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2017 UFO Festivals Expected To Draw Record Crowds

By Jennifer Deutschmann
Published on: 08:05 PST, May 19, 2017

The UFO Festival in McMinnville, Oregon, began on May 18 and is scheduled to conclude on May 21. Although it is advertised as the country’s “second largest” ailen festival, the event is expected to draw nearly 10,000 attendees to the region. In contrast, July’s Roswell UFO Festival, which remains the largest alien festival in the United States, is expecting more than 50,000.

The McMenamins UFO Festival began as a tribute to a UFO sighting reported by Paul and Evelyn Trent in 1950. As stated on UFOFest.com, the Trents’ sighting remains a point of heated controversy. However, their “flying saucer” photos are “considered by many to be among the most credible and compelling proof for the existence of UFOs that we have.”

According to reports, the UFO was initially spotted by Evelyn Trent on the evening of May 11, 1950. Evelyn said her farm animals and pets did not appear to have any reaction to the UFO. However, she was terribly disturbed by the “large, metallic-looking, disc-shaped object” hovering in the sky above her home.

Evelyn immediately alerted her husband, who took several photos of the object, which reportedly moved “slowly to the west” before gathering speed and disappearing to the northwest.

Although it is impossible to prove exactly what Paul and Evelyn Trent witnessed and photographed, UFO enthusiasts are still compelled by the couple’s story and their photos.

The 18th annual McMenamins UFO Festival, which is being held at the Hotel Oregon, will feature numerous guest speakers, including alien abduction expert and hypnotherapist Yvonne Smith, Starchild Project co-founder Melanie Young, and retired Air Force officer and “UFO experiencer” Robert Hastings.

In addition to the guest speakers, the event will include a 5k run, costume contests, games, live music, movies, a parade, and multiple alien-themed vendors.

Although admission is free, attendees must pay to attend the guest speaker events. VIP passes, which include admission to all guest speaker events, are $75 each. Tickets to see each individual speaker range from $20 to $40.

The annual Roswell UFO Festival, which will begin on June 29 and end on July 2, also began as a tribute to a famous UFO sighting.

In July of1947, a mysterious object fell from the sky and crashed on a desert ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. The wreckage was subsequently collected by military personnel and transported to the Roswell Army Air Field for examination.

Preliminary reports suggesting the object was a “flying saucer,” coupled with the military’s reluctance to disclose the true identity of the object, led to widespread speculation and numerous conspiracy theories.

The military initially stated that the object was a weather balloon. However, 40 years later, they admitted the object was a Project Mogul nuclear test surveillance balloon.

Despite the military’s explanation, conspiracy theorists are convinced that an alien aircraft crashed in the Roswell, New Mexico, desert and the United States government is covering it up. Over the next 70 years, Roswell has become one of the most popular travel destinations for alien and UFO enthusiasts.

Each year, tens of thousands of UFO fans flock to New Mexico for the annual Roswell UFO Festival. In addition to in-depth discussions about the 1947 crash, the festival features alien exhibits, dozens of guest speakers, live music, vendors, and other alien-themed events. In 2017, the festival will have special events and memorabilia to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

The 2017 UFO festivals in McMinnville, Oregon, and Roswell, New Mexico, are expected to draw more than 60,000 attendees combined. In addition to providing a platform for discussing and debating about aliens and UFOs, the festivals have become a vital source of income for McMinnville and Roswell.

[Featured Image by Fer Gregory/Shutterstock]

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