Creature Feature Friday: The Derry Fairy
There’s something extra unsettling about a creature that shows up when the world feels the merriest—like the middle of a snowy December, during a family trip to cut Christmas trees. That’s exactly when one unique cryptid made its one and only recorded appearance. In the quiet woods of Derry, New Hampshire, a man encountered something small, green, and very much not of this world. Was it a goblin, an alien, or a forest spirit? Check out what we know about our Creature Feature Friday: the Derry Fairy!
1) The Derry Fairy is a small, greenish creature allegedly spotted in Derry, New Hampshire, in 1956, during the height of the Christmas season. Some have labeled it a “fairy,” others say “goblin,” and still others suggest something far more extraterrestrial. But everyone seems to agree on one thing: it was weird. The best-known account comes from a man named Alfred Horne, who was out gathering a Christmas tree with his wife in the snowy woods near Derry. That’s when he saw it — a two-foot-tall figure standing between the pine trees. It had wrinkled, green skin, a domed head, and large, floppy ears. Its eyes were said to be cloudy or covered by a translucent film, like an insect’s.
2) And no, it wasn’t a holiday elf. As Alfred stepped closer, the creature let out a high-pitched screech so loud and unnerving, it sent him running. Not the type to scare easily, Alfred later said the sound “froze him where he stood.” When he regained his senses, the creature had vanished into the woods.
3) Descriptions of the Derry Fairy align strangely well with both folkloric woodland spirits and early alien encounter reports. With its small stature, strange eyes, and wintertime appearance, some theorists wonder if Alfred stumbled upon a kind of Christmas cryptid—a North American cousin of the European kobold or troll. Others argue it was more of a grey alien, due to the domed head and unnatural presence. Folklorists have pointed out that fairy encounters in Celtic and Appalachian lore often involve beings that disorient or paralyze humans, sometimes with sound or glamours. The Derry Fairy’s unearthly shriek might fall right in line with that.
4) Why is it so unknown? Unlike Bigfoot or the Mothman, the Derry Fairy never really got its moment in the cryptid spotlight. Its only known public record was shared decades later in the 1980s through a local historian, and more recently preserved thanks to podcasts and local folklore blogs. Some speculate that the “fairy” was covered up or dismissed because it happened near the holidays and sounded too absurd to be taken seriously. But fans of the strange have kept the tale alive. It’s a perfect blend of Christmas charm and woodland terror.
5) So what was it really? Some theories suggest the creature may have been:
A snowy owl or other animal misidentified in a moment of surprise
An instance of high strangeness or interdimensional encounter
A classic fairy encounter in disguise
A local holiday prank gone too far (though Alfred reportedly swore to his dying day it was real)
Whatever it was, it made an impression. Enough that it earned its own spot in the lore of weird New England. And maybe, just maybe, it’s still out there… waiting for the right December night to show up again in the pines.
The Derry Fairy may not be a household name like Bigfoot or the Jersey Devil, but that only makes its story more haunting. One quiet encounter, buried in the snowdrifts of New England history, still manages to unsettle and intrigue decades later. Was it a woodland spirit? An alien scout? Or just an unlucky prank with incredible timing? We may never know—but if you're ever wandering the pine woods of New Hampshire near the holidays, keep your eyes low and your ears open. You might just hear that unforgettable shriek echo through the trees.
