By Charlotte Smith
As the spooky vibes end for Halloween 2023, a bizarre tale unfolded in Bladen County. On the eerie Sunday evening of October 29, while local residents watched the Carolina Panthers secure their first victory, two lifeless sheep were discovered on Highway 242 North near Jones Lake. The timing, coupled with the recent Beast of Bladenboro Festival that drew 10,000 attendees, fueled whispers of the legendary Beast’s return.
As the community grappled with the unsettling discovery, questions arose: Did these sheep fall from a farm truck, or was there a more sinister force at play? The Beast of Bladenboro, notorious for its history of inexplicable animal demise, cast a shadow of mystery over the scene.
Delving into the festival’s history, Shane Todd, a Boost of Boro, Inc. member (the nonprofit behind the festival), recounts the Beast’s origins in the infamous 1953 incidents where it crushed skulls and sucked the blood of dogs and goats. Locals described the creature as a four 1/2-foot hybrid of a cat and a dog with vampire-like teeth, believed to dwell in the swamp.
The Beast’s legend sparked a frenzy in 1954, prompting a town-wide hunt with Mayor Fussell and Roy Forbes, Chief of Police, leading the charge. To quell the influx of hunters, a staged scene involving a large cat hung on a flag pole declared the Beast’s demise, though suspicions of its survival lingered.
About 17 years ago, the late Hiram Hester, a local business owner, took the history of the Beast of Bladenboro and created an opportunity to help the town’s economy by organizing the Beast of Bladenboro, North Carolina Festival. Hester’s idea has paid off for the small town in Bladen County, North Carolina, and stories of the Beast continue to be the talk of the town.
Todd asserts his belief in the Beast’s continued existence. Recent reports of animals meeting their end in Beast of Bladenboro fashion added a contemporary twist to the legend, leaving the community intrigued and spooked.
Todd said, “There were people at the festival this weekend stating the Beast could still be around here. One man said the Beast lives near the Cape Fear River.”
Despite the unsettling discovery of the two sheep, the Beast of Bladenboro has transformed into a beloved 6-foot black cat mascot for the thriving North Carolina festival. While the goats’ demise likely stemmed from a farm truck mishap, it has added to the folktale surrounding the Beast of Bladenboro. The community is still abuzz with the success of the 16th Beast of Bladenboro Festival and what the next Beast Fest will bring. Each year, the festival embraces the spirit of the spooky season with a creative and festive twist to the mysterious tale.
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Updated – Beast Fest Number 16 Shatters Records and Sets the Stage for an Exciting Future
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