Derry is planning to make a new home for its resident Bigfoot before the tall creature gets too attached to its setting at the town’s Mossback Park.
The carved-wood rendering celebrates the legendary hairy biped said to frequent nearby Chestnut Ridge. It made its debut in September 2024 as a feature of the annual Derry Railroad Days festival.
If all goes according to plan, the figure will migrate from Mossback across the street to a park planned around it at the corner of Chestnut Street and Second Avenue.
“There would be a central area where the Bigfoot would be located, where pictures can be taken,” said Barbara Phillips, president of Derry Borough Council.
She said the tentative park concept also calls for pathways made of brick pavers, some seating and picnic facilities.
Landscaping would incorporate low-maintenance plants that would not place too much of a demand on the borough’s public works staff, she said.
Phillips said borough officials are awaiting details of a $28,815 grant they received for the park project months after applying for the funding from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“We’ll see if we can update the (park) plan or not,” she said.
Fellow council member and Mayor-elect Nathan Bundy said in a Facebook post that the Bigfoot Hardscape Park can serve as an additional space for community events at Mossback Park or as a stand-alone destination for residents and visitors.
“The statue was never meant to have a permanent home in Mossback Park,” Bundy said. “This new park allows Mossback Park to remain focused on green space, beautification and community gatherings while giving Bigfoot a dedicated location.”
Bundy said construction of the Bigfoot park is expected to begin in the spring, following selection of a contractor, with completion targeted for later next year. He said the grant would be supplemented by borough matching funds and community support — including participation from the nonprofit Friends of Derry.
Phillips said Derry planners had always intended for a Bigfoot statue to be showcased at a separate site. Before the new park could be readied, a local artisan discovered a statue that fit the bill at an auction in New York and was able to acquire it for the borough.
“We were fortunate to get it,” she said of the statue.
Phillips said Derry wants to install bathroom facilities at Mossback. It has applied for funding for that project through Pennsylvania’s local share account, which draws upon a portion of casino revenue.
Derry Borough had its start as a major maintenance stop along the Pennsylvania Railroad between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The annual fall festival is one way the town honors that legacy.
With the loss of some key businesses in recent years, Derry officials have turned to the fascination with Bigfoot as a new strategy for generating interest in their town and attracting more visitors.
