the one who said yes when Xander said this should be a company. Within Cryptid Core Co., Xander serves as the Lead Investigator, leading the cryptozoology and field research side of their work.
• An expansive, fully air-conditioned two-story event hall packed with specialty vendors, artists, authors, and cryptid collectibles
• Meet respected researchers, authors, and well-known personalities throughout the day, with opportunities for autographs and photos
• Purchase a Speaker Pass to hear live presentations by our carefully hand-picked line-up of guest speakers.
• A special Friday Night Meet & Greet event featuring guest personalities in a smaller, more personal setting (limited ticketed event)
• Photo opportunities with our roaming Bigfoot mascot throughout the convention
• Food trucks on-site for easy meal access during the event
• A thriving cryptid community where experiencers, researchers, and enthusiasts gather to share stories, evidence, and ideas
Get involved with one of Tennessee’s fastest-growing cryptid gatherings - With over 1200 total visitors passing through our vendor hall in 2025, we offer direct access to one of the Southeast’s most engaged cryptid and paranormal audiences.
Our expansive two-story vendor hall creates a high-traffic environment ideal for artists, authors, collectors, creators, and specialty retailers.
Kick off the weekend with an exclusive Friday night meet-and-greet featuring guest speakers in an intimate setting. Enjoy extended conversation, photo opportunities, and autograph access before convention day.
Limited tickets available - located in Add Ons in the ticket window.
Milner Recreation Center is centrally located in historic downtown McMinnville, Tennessee—making Tennessee Wildman Con an easy destination from Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville.
The venue itself offers family-friendly amenities including an on-site public playground, the nearby Gilly Pool (available for a separate fee), and direct access to a scenic public walking and biking trail.
Beyond the convention, McMinnville offers a welcoming small-town atmosphere with a beautiful historic downtown district full of locally owned shops, restaurants, and places to unwind after the event.
Looking to extend your stay?
Take off on an afternoon kayaking trip, or just grab a bite to eat, at Smooth Rapids.
Explore Cumberland Caverns—Tennessee’s longest show cave, featuring more than 27 miles of underground passageways and guided tours through one of the region’s most impressive natural wonders.
For paranormal enthusiasts and history lovers, visit Falcon Rest Mansion & Gardens, a historic Victorian manor locally known for its ghost stories, paranormal interest, and rich regional history.
Make a weekend of it and experience everything McMinnville has to offer.
500 Garfield Street, McMinnville, TN, United States, 37110
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