UFO Fest: The Aliens are Here (And They are Us.)
The McMenamins hospitality chain found out about an event that happened in the 1950s near McMinnville, about 90 minutes’ drive southwest of Gresham, and created an event to welcome aliens to party with the natives, and highlight the stately Hotel Oregon in the downtown area.
The inspirational incident, according to the site at ufofest.com, occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 1950, when Evelyn Trent, who lived near McMinnville, went outside to tend to her animals and saw an object hovering silently near her farm. She got her husband from the house and the two snapped a few photos of the object.
These photos are said to be some of the most credible images of a UFO to date (although I’m not sure what date that is, as we have had many more photos released in recent years).
Why are ‘UFO’s now called ‘UAP’s?
Although the name of the festival is still UFO Fest, many will note that the appropriate term is now ‘UAP’. The term ‘UAP’ (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) was coined by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2022 with the intention of both reducing the stigma associated with UFOs and to include a wider range of phenomena.
The A in ‘UAP’ can be interpreted as arial, or aquatic, or animal (Bigfoot?), or another “a” word. The DoD claims that it wants to encourage more open reporting and scientific scrutiny around these sightings, and address national security and safety concerns, said the term UAP makes the topic more approachable and less sensationalized.
Now that that’s out of the way, what about the festival itself?
Wandering around the small, quaint city of McMinnville in mid May, the Predator was easily spotted, posing with many folks for photos. Other aliens and many UFOs were seen hovering around, mingling with crowds of typical looking humans. “Star Trek” officers, “Star Wars” Imperial troupers, Jedis, Boba Fett and many more sci-fi representatives were in attendance.
Many spectators attend the parade and festivities for free, but there are guest speaker events scheduled that many folks have gotten tickets for.
The festival runs over two days each May, a Friday and a Saturday, with a big parade through town at noon on Saturday. Alien costume contests for humans and pets are held in the afternoon. Speakers are scheduled over the two days to bring information, wonder, and delight to the attendees. There is also a kickoff party on Thursday and a breakfast on Sunday to bookend the annual festival.
From the website https://ufofest.com: Plans are already in the works for next year. Hotel Oregon room reservations are typically made available the proceeding autumn. In the meantime, take care and keep your eyes on the skies!
Community Editor. Interim News Editor / A&E Editor
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