For decades, people have been trying to prove the existence of Bigfoot.

This weekend, the search comes to North Carolina.

Investigators are in the state from around the country and are preparing for a conference about the search for Bigfoot.

“It is an unidentified creature, as of yet, that lives in the nature,” said Donna Strickland, who is co-sponsoring the conference.

On Saturday, researchers will speak to the community for hours providing any evidence and updates they have on the existence of Bigfoot.

Arla Collett-Williams said she first saw the creature as a child.

“When I was 6, I was at my grandmother’s, I was playing in the dirt with some sticks and things, and I heard somebody walk up,” she said. “I looked up, I thought it was my grandmother. I looked up and it was a young male Bigfoot.”

Collett-Williams said she can’t count the number of times she’s had an encounter with Bigfoot.

However, many people doubt Bigfoot exists — because they haven’t seen one.

“That’s more than likely because they (Bigfoot) didn’t want you to see them,” she said. “They’re there, whether you see them or not.”

On Saturday, investigators plan to prove they are out there. While Strickland believes they are real, she’s fine with believing from a distance.

“I’m just gon’ say, I hope I don’t find Bigfoot and I hope that the people who genuinely want to find Bigfoot, will and have,” she said.

Saturday’s conference will be in Sanford at the Lee County Co-op Extension at 2420 Tramway Road and begins at 1 p.m.

For tickets and more information, go to www.environmentalee.org/tarheel-bigfoot