Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival and Other Events

The Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival is a free festival held each August in McArthur, near our cabin, with Bigfoot talks, a howling contest and night hikes. It's part of a busy August, along with Hippie Fest, the Hocking Hills Medieval Festival and two craft shows. The year opens with the Winter Hike in January.

Dates change every year, so check each event's page before you book. The dates below are for 2026 unless we say otherwise.

Hocking Hills events by month

The Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival

The festival ran Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15, in 2026 at the Vinton County Fairgrounds in McArthur. Admission is free, and parking is $10 a vehicle per day, however many people you fit in the car.

Gates open at 11 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday. Expect Bigfoot speakers and podcasters, a Squatch Howling Contest, a Bigfoot Beard Competition and a thermal drone demonstration after dark. Night hikes run off site on both evenings and need to be booked ahead.

The 2025 festival was the fourth. If you're staying with us, the fairgrounds are a short drive, so it's the easiest event of the summer to fit around a park day.

More August weekends

August is the busiest festival month. If your trip lines up with one of these weekends, book early.

Hippie Fest ran August 8 and 9 in Logan, with live music, a vintage hippie car show, tie-dye, a giant bubble garden and vendor booths. Tickets were $25 to $40 and had to be bought online ahead of time, because of crowd and parking limits.

The Hocking Hills Medieval Festival took over the Hocking County Fairgrounds in Logan on August 29 and 30. Admission was $10 for early tickets or $15 at the door, with parking included. Costumes are encouraged, and the program has run to armored combat and Viking folk singing.

The same Saturday, The Summer Hocking Hills Craft Show held its sixth year on a hilltop in Logan, with $5 admission.

Spring and early summer

The Logan Washboard Arts and Music Festival fills Main and Market streets in downtown Logan each June, and in 2026 it started June 4. It's free and celebrates Logan's Columbus Washboard Company, described as the last washboard maker in the country. Expect music, a car show, crafts, kids' activities and a factory tour.

Lilyfest brings more than 60 artists, live music and garden walks to Bishop Educational Gardens in Rockbridge each July. Admission is free, pets aren't allowed, and the 2027 dates are July 9 to 11.

Fall and winter events

In September, the Hocking Hills Artists and Craftsmen Association holds its free fall show on State Route 664, which in 2026 ran September 26 and 27. Mid-September also brings the three-day Ohio Pawpaw Festival in Nelsonville, with pawpaw beer, a cook-off and an eating contest.

Christmas in Ash Cave is a free lighted walk to the cave. At the end there are refreshments by an open fire, holiday music and an old-fashioned Santa. In 2026 it's December 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. The holiday trains on the Hocking Hills train ride run the same weeks.

The year starts with the Winter Hike, a free 6-mile walk from Old Man's Cave to Ash Cave on a Saturday in January. Our guide to the Hocking Hills winter hike has the details.

Our pick

For a summer trip, plan around the Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival in mid-August. It's free, it's close to our cabin, and it pairs well with a morning at Ash Cave and an evening at the fire pit.

Our place is one of the Hocking Hills family cabins with room for 9, and our guide to things to do in Hocking Hills covers the rest of the year.

Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival FAQs

When is the Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival?

The Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival is held each August at the Vinton County Fairgrounds in McArthur. In 2026 it ran Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15, from noon to 9 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. The 2027 dates aren't posted yet, so check the festival's site in spring.

Is the Bigfoot Festival free?

Admission to the Bigfoot Festival in McArthur is free. The only charge in 2026 was $10 per vehicle per day for parking at the fairgrounds, with no limit on how many people ride in the car. Book night hikes separately ahead of time, and bring a camp chair for the talks at the pavilion on the hill.

When is the Hocking Hills Medieval Festival?

The Hocking Hills Medieval Festival is held in late August at the Hocking County Fairgrounds in Logan. In 2026 it ran August 29 and 30, with early tickets at $10 and $15 at the door, parking included. Costumes are welcome but not required, and the program has included armored combat and Viking folk music.

When is the Hocking Hills craft show?

The Hocking Hills craft show calendar has two big dates. The Summer Hocking Hills Craft Show ran August 29, 2026, on a hilltop in Logan, with $5 admission. The Hocking Hills Artists and Craftsmen Association's fall show is free and ran September 26 and 27, 2026, on State Route 664, a good stop for holiday gifts.

What are the biggest events in Hocking Hills?

The biggest events in Hocking Hills are the Winter Hike in January, the Logan Washboard Festival in June and a run of August festivals: Hippie Fest, the Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival and the Medieval Festival. October weekends, when the fall color peaks, are the busiest stretch of the year, so book early.