Exploring the unexplained

A new convention is set to hold its inaugural event in Appleton this May, bringing together researchers and enthusiasts of cryptids, anomalies and the paranormal from around the state and beyond.

The Wisconsin Cryptids, Anomalies, and Paranormal Convention is being organized by the Cryptids, Anomalies and the Paranormal Society (CAPS).
“Cryptids, Anomalies and the Paranormal Society is a research-based group out of Wisconsin,” said Barnaby Jones, founder and lead researcher for CAPS. “We research all aspects of the paranormal — UFOs, Bigfoot, the Beast of Bray Road, Mothman — any kind of creatures that are currently unidentified by modern science.”

“I’ve always been interested in the paranormal, ever since I was young,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in cryptids as well — the undiscovered animals. When I was younger, I always thought that Bigfoot was out in the Pacific Northwest. I never realized that he had been sighted in all 49 states aside from Hawaii. Myself and my mom got a chance to go up to the Hyden Adventure in Upper Michigan and we met Craig and Barb Saulk, who ran that and had a Bigfoot potentially caught on a trail camera up there… When we went up there and met with them, we got to learn all about this stuff and eventually we started researching up there and investigating on the property.”

From there, Jones found his research leading him back to Wisconsin.

“That led us down to southern Wisconsin, to Burlington and this really weird woods down there that seem to have everything from Bigfoot to UFOs to Shemonic burial sites and the paranormal,” he said. “The first time that we ever went down there, there was something that came through the woods. We were parked in the parking lot and it came through the woods and as I shined my light along the edge of the trees, it was pulling down a branch and peering out at us. When the light hit it, it released the branch and the branch shot up as it ducked back into the woods. I have no idea what the thing was that did that because a deer doesn’t do that, a bear doesn’t do that and there wasn’t a person or anything in there.”

It was that experience that ultimately led Jones to form CAPS.

“We got some people together and about two weeks later, we went back down to that same location and we saw humanoid footprints in the ground where it was. We went into the woods and we heard whistles back and forth across the marsh — like two creatures communicating with each other — and then the one on the far side ripped a huge tree branch off of a tree. Then we were growled at by something in the woods that same day. We went back into the woods that night and were actually able to capture what I believe was two of these creatures on a thermal imager. [That night] launched the Cryptids, Anomalies and the Paranormal Society and ever since then, we’ve gone back down to Burlington several times and we’ve been all over the state and all over the U.S.”

And with other conventions in the Midwest shutting down, Jones said the time was finally right for CAPS to host a convention of their own.

“We were helping out at Craig and Barb’s convention for a few years after Craig passed away, but it grew too big for the local area up there. And then it was the last year of MI Paracon in Sault St. Marie, and that was a huge convention that brought together the paranormal and Bigfoot and all that stuff,” he said. “There was this massive gap in conventions in the area and we’ve been talking about doing this one with our team for quite a while. We decided this was the year that we were going to finally move forward and launch this and bring it to the state of Wisconsin.”

The Wisconsin Cryptids, Anomalies and Paranormal Convention will take place May 9-11 in Appleton, featuring a wide variety of activities for attendees to enjoy, whether they’re researchers themselves or interested in learning more.
The festivities kick off Friday, May 9, with a dinner and Bigfoot expedition taking place in Oconto County.

Saturday, May 10, will be the main event featuring over 30 vendors with a wide array of cryptid, paranormal and UFO merchandise such as art, t-shirts, stuffed creatures, 3D-printed items, documentaries and equipment.

Throughout the day, attendees will hear from a lineup of guest speakers including Jones, Keg Gurske, Barbara and Rick Post, Scot and Hanna Violette, Miranda Young, Stacy Brown Jr. and Chad Lewis.

The premiere of a brand-new documentary, Bigfoot in Wisconsin, will also take place on Saturday, presented by the Cryptids, Anomalies and the Paranormal Society.

“I have been working really hard on the documentary this year and we’re really looking forward to focusing on and promoting Bigfoot in Wisconsin because there have been very few professional documentaries or television series that have showcased Bigfoot from Wisconsin,” Jones said. “There are so many sightings, reports and witnesses that are going on right here in our home state and I want to showcase some of the research that people in the state are working on… It’s about an hour and a half long and it really does a good job of showcasing everything from the researchers looking for [Bigfoot] and their personal lives as well — how people in the researchers’ families perceive them… It showcases everything from the personal level all the way up to evidence of these creatures — thermal imaging, footprints, audio.”

Rounding out the convention’s offerings are two rounds of paranormal investigations on Sunday at Beansnappers in Mackville — a historical location dating back to 1877 with a rich haunted history which was recently featured on the television series My Haunted Hometown.

For those planning on attending the convention, Jones recommends purchasing tickets early as interest in the event has been high.

“We were hoping for a big turnout for the event and we’ve gotten well over a thousand people interested on our Facebook event page,” he said. “Seating is going to be limited for the event, so if anybody is looking to come and sit down at the convention, I would definitely buy a pre-sale ticket. You save ten dollars and you’re guaranteed admission to the event if we sell out… We do have plans for our convention next year at a much larger location with more room, so we’re looking forward to expanding and creating a much bigger event in the years to come.”

Learn more about the Wisconsin Cryptids, Anomalies and Paranormal Convention and find tickets at wisconsincaps.com.