POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — On Saturday, Main Street was packed with eager Mothman fans, vendors and more.

According to Jeff Wamsley, Mothman Festival director, the Eighth Annual Mothman Festival drew perhaps the largest crowd that the festival has seen since its start.

“It seems like there were more people this year. The festival keeps increasing each year,” Wamsley said.

He added that the weather was great, which enabled more visitors to attend the event.

“The festival has been excellent. Every thing went very smooth,” Wamsley said.

This year’s festival featured a variety of vendors as well as activities and entertainment. Guest speakers spoke on a variety of paranormal topics at the Historic State Theater on Saturday and Sunday of the festival. In the past, speakers have presented at the Point Pleasant Riverfront Park, but bands performed at the park this year.

The guest speaker line-up included Chad Lambert, Mothman comic writer; Tonya Keyser, Ghost Divas; Susan Sheppard, author and ghost expert; James Willis, author, Weird Ohio; Rosemary Ellen Guiley, world known author; Sue Waitek, MUFON Director Virginia; Travis Shortt, Dark Wings Documentary; Andy Colvin, Mothman’s Photographer; Jason Gowan, Paranormal Research Group; and Jason Clyburn, Prodigy Group Paranormal. Ghostly Talk Radio of Detroit, Mich., which has been a staple of the festival for the past few years, hosted the guest speaker forum.

Several festival-goers also gathered at the riverfront for performances by 12 Gauge, 40 Pound Snapper and the Mothman Band. The Turtleman was on hand both Saturday and Sunday as well to display his 40 pound snapping turtles, which he handles with his bare hands. The Mothman costume contest also was an exciting event as it drew several “wannabe Mothmans.” Hay rides this year also were very popular and sold out quickly.

The Second Annual Mothman Pageant was declared a success as well with a total of nine royalty being crowned, and 19 year-old Meghann Hesson of Point Pleasant was named the 2009 Miss Mothman Festival Queen. Delyssa Huffman, pageant director, described this year’s pageant as a very big event, with a total of 79 contestants.

Many festival attendees make the Mothman Festival an annual event. Johnna Goble, 12, along with her friends Alison Scott, 12 and Brayden Muncy, 10, have traveled from Kentucky each year to attend the festival. They all described the event as something they anticipate each year.

“I like going to the Mothman Museum and watching the old videos best,” Goble said of the festival.

In addition, the infamous Mothman Pancakes made their third return to this year’s festival, and even held the very first Mothman Pancake eating contest. All proceeds from pancake sales went to the Fisher House, which provides military families with a “home away from home” while their loved ones are recuperating at veteran’s hospitals.

According to Wamsley, the 2010 Mothman Festival will be even bigger with hopefully more entertainment and events, such as a Mothman 5k Run/Walk.