Official:
14th Annual UFO Festival Lands May 17-18 at McMenamins Hotel Oregon
A former administrator of the British Ministry of Defence’s UFO Project, an Area 51 researcher, a multiple-abductee experiencer and an X Files investigator will speak at the 2013 festival
McMINNVILLE, OR: Thursday, May 9, 2013 - McMenamins’ 14th Annual UFO Festival is Friday and Saturday, May 17 & 18, hosted by McMenamins Hotel Oregon (3130 NE Evans St., [503] 472-8427 or [888] 472-8427). Skeptics and believers alike are invited to events happening throughout the weekend – four expert speakers, an alien costume parade, an alien pet costume contest, live bands, a fun run, a specially brewed Alienator Ale and more. The event began as a way to commemorate the 1950 Trent UFO sighting in which two McMinnville citizens witnessed and photographed an unknown craft hovering in the sky, said to be some of the most credible images of UFOs to date. More than 5,000 visitors convened in downtown McMinnville for the 2012 festival and parade.
2013 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Most events are free and all ages are welcome.
Speaker events: $10 per person advance, $15 day of event, available online and at the door (2-day pass also available for $25 per person in advance or $35 day of event)
All events requiring tickets will be held at the McMinnville Community Center (600 NE Evans St.), two blocks from McMenamins Hotel Oregon. Tickets are available in advance at ufofest.com
*** WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013 ***
Pre-Festival Special Event: UFO History Pub
How did the second-largest UFO festival in the United States start in McMinnville? To answer this question, we’ve just added a pre-festival talk by McMenamins Historian Tim Hills at Hotel Oregon at 7 p.m. This presentation will cover the famed story of the local Trent family UFO photos, taken nearby and sparking longtime worldwide interest in phenomena that occurred here. *** FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 ***
McMinnville Downtown Association presents: "Landing Party"
• Vendor booths on Davis (3rd to 4th) and in the US Bank plaza, 3 -8 p.m.
• Alien drumming jam
• Stage and beer garden in the US Bank Plaza
• Dance and art demonstrations
• Jake Blair Band: 7 -9 p.m.
UFO Speaker: Nick Pope, former administrator/investigator of the British Ministry of Defense's UFO Project
Doors at 6 p.m.; event at 7 p.m. • McMinnville Community Center
Come and hear the secrets of the British Government's UFO project from the man who ran it. Dubbed "the real Fox Mulder" by media, Nick Pope will talk about the history of the UK Ministry of Defense's UFO research program, as well as discussing some of the most bizarre cases in the files, with his talk entitled, “The Real Live X-Files.” Pope will also talk about the ongoing program to declassify and release the entire archive of the UK's UFO files. Finally, he'll give an update on recent UFO stories, including the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure in Washington D.C., where he joined numerous other experts in testifying before a group of former congressional representatives.
Pope is a former employee of the UK Ministry of Defense, and had a 21-year government career. He’s now a journalist and broadcaster, recognized as a leading authority on topics such as space, fringe science, defense and intelligence.
McMinnville UFO Festival Video Contest
3 p.m. 'til 7 p.m. • 3rd St. Pizza Co./Moonlight Theater • Loop of all entries
Live music from Kirby Swatosh & The Moon Rocket Patrol • Spaced out rock
7 p.m. • Cellar Bar at Hotel Oregon • 21 & over
Live music from The Outer Space Heaters • Surf space rock
8 p.m. 'til 11 p.m. • Mattie's Room at Hotel Oregon
Movie in the Tent: Mystery Science Theater 3000
8 p.m. doors; 9 p.m. film• Tent on N.E. Evans St. at Hotel Oregon
“Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis” live radio broadcast
7 p.m. ’til 12 midnight • Paragon Room at Hotel Oregon
*** SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013 ***
Vendor Booths
9 a.m. 'til 5 p.m. • Evans St.
10 a.m. 'til 8 p.m. • Davis St. and in the US Bank Plaza
UFO Speakers George Knapp & Jim Sparks
Doors at 9 a.m.; event at 10 a.m. • McMinnville Community Center
Knapp is a two-time Peabody Award winner as well as a 19-time Emmy Award-winning journalist whose reporting on Nevada's infamous Area 51 military base was selected by UPI as Best Individual Achievement by a Reporter (1989).
Jim Sparks, "The Greys: Their Nature and Purpose" (second of two speakers)
Sparks is author of The Keepers, and a lecturer and expert in the abduction phenomena. His abductions began in 1988. Initially an unwilling abductee, his experiences transformed once he began to understand he was encountering intelligent advanced beings from other worlds.
McMinnville UFO Festival Video Contest
Noon • 3rd St. Pizza Co./Moonlight Theater • Single showing of all entries
New This Year: UFO Fun Run
1 p.m. • Meet at Third & Irvine at 12:30 p.m. to participate • Free; all ages welcome
Add athletic shoes to your alien costume this year, and join in this non-competitive UFO Fun Run, which is a .8-mile jaunt around the parade route.
UFO Costume Parade
2 p.m. • Third St.
The UFO Costume Parade is a dazzling highlight of the festival, with characters ranging from Darth Vader to acrobatic aliens marching through the McMinnville streets.
Third Street Dance! Featuring Garcia Birthday Band
Immediately following the parade ’til 5 p.m. • Third St. at Hotel Oregon
After GBB's float wraps their parade appearance, come "dancin’ in the streets" as they park in front of Hotel Oregon for a few more hours of “Grateful jams”!
A performance by Willamette Radio Workshop
3 p.m. • Mattie's Room at Hotel Oregon
Performing "The Cave of Night" by James Gunn, "They're Made out of Meat" by Terry Bisson and "The Anachronic Man – The Original Dr. Who" by H.G. Wells
Alien Pet Costume Contest
4 p.m. at Buchanan-Cellers, 855 NE Fifth St.
Bring your pets, dressed in their alien best—and compete for prizes!
UFO Speaker Linda Moulton Howe
Doors at 4 p.m.; event at 5 p.m. • McMinnville Community Center
In 2009, Howe spoke at our festival to a near sold-out crowd, and we’re pleased to have her back again this year, with the talk, "Gobekli Tepe's 12,000-Year-Old Stone Circles Enigma – Terraformed by E.T.s?" which is based on her travels and investigations into an excavation in Turkey.
Howe is an award-winning documentary producer, writer and director, as well as a reporter and editor for Earthfiles.com. She is currently the X-Files investigative reporter for Premiere Radio Networks' Coast to Coast AM and Dreamland Online.
McMinnville UFO Festival Video Contest
3rd St. Pizza Co./Moonlight Theater
6 p.m.• Showing of all entries
7 p.m. • Awards Ceremony and screening for entrants and their families, with remaining tickets available to the public
Live music to follow the ceremony, admission is free, all ages, public welcome
Live music from Kirby Swatosh & The Moon Rocket Patrol • Spaced-out rock
7 p.m. • Cellar Bar at Hotel Oregon • 21 & over
Alien Costume Ball
Featuring live music from The Strange Tones • Out of this world R&B – Rockabilly
8 p.m. 'til 11 p.m. • Mattie's Room at Hotel Oregon
Dance and compete for prizes based on costumes; use of tin foil, antennae headgear and face paint is encouraged.
*****
ABOUT McMENAMINS HOTEL OREGON
Set in Oregon’s idyllic wine country 40 miles south of Portland, McMenamins’ historic 1905 hotel in McMinnville is the perfect place to uncork and unwind. Cozy guestrooms, a comfortable restaurant and pub, live music on weekends, the legendary Rooftop Bar and more offer visitors from far and wide reasons to relax.
ABOUT McMENAMINS HOTELS, PUBS & BREWERIES
The name “McMenamin” is well known throughout the Pacific Northwest, signifying a great place to enjoy handcrafted ales, wine, spirits and pub fare with family and friends. The dream began more than 20 years ago in the hearts of brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin and continues to spiral upward. With 57 properties (including Hotel Oregon) and counting, the siblings are considered to be pioneers of the Pacific Northwest microbrew, historic hotels and music venue industries. Go to
mcmenamins.com for additional information, photos and more.
