Bigfoot stands guard over Lower North Kato, to the delight of many

Feb. 10—NORTH MANKATO — People driving or walking west on Webster Avenue toward Lake Street in North Mankato, who happen to look up the bluff under the big power lines, get a glimpse of Bigfoot atop the bluff.

"I see little kids or families walking or biking and they wave at it and smile," said Carly Hopper, who with husband Joel owns the house atop the bluff and installed the 6-foot metal Bigfoot cutout last summer.

The Sasquatch is gaining notoriety as more people find it. "My girls always love 'searching' for it as we drive past," said one post on a Lower North Mankato Facebook group discussing it.

"I love that North has Godzilla and Bigfoot," said another post, referring to the metal Godzilla statue at the base of the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Another said there is a backstory to Bigfoot:

"It's Bigfoot and it roams around in Upper North. A very brave citizen brigade of men and women have kept it out of Lower North for well over a century."

Hopper said that when she's driven to a friend's cabin in northern Minnesota she's enjoyed seeing Bigfoot statues tucked away in the woods along the way.

Remer, in the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota, is the self-proclaimed "Home of Bigfoot."

There are numerous bigfoot cutouts around town and the community celebrates Bigfoot Days every July.

The area around Forest Lake and Hugo have long had several Bigfoot cutouts along the edge of the pines and birches that line the roads as well as along Interstate 35.

Hopper, who coordinates the fitness and wellness programs at MSU and owns Sun Moon Yoga, said she's always been a huge fan of the big guy. She has Bigfoot knick-knacks and clothing, including a T-Shirt that reads, "Bigfoot Doesn't Believe in You Either."

"Ever since I was a kid I loved Bigfoot, watching Harry and the Hendersons and stuff."

She and Joel, who works at Taylor Corp., moved into the house in 2017. "The big power lines are so ugly in the winter. I said we have to put something out there."

Hopper found the Bigfoot at the downtown Hy-Vee last summer. "I told my husband, there's our Bigfoot. It's Daryl."

She said the name came from the Progressive Insurance Co. TV commercial a while back where "Flo" was sitting on a log in the woods talking to a Sasquatch about the benefits of insurance.

"She calls him Bigfoot and he looks confused and says, Bigfoot? My name is Daryl," Hopper said.

She says Daryl is part of the family now. "Who knows, the family might grow this summer if I find another one.

"If I do I'll maybe call him Harry."