There’s A Jersey Devil Festival Happening In New Jersey And You’ll Absolutely Want To Go

That town is Leeds Point, an unincorporated community in Galloway. Minutes from the charming village of Historic Smithville, Leeds Point is still pretty secluded. Other researchers believe the legend originated in Estellville (Estelle Manor, near Mays Landing).

The story goes something like this... In 1735, Mother Leeds, a Pine Barrens native, gave birth to her 13th child. Some say she was a witch and that the child's father was the devil himself. Born on a stormy night, the baby was anything but human. It killed the midwife and flew off into the woods. For years, it tormented local children and farmers, killing livestock.

Researchers theorize that the story began as an attempt to discredit the Leeds Family by political rivals or local Quakers who did not approve of their non-Quaker religious beliefs. Known as the Leeds Devil until the early 1900s, sightings were occasionally reported. Even Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Joseph claimed to have spotted the winged devil while hunting in 1820. Sightings continued into the 1840s but died down a bit, for a time.

In December of 1925, a Greenwich Township (Gloucester County) farmer shot an unidentified animal as it attempted to steal his chickens, and then photographed the corpse. In 1951, a group of Gibbstown boys claimed to have seen a 'monster' matching the Devil's description. Every now and then, a reputable member of the local community reports a sighting; many of us have stories of our own. In honor of all things spooky, share yours in the comments.

I'll start! I was around 10 or 11, and visiting a friend that had moved from our city into a more rural area of the Garden State. She told me she had heard scratching outside the window and she thought that it might be the Jersey Devil. She also said that animal carcasses were being found en masse throughout her neighborhood. Then, she dared me to go into the woods with her. We heard a rustling and ran so fast! Sure, it probably wasn't the Jersey Devil and maybe she was making up the stories to scare me - but that's part of the fun.

While many of us have been on Jersey Devil hunts, there's another fun way to enjoy the legend - a festival! A two-day event, the celebration starts at 7 p.m. on April 6th with the Jersey Devil Film Festival at The Show Room in downtown Asbury Park! Enjoy short films about the supernatural beast, and come back on April 7th for even more entertainment.

Saturday's festivities start at 1 p.m., are based out of Paranormal Books & Curiosities, and include poster, tattoo, and costume contests, a storytelling contest, live music, and a variety of art and craft vendors. At 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., there will be free Jersey Devil walking tours - they are family friendly but participants must register. At 4:30 p.m., the summoning starts. March with enough spirit and perhaps you'll wake the beast. There will be a reading of the Devil's ancestors, and you can even have your name added to the list!