Albuquerque’s second annual New Mexico Bigfoot Bash took over Craft Republic on Halloween, drawing curious attendees who browsed vendor booths, sat in on speaker presentations and traded theories about the Pacific Northwest’s most famous cryptid. The all-day event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., doubled as a fundraiser for the YMCA of Central New Mexico, with every dollar from ticket sales going toward the organization.
According to KRQE, planned activities included a raffle, themed activities, contests, speaker presentations, vendor booths and a kids zone, offering families plenty to do beyond just debating the existence of Bigfoot. Adult tickets ran $25, while kids 12 and under got in free, as reported by The Paper. The event unfolded at Craft Republic’s address on The Lane near Interstate 25, a venue the outlet noted was joining in on Albuquerque’s wider Halloween weekend lineup.
Attendees heard from speakers on cryptic and unexplained topics throughout the day, shopped a lineup of vendors, and could even step up for a Bigfoot calling contest, testing their best impression of the legendary creature’s supposed vocalizations. KRQE reported that organizers framed the whole day as a chance for people to spark their own curiosity and come to their own conclusions about whether Bigfoot is real.
An Event Built on Curiosity, Not Convincing
Organizer Wendy Deetz told the station that the bash has grown since its debut and that she and her fellow organizers want that growth to continue, describing the event as a safe space where people can discuss Bigfoot openly and share their own encounter stories. Deetz previously told KOAT that she and her husband caught the Bigfoot bug after attending festivals in Washington state, an experience that eventually led them to bring a similar gathering to New Mexico.
The inaugural 2025 bash, the station’s report noted, included presentations, purported Bigfoot evidence, vendor exhibits and a trivia contest, along with a Bigfoot calling contest in which the winner took home a $50 gift certificate to Rio Grande Social Food & Drink. That first-year format laid the groundwork for the expanded 2026 lineup, which The Paper described as featuring expert speaker presentations alongside the raffle, contests and kids zone.
Proceeds Benefit Central New Mexico YMCA
As with the first bash, organizers directed all proceeds to the YMCA of Central New Mexico, a fundraising tie that has carried through both years of the event, the same account noted. The New Mexico Bigfoot Bash website invited what it called lovers of all things cryptid to share their stories, enjoy activities and connect with fellow enthusiasts, a pitch that seemed to capture the spirit of Halloween at Craft Republic this year.
Ahead of the event, organizers had also been courting sponsors at several levels, including a $2,500 Legendary Bigfoot Sponsor tier that came with ten tickets and a vendor booth, among other perks. Whether the fully advertised slate of speakers, vendors and contests went off exactly as planned on Halloween itself wasn’t detailed in available coverage, but the day’s mix of presentations, shopping and cryptid-themed fun kept the Bigfoot Bash’s sasquatch-sized ambitions intact for a second year running.
