My Bigfoot story

OK, I admit it: Bigfoot played no direct role in Eureka Springs history.

I’m featuring Bigfoot in my book anyway, partly because so many people in this area have Bigfoot stories, but mainly because it’s the fun thing to do.

Who else could I interview about the elusive Skunk Ape, other than artist Stephen Feilbach? Stephen carved the Bigfoot-on-a-bench sculpture that graces Lake Leatherwood City Park. It’s one of the city’s most popular selfie spots.

Stephen arrived in Eureka Springs planning to stay a month.

“I was going to take off and go travel around some more,” he told me. “And one job turned into another little project, turned into another project, turned into another project, and I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll just hang out.’”

He’s been hanging out for 8 years now. In Eureka Springs, he has perfected his craft, with his whimsical creations now gracing theme parks, hiking trails, and more both near and far.

I talked with Stephen about what got him started carving Bigfoot, and how the sculpture landed at the park. (It wasn’t without hiccups.)

A confession: a good chunk of my chapter about Bigfoot will really be about Stephen. But don’t worry, I’ll throw in a Bigfoot story, too.