Jamestown Gateway Station will open its doors to the paranormal Oct. 13.
Groups and area residents will gather to discuss ghosts, UFOs and Bigfoot during the second annual Jamestown Paranormal Convention. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society.
"I want the community to know we're out here to try to help," said Mike Pollaro of Jamestown Paranormal Investigators, organizers of the event. "The convention is for a good cause. I thought it went really well last year. We had over 1,000 people."
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Author Richard Dolan speaks during the inaugural Paranormal Convention in the Renaissance Center. Dolan will speak again during this year’s convention.
Last year's convention, held at the Renaissance Center, raised $1,300 for American Cancer Society.
Jamestown Paranormal Investigators, made up of Pollaro, Tom Hunter and Jillianne Dolce Higgs, have investigated several local businesses and residences in the past year.
"We're booked up until the middle of November," Pollaro said. "We try to catch voices. We try to catch apparitions and shadows. No matter what you do, people are going to say you doctored this or Photoshopped that. We are scientific. We don't say everything is a haunting. We go in, and we'd rather find out there's not a haunting."
The 2012 Paranormal Convention will feature many more investigative groups, authors and speakers than the inaugural event. Authors will sell and autograph their books, donating a portion of their sales to American Cancer Society. Groups from New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio will chat with attendees.
"Anyone who will be there will be more than willing to answer your questions or look at a photo," Hunter said.
"They're going to show their evidence," added Pollaro. "They're there to help. If somebody comes in with a picture, they can get 15 or 16 different opinions."
The convention will be held in two rooms: one for the speakers and one for guest interaction with the groups, some of whom are new to the Paranormal Convention.
Speakers include Bigfoot researchers Steve Kulls and Eric Altman, Flagship Paranormal, Resident Undead Paranormal, John Crocitto of Beyond Ghosts, and author London Knight.
"She tells the true story of the Amityville Horror - not the Hollywood version," Hunter said of Knight.
UFO author Richard Dolan will speak again this year.
"Everybody loved Richard Dolan," Pollaro said. "You couldn't find a seat when he was speaking."
"It was hard getting him back," added Hunter. "He had to clear his schedule."
The Rev. Tim Shaw, host of a paranormal radio show; the Paranormal Pastor; and radio host Karyn Dolan will also speak.
The convention will include a kids' table featuring face painting this year.
"We saw a lot of kids there last year, but there wasn't much for them to do," Pollaro said. "So, we wanted to change that this year."
Big Pitt's BBQ will sell dinners outside the train station on West Second Street. Admission to the event is $6, but those who buy a dinner will get in for $5. The convention will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Moving the event to Jamestown Gateway Station has Pollaro excited.
"It's a historic building," he said. "Tom and I always said when we were kids, 'Someone should do something with this.' The train station is just awesome."
For more information, find "Jamestown Paranormal Convention" on Facebook.