75 years ago, the tiny town of McMinnville, Oregon was struck with UFO fever when a local couple spotted a flying disc over their farm, making national news. 50 years later, the fever descended again with the very first UFO Festival. Time warp to today and our 25th annual festival!
This year you’ll find the who’s who of UAP experts in our speaker lineup! Get tickets now for Luis Elizondo, George Knapp & Jeremy Corbell, Dr. Rebecca Charbonneau, Stanley Milford Jr. and Brit Elders. Plus, check the schedule for all the fun: parade, street fair, live music, alien trivia, fun run, pet costume contest, costume ball and more. Join us for a galaxy of fun!
Schedule of Events:
8:30AM - Space Alien Fun Run
Aliens have been sighted in Joe Dancer Park, so get your costumes and running shoes ready. You can choose to blend in with the aliens or be a space warrior for your chance to win the Costume Contest! Finishers earn medals and all participants will be entered into a raffle for prizes!
Costume Contest at 9:45 am. Prizes awarded for best kids costume, individual costume, and group costume (2-5 people and 6+ people).
Route will be approximately 3 miles.
Pets are NOT allowed.
Every participant must sign a City of McMinnville waiver prior to participating. Participants can pick up race bibs, etc. at Race Registration on Saturday morning from 7:45-8:15am at Joe Dancer Park near the skate park.
All ages welcome
$30 resident, $35 non-resident
Joe Dancer Park
8:30am doors, 9:30am start - Luis Elizondo
Universal Truth, the Evidence Is Clear: We Are Not Alone
at the community center
Luis Elizondo, who appeared on The Daily Show last fall, discusses his experiences with the Pentagon’s UFO investigation unit, diving into humanity’s greatest existential questions.
All ages welcome
$43 advance, $48 day of
Location: McMinnville Community Center
10am- 11pm - The Landing Zone
Hotel Oregon Tent + Live Music
Food, beverages, gift shop, Passport stamps & live music
The McMenamins tent serves up food and drinks, plus an outdoor gift shop*, Passport stamps and live music! Don’t miss the Alien Costume Contest and Alien Costume Ball happening right here in the tent!
Gift shop will be open from 10am-5:30pm
Live music
3:30-5:30pm – Tony Smiley
6-8pm – Rhapsody in Red
8:30-11pm: Alien Costume Ball
Location: Hotel Oregon Tent
10am - Kids Adventure Run
Our outer space friends have descended on McMinnville again! Kids will run through Joe Dancer Park, completing outer space missions and receiving alien swag.
Must sign registration form/waiver prior to participating. Adventure Run sign-up and start near the skate park.
Route will be .75 mile route.
All ages welcome
Free; must sign up before participating
Location: Joe Dancer Park
10am - 6pm - Vendor Fair
Vendor Booths & more
Presented by the McMinnville Downtown Association
McMinnville’s downtown streets close to vehicle traffic, so you can shop the out-of-this-world vendors with plenty of fun merchandise and take in the spectacular array of people and aliens wandering this pedestrian zone.
All ages welcome
Downtown McMinnville
12:00 pm - UFO Festival Parade
noon start
All ages welcome
Location: Downtown McMinnville
2pm doors, 3pm start - Dr. Rebecca Charbonneau
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence During the Cold War
at the community center
Dr. Rebecca Charbonneau’s book Mixed Signals: Alien Communication Across the Iron Curtain made the Financial Times list of Best Books of 2024.**
What happens when humanity’s quest to find extraterrestrial intelligence collides with one of the most politically tense periods in history? During the Cold War, scientists from rival superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union – worked together to search for signals from alien civilizations. Despite ideological divides, the looming threat of nuclear Armageddon and the challenges of international collaboration, these researchers pursued a shared dream of cosmic communication.
Dr. Rebecca Charbonneau explores the fascinating intersection of science, politics, and culture in the history of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Drawing from her new book, Mixed Signals: Alien Communication Across the Iron Curtain, Dr. Charbonneau shows how the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War shaped humanity’s search for extraterrestrial life – and how, in turn, that search reflected our hopes and fears as a species in a world on the brink of destruction.
All ages welcome
$28 advance, $33 day of
Location: McMinnville Community Center
2pm start - Alien Costume Contest
Costume Contest in the Hotel Oregon tent
Don your out-of-this-world costume and battle it out to secure your title as the Coolest Alien in the Alpha Quadrant.
Sign-up begins at 10am in the Hotel Oregon tent. Space in the contest is limited; sign up early. Adults and children welcome!
Location: Hotel Oregon Tent
2pm sign-up, 2:30pm contest - Alien Pet Costume Contest
in the Granary District
The cutest and kookiest event of the weekend: dogs donning their extraterrestrial best. (Birds, lizards and all other friendly pets welcome too!)
Join the fun with your best bud in the Granary District, a 5-minute walk from Hotel Oregon.
Location: Granary District
3:00 pm - UFO Trivia
in Mattie's Room
Finally! A reason to know just how many light years it is to the nearest star cluster. It may be trivia, but the fun’s not trivial! Join us with groups of any size or age, and win fun prizes! May the force be with you.
Tickets to this event are not included with the UAP Pass.
3-5pm
All ages welcome
$5
Location: Hotel Oregon
7:00 pm - Speaker Panel and Q&A
Ask the experts your burning UFO, paranormal and alien questions
6pm doors, 7pm start
All ages welcome
$28 advance, $33 day of
Location: McMinnville Community Center
7-10pm - Kirby Swatosh & The Moon Rock Patrol
in Mattie's Room
Live music from spaced out rock band, Kirby Swatosh & the Moon Rock Patrol!
A child of the NASA generation, Swatosh’s catchy pop/rock melodies and clever lyrics introduce a startling original imagination informed by the faith of one whose true musical home might as well be outer space. Despite his affinity for interterrestrial themes, Swatosh’s repertoire also includes down-to-earth pop — grounded by a childhood spent listening to The Beatles, Pink Floyd and James Taylor.
Location: Hotel Oregon
8:30-11pm - Alien Costume Ball
Live music
Come in costume and show off your dance skills, or just come to gawk at the crazy outfits! You won’t believe the lengths to which some of our guests go in fashioning otherworldly ensembles.
Live Music
8:30pm-11pm – My Siamese Twin
All ages welcome
Location: Hotel Oregon Tent
Additional Dates:
