The Tennessee Wildman & Cryptid Convention was held on Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Milner Recreation Center and by all accounts, from hosts to attendees, it was judged a great success for its first run in McMinnville.

Randy Hutchings, spokesperson for the convention and the event coordinator, states the event went quite well.

“Folks seemed to have a great time and the vendors did quite well from what was shared to us,” he said. 

Over 600 attendees came to the Milner Recreation Center, as well as 48 vendors from all over. Roger Williams, from the podcast Squatchin’ Holler, said the McMinnville show did very well for a first-time event. Williams frequents conventions of the nature in this region, and said his favorite aspect of these conventions is speaking with visitors.

“When an individual shares a story which happened to them they had kept to themselves, you can see the fear and relief on their faces as they relive the encounter,” Williams said, adding there are many people who will not share publicly what happened to them, but he often hears amazing accounts privately that help investigators.

Hutchings said, based on this year’s success, bringing the convention back to McMinnville next year is a distinct possibility.

 “Our speakers actually told us they were concerned about our changing venues, as our original venue was top of the line,” he said. “But upon seeing the venue (in McMinnville) and just how big and accommodating it was for our speakers, several of them said they actually liked the new venue more than our original one at Montgomery Bell State Park’s conference center.”

Dayron Deaton-Owens, from the McMinnville Tourism Development Board, said events like the Cryptid Convention are great boosts to the local economy.

“Conventions in our area have a significant impact on our local economy in numerous ways including, but not limited to, driving up tourism, filling hotel rooms and increasing sales within our restaurants, shops and area attractions,” she said. “Plus, the increase in sales directly impacts our local community by generating more tax money to help offset household taxes. Over time, these events and conventions will further fuel economic growth and broaden our community’s landscape.”