Mysterious Winged Creature Still Hunted In Small Iowa Town

If you've ever wanted to hunt for mythical winged creatures, Saturday is your lucky day. Paranormal investigators, authors and filmmakers will invade Van Meter this weekend for the fourth annual festival celebrating Iowa's most infamous creature — the Van Meter Visitor. It's a story that has captivated Iowans for more than 100 years, and a festival all you lovers of mystery don't want to miss. It goes like this: Over several weeks in 1903, a group of prominent men reported a seeing a half human, half animal with enormous, smooth bat wings. The fast-moving, smelly creature shot a blinding light out of its horned head. After several run-ins and attempts to kill it, the winged creature descended down the shaft of an old coal mine, never to be seen again.

The story was revived in 2013 when authors Chad Lewis, Noah Voss and Kevin Lee Nelson set out to research the 110-year-old mystery. They published "The Van Meter Visitor: A True and Mysterious Encounter with the Unknown" that same year. It received national and international attention. The book has 3.9 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Nelson will host a guided monster walking tour as part of Saturday's Van Meter Visitor Festival. There will also be paranormal presentations, monster-themed games, drinks and food. Admission is free. The festival is held on the 113th anniversary of the first sighting of the winged beast.