Legend has it, in 1735 a Pines, NJ resident, Mother Leeds, found herself pregnant with her 13th child, a normal healthy boy. Within minutes after being born the baby started to change, metamorphosing right before the Leeds family’s eyes. The infant grew horns, claws and bat-like wings. The red-eyed beast quickly attacked and killed the mother and much of the family before it broke free from the house heading into the Pine Barrens. In the 18th and 19th centuries local residents said they spotted a big-footed creature in and around the Pine Barrens. The tale spread throughout New Jersey and still lives on today.
On July 9, Fireman Dan’s Sports Bar in Sussex, NJ will be hosting the first ever Festival Of The Big Red Eye. This special outdoor occasion is set to entertain and inform Garden State residents of the Jersey Devil legend. DJ Rob Moorhead, of 103.7 FM WNNJ, will be hosting the show along with Mark and Mark from Weird NJ. Live music, great food, vendors, speakers and special guests will be included. Musical performers are Big Boss Sausage, Mike Lawlor Banned, Pacifists Of Fury, Natural Breakdown, The Dirty Stay Outs, The Brimstones, The Swales, Hog Maw, Joe Serin, Radio Pirates and The Purple Avenger. Documenting the hairy experience will be filmmaker Curt Babcock from 144 Films.
Fireman Dan’s has a newly renovated outdoor upper deck seating and a full service bar with a cedar log trellis for shade and shelter. For the guests who enjoy contests and games, there will be a Big Red Eye lookalike contest, king and queen of the festival contest, and monster mating call competition. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. until 9:45 p.m. At 10:30 p.m. the event will continue inside the bar for guests 21+. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased on bigbosssausage.com.
