In June 1947 — a month before the legendary Roswell crash — pilot Kenneth Arnold claimed that he saw a fleet of silvery objects traveling at supersonic speed near Mount Rainier, southeast of Seattle. An article about the sighting in the East Oregonian coined the term “flying saucers” and triggered a surge of UFO reports across the country.
Three years later, Evelyn and Paul Trent of McMinnville snapped what are widely considered to be the first photos of a UFO in the United States. The photos caused a firestorm when they were published in newspapers worldwide — to this day, they are considered some of the most credible UFO photos ever taken.
Founded in 1999, the McMenamins UFO Festival began as a way to honor the famous 1950 Trent sighting and has evolved into an epic celebration of all things extraterrestrial.
The family-friendly UFO Festival includes two days of special events, including live music, expert speaker panels, a pet alien costume contest and more. Past events have included:
A Costume Contest where Earthbound aliens can wow the judges;
A glow-in-the-dark light Landing Party with live music;
A Vendor Fair held by Mcminnville Downtown Association
The festival’s epic Costume Ball, where hundreds of humans dance the night away in out-of-this-world, alien-themed costumes.
A UFO Costume Parade that careens and cartwheels through town.
According to mcmenamins.com; travelportland.com. Source of photo: internet
