2006 Texas Bigfoot Conference
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on August 22nd, 2006
With great sadness I must make the following announcement. As the result of several circumstances, the 2006 Texas Bigfoot Conference will not take place.
Ironically, the cancellation decision was not the result of declining interest. In five brief years the annual conference grew quickly to become the largest event of its kind, attracting over 500 attendees in 2005. However, the TBRC has been very active on other fronts as well.
This year the TBRC helped organize, in conjunction with the University of Texas at San Antonio’s prestigious Institute of Texan Cultures, the critically acclaimed "Bigfoot in Texas?" exhibit and lecture series, which opened on April 7, 2006. Planning for this major event commenced in February of 2005. The lectures series included presentations in four separate months. Daryl Colyer and I were there to assist with and oversee all of the presentations. Others in the TBRC also put much time and effort into the project. The exhibit closed on July 30, receiving much media attention.
Happily, I also have some wonderful news to share. In an exciting development, the ITC is donating the panels produced for this exhibit to the TBRC. We are working to open a permanent Bigfoot museum in Jefferson, TX, featuring these fantastic resources. Needless to say, this project will take up a good portion of our free time for the foreseeable future.
Because I have simply not had the necessary time required for planning, I have made the decision to cancel rather than produce an event that does not meet my standards for excellence. However, be assured that the TBRC will be back in Jefferson next year for the 2007 event. This will fall on the weekend of October 20, 2007, the 40th anniversary of the Patterson/Gimlin film. Our Texas Bigfoot Museum will be open by that time as well.
I know many people will be disappointed by this turn of events, none more than myself. We will be back next year with an event that will be worth the wait.
Sincerely, Craig Woolheater
Texas Bigfoot Research Center
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
Craig, as you know you and the TBRC were the major source that got interest in my own books growing, a debt I can never fully repay. I know you’re disappointed not to get the conference up this year, but I know, based upon past Texas Bigfoot Conferences, the ’07 conference in conjunction with the Patterson/Gimlin film anniversary will be AMAZING! And congratulations on the new museum. Between yours and Loren’s, it will be nice to see cryptozoological subject matter getting top-quality treatment.
Craig did a great job and should be commended! Another time…
hey craig you did a great job with your texas bigfoot conferances sorry to end like this but you can always do similar projects for tbrc i like have a bigfoot meeting at your museum about bigfoot. wonderful luck bill 🙂
The ITC “Bigfoot in Texas?” exhibit and speaker series accomplished what no conference could. Thousands of people had a chance to examine physical and historical/anthropological evidence and consider arguments, both pro and con, regarding the existence of this species in Texas and elsewhere.
I’d say that was a tremendous trade off for not having a conference in Jefferson this fall.
Good afternoon Craig….
Sorry to hear about the cancellation of this year’s conference…the TBRC San Antonio exhibit appears to have been a rousing success…congratulations to all those who helped make it possible…
Alton…please…pass the salsa…LOL
No Bucks…No bigfoot…
ole bub and the dawgs
I’ll be there in 07, Mr. Woolheater.
Mr. Travers
This is very sad news and I know how important this is to the bigfoot community. But I hope we get to see you there in ’07.
Sometimes you have to take a step back to take a giant leap forward. I commend you for your decision. A half hearted Conference would only due harm to future Conferences. And it sounds like the 07 will be one to not miss.
Why! Why! Why! Oh well. You can bet I’ll be there next year.
Congratulations, sadness, disappointment, joy, and anticipation…all in one message. I look forward to 2007, to the Jefferson Museum, and to remembering the good memories of Texas conferences of the recent past.
Keep up the good work!