The town had a local cryptid legend, a Kataba - half-man, half-animal - that people swore was real. They held a yearly Kataba Festival. Like many such festivals, it was a way to draw people in to a town that was otherwise slowly dying.
Earnest loved the festival. He wandered the stalls enjoying the sights and sounds, the colorful merchandise. It was a wonderful day where people would say, "Great costume!" instead of fleeing in abject terror.