Today brought several “Bigfoot” sightings in LaPorte, and plenty of pictures to prove it.

The monster truck known as Bigfoot pulled into the LaPorte County Fairgrounds as part of an off-road truck and tractor event taking place there this weekend called R-P-M Fest.

“It’s just a lot of fun,” said Bigfoot Vice President Jim Kramer. “Kids like to get their pictures taken in the tires, it’s very unique.”

Kramer says that Bigfoot’s cab stands 15-feet above the ground and when it travels on the road the driver has to go around traffic lights because Bigfoot won’t fit underneath them.

Where Bigfoot and his buddies go, large crowds tend to follow, and tourism industry officials from LaPorte County certainly hope that happens here.

“Even conservative estimates on attendance numbers for this event could double or triple the population of the City of LaPorte for this weekend, so that’s pretty amazing,” said Jason Miller with the LaPorte County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

“We have a lot of people filling up the campgrounds, and a lot of folks filling up the hotels and eating at our restaurants and things like that so, we couldn’t ask for more,” said Miller.

Jim Sherman and his family came all the way from Hastings, Michigan to attend the event. “We heard about it or saw it in a magazine, I think and got online and looked it over on the internet and it looked like something we wanted to do,” said Sherman.
While in town, Sherman is holing up at the Holiday Inn Express.

Melissa Perkins and her husband are from LaPorte. Today they brought five children to the event. “All the kids have been excited they’ve been waiting a whole month to come out so they’re really excited about coming, they were up early this morning waiting to go,” said Melissa Perkins.

Today’s activities also included mud racing and bog racing. This evening’s schedule called for dirt bike stunts and a monster truck show.

Those who got tired of watching all the action—had another option. For a price, they could take a ride on a monster truck.

R.P.M. Fest fits in with LaPorte County’s attempts to attract more sporting-type events to town to bolster the tourism industry.

There is also a new boat race coming to Michigan City in August.