Round Rock Officials Reveal The Truth (Sort Of) On Local Bigfoot 'Sightings'

ROUND ROCK, TX — Sorry to disappoint you believers. The truth as it relates to Bigfoot is out there, but it's probably not in Round Rock.

For weeks now, Round Rock Parks & Recreation officials have hinted that Bigfoot might be lurking in Old Settlers Park. It's actually been more than hinting, with video released of the elusive creature with inferences the footage was taken in Round Rock.

Photos of footprints also have been released to the public, purporting to provide evidence of the creature's existence in Round Rock. Bigfoot crossing signs have been erected too.

But really, the whole Bigfoot sighting thing is part of a creative campaign meant to promote Old Settlers Park. What's more, a Bigfoot-themed community event is scheduled this weekend adjacent to the park as an effort to encourage families to visit the bucolic landscape.

Mary Zambrano, marketing and events coordinator for the city's parks & rec department, said the campaign was originally scheduled to last several months, but interest and intrigue has risen to such levels as to spark the an upcoming community event and big reveal.

It's worth noting that we at Patch kinda knew all along that this was some sort of marketing campaign rather than an alert to bona fide Bigfoot sightings. After all, Round Rock officials have a knack for rolling out creatively engaging marketing campaigns.

Recently, the city won several awards affirming their inventive takes on promotion and city marketing. Their "Lost Teddy" Facebook initiative reuniting a little girl with her lost stuffed animal earned accolades. And its "Purr-fect Budget" PSA—an effort to make apprise residents of mundane city budget issues by conflating the topic with the excitement of YouTube cat videos—also earned recognition. City officials even came up with a CATS acronym as part of that communique—Computer-Aided Tax Simulator—for good measure in justifying the feline inclusion.

We're not kidding about the latter. They actually went there fur real:

We mention our own skepticism over purported Bigfoot sightings not for self-aggrandizement, but as counterpoint to some who actually believed that the elusive woodlands creature was residing amid the local natural landscape.

Patch reader Ron O'Neal contacted us to point out that an earlier video purporting to be of a Bigfoot in Round Rock was actually footage taken in Russia.

"I read your article about the Bigfoot prints in the Round Rock area," O'Neal began his email earnestly enough. "I wanted to point out that the video clip that was posted in the article purportedly came from Russia in 2015. I’m not sure why the Round Rock Parks commission would publish a video clip without checking the origin."

Well, because it's just a civic promotion as we now know. Patch confronted Zambrano with this Russia-originated evidence, and she didn't deny the charge although seemed rather amused over the telephone.

"The original is very clear and shows a large, agile non-human animal running through the woods," O'Neal continues, explaining the finer points of the original video. "It starts off in quadrupedal motion, and then moves to bipedal. The arms are enormous."

O'Neal helpfully sent a link to the original footage, a snippet from which was used by Round Rock officials as part of their Bigfoot-themed outdoors campaign:

With palpable seriousness, O'Neal wasn't finished explaining things: "It would be quite a surprise to find evidence of Bigfoot inhabiting the Round Rock area, although it’s possible," he wrote. "Interestingly, we have a local road called “Hairy Man Road” in a densely wooded area near the creek, so maybe at one time. Most of the Texas Bigfoot activity occurs in the northeastern part of the state."

As proof, he provided another link to some 220 documented sightings in Texas. It can be accessed by clicking here.

But during a telephone interview on Monday, Zambrano acknowledged their own take on Bigfoot was seen more as a vehicle for promotion. It's meant to encourage families to visit the great outdoors found in their backyards, to get kids away from the focus of their cell phones and gadgets, as a chance to take pictures with family members searching for Bigfoot albeit with tongue firmly in cheek.

And so this coming Saturday, residents are invited to the Dell Diamond parking lot, accessible from Highway 79 off Old Settlers Park, to revel in all things Bigfoot. Event sponsor Georgetown Shirt Co. has produced T-shirts commemorating the event to be given away to the first 400 attendees, Zambrano said. Vendors will provide refreshments, she added. A life-sized cardboard cutout of Bigfoot donated by Precision Camera of Austin will be on hand for people to pose with it and post on social media, Zambrano also mentioned.

They're calling it "Expedition Find Bigfoot" and it's scheduled from 7 p.m. to about 11 p.m. or so. The movie at the park selection for the evening is "Harry and the Hendersons," a 1987 film centered on a family adopting one of the creatures starring John Lithgow in a role that, while not necessarily Oscar-worthy, is part of what is now something of a cult classic given its campy appeal.

The inadvertent parody feel of the movie didn't stop Lithgow from exercising some of his considerable acting chops, as illustrated by this bit of emoting when the family realizes with the power of epiphany that the woodlands creature would be better off in the wild than in a domestic household.

All these years later, that scene still brings a tear to the eye. Or at least a lump in the throat:

In announcing the upcoming community event, Round Rock officials produced yet another video. For our money, it's actually as funny (or more so) than "Harry and the Hendersons." Two sweet older ladies are seen on a hike interrupted by a Bigfoot traversing their path.

"We were just walking on the trail like we do every single morning, and all of a sudden this thing ran out in front of us, one of the ladies says on the video. "It looked like Bigfoot! I mean, we had heard that Bigfoot was right here in Round Rock, but now we've seen him! Can you believe it?!?! We've seen him!"

The video offers Lithgow-like, over-the-top acting, pretty decent production values and stirring, spooky music. Judge for yourself:

But Zambrano made a point to note that in no way does the local Bigfoot-themed campaign mock those who believe in the creature. In fact, authorities on the subject will also be on hand, having reached out to the city to offer a presentation about their work.

"They actually reached out to us to help," Zambrano said of the actual Bigfoot hunters. "They will be doing a presentation prior to the movie demonstrating their equipment—sonar, night vision goggles, footprint demonstrations—in searching for Bigfoot. This is their job, and when they heard about what we were doing, they weren't upset by it or thought we were joking about their professions. They knew the point was to get the kids out."

Yet these top men are, indeed, still serious about their work. As part of their demonstration, the Bigfoot hunters will provide a lesson on taking footprint cast imprints for further study in the event anyone comes across them.

Because the truth is out there. But in all likelihood, you won't be finding it in Round Rock. But it'll be fun nonetheless, wouldn't you say?

>>> Image: An imprint supposedly made by a Bigfoot previously released by Round Rock Parks & Recreation officials that we now know wasn't authentic. Sorry.