The legend of the Fouke Monster has been drawing people to Miller County, Arkansas for over 50 years. This spring, there’s a reason to make the drive that goes beyond a late-night creek walk. The 2nd Annual Boggy Creek Monster Festival runs March 27-29, 2026 at The Dancing Ranch Farm, 490 Miller County 218, just outside Fouke.

This year’s event has grown into a full three-day weekend with a lineup that takes the subject seriously with researchers, filmmakers, podcasters, and authors who have built careers around cryptid investigation, as well as live music, outdoor activities, and activites for the whole family.

Admission is $5 per day. Kids 2 and under are free.

 

 

Friday, March 27 | 10am-10pm

Gates open at 10am. Live music from DJ Catfish and country rap artist Brittany Smith of South Made Records runs all day alongside food trucks, vendors, games, bounce houses, a petting zoo, and hourly giveaways.
The evening is built around the Bonfire Stories speaker series, organized by Lauren A. Smith of Nite Callers Adventures, a Bigfoot researcher and podcast host who has made the Fouke area a serious stop on the cryptid circuit.

Four guests take the stage in succession:

• 4pm: Chris Kitchens, author of Elusive Peace, a creature novel
• 5pm: Chris Grizzly, host of the BigFoot OutLaw Podcast
• 6pm: Joseph Johnson, actor, writer, and Bigfoot Search Team member
• 7pm: Dave Rogers, preacher and field researcher known in the community as SuperDave a.k.a. Sasquatch

At 8pm, the outdoor movie theater screens The Bogman, a new creature feature from Open Heart Productions with the tagline “Legends are sometimes true.” Director Mitch Laing and cast will be on-site for the weekend doing meet and greets.

The Slumber Party Massacre Luncheon podcast, hosted by Rob and Hunter of Rebel Without a Clue Media, will record a live episode from the festival with Laing as special guest.

Also doing meet and greets Friday and Saturday: the cast of Rednecks 4 Hire, the reality TV show from Northeast Louisiana that built a following on the CW and YouTube.

 

Saturday, March 28 | 10am-5pm

Gates open at 10am, and music and festival activities run throughout the day. The afternoon has a full schedule:

• 1pm: Boggy Creek Battle Royale, presented by Hype and Glory Wrestling
• 2pm: P.U.C.E.R. Bigfoot Mold Giveaway
• 2:30pm: Crowning of Miss Boggy Creek 2026
• 2:45pm: Tony Upton Honorable Remembrance
• 3pm: Roy’s Pawnshop Raffle Giveaway
• 3:10pm: Special announcement from Boy Scouts Troop #11, the official Bigfoot Scavenger Hunt tour guides
• 5pm: Festival ends

 

 

Saturday Night After Party | 5pm until | $10 cover

Two live bands close out the night at The Dancing Ranch Farm: From Nothing (heavy metal and rock) and Caleb Wincher (red dirt country).

 

 

Sunday, March 29 | 9-10am

The weekend wraps with a church service on the farm. Pastor Dave Rogers leads, with live acoustic worship from Spencer Young of The Fight (@spenceryoungandthefight).

 

 

Make Texarkana Your Base Camp

Fouke is 25 minutes south of Texarkana on US-71—close enough to make multiple runs out to the festival and back without burning your whole day on the road. That makes Texarkana, Arkansas the natural home base for the weekend, and it’s a better one than you might expect.

The Hampton Inn by Hilton is the official hotel of the Boggy Creek Monster Festival, and it’s a solid anchor for the trip. But the real case for staying in Texarkana is everything else available to you. Before you head south for the first time, eat. Big Jake’s BBQ on the Arkansas side is a genuine Ark-La-Tex institution—the pulled pork earned a nod from Texas Monthly and the atmosphere sets the right tone for a weekend in the bottoms. Naaman’s Championship BBQ brings award-winning slow-smoked brisket and scratch sides. For something different, Pop’s Place offers Cajun specialties, fresh oysters, mesquite-grilled steaks, and live music on weekends.

While you’re in town, spend some time on the Arkansas side of downtown. Texarkana is the city that made the Fouke Monster famous —the original Gazette articles about the 1971 Ford family attack were written here, and the filmmaker who turned the story into a national phenomenon lived here. The history runs through the place. If you miss the festival, you don’t have to miss out on the cryptid fun. Check out our Boggy Creek Monster weekend trip itinerary.

Getting There

The Dancing Ranch Farm is at 490 Miller County 218 in Fouke. Plug 490 CR 218 into Google Maps.

Primitive camping is available on-site for those who want to stay close to the action—tent sites run $10 a night, trailers $15, RVs and 5th wheels $20. No electricity, water, or dumping. Security cameras are on-site and the setting is family friendly.

Festival t-shirts are available for pre-order: $25 for sizes small through XL, $30 for 2X and up. For more information, text 870-330-1155.

The Fouke Monster put this corner of Arkansas on the map. This is the weekend to come see what all the fuss is about.