the Amazing Roswell UFO Festival

June 26, 2007 8:22 AM

LOOK UP! (or down, if you happen to be reading from one of these. The annual "Amazing Roswell UFO Festival" happens this weekend, and it looks like people - er, visitors - are coming from all over! Who knew back in 1947 that this little incident would be the start of an entire sub-culture? Well, for me the fascination started with two of the the greatest UFO movies ever. For my grandparents, it started with one of the greatest radio broadcasts ever. But hey, there's no need to rely on fiction when we have one of the most insanely great UFO videos of all time provided by none other than the Mexican Government! Seen anything strange in the sky yourself lately? If so, you'd better report it here.
posted by janetplanet (18 comments total)

That festival would be fun to go to some day. I bet the people of Roswell are beyond thankful for the "Roswell Incident" and the resulting legions of conspiracy nuts and UFO enthusiasts; otherwise, their town would just be another tiny, forgotten spot in New Mexico.
posted by Sangermaine at 9:00 AM on June 26, 2007

I never saw that Mexican UFO clip before. What was the response to that?
posted by fusinski at 9:04 AM on June 26, 2007

I only watched about 30 seconds of it, but my response would be "What's to explain?" There are a few blobs of light on a piece of videotape.
posted by DU at 9:56 AM on June 26, 2007

I never saw that Mexican UFO clip before. What was the response to that?

The end of this Joe Rogan clip about sums it up.
posted by lumpenprole at 9:58 AM on June 26, 2007

The Mexican UFOs were conclusively found to be flare fires on off-shore oil platforms. There are several sites that show how they give the illusion that they are flying, moving entities, such as this one.

At one point I saw some animation that made things really clear.
posted by ewagoner at 10:01 AM on June 26, 2007

My grandmother lives 40 miles south of Roswell in an even smaller town, so I've poked around a few times over the years. My impression is that they held out for decades as a typical hardscrabble desert community that happened to have a UFO museum out on the edge of town, which locals would direct you to with a grimace. It wasn't until... oh, the TV show era that they officially decided to be Crazy Tourist Town. If you check their tourism site even now, it's 'Yes, okay, aliens - but also... world's largest mozzarella cheese plant! Huh? Huh?'
posted by ormondsacker at 10:59 AM on June 26, 2007

"the Mexican UFOs were conclusively found to be flare fires" - well, I don't think "conclusively" is exactly right. It is one theory. Now, don't get me wrong - I am not saying they were conclusively from outer space either (!) but one would think that a fleet of experienced Air Force pilots could discern flare fires. There are others who dispute the flare fire theory
posted by janetplanet at 11:02 AM on June 26, 2007

There were claims very recently of a UFO over the English Channel.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 11:07 AM on June 26, 2007

While I do believe that we are not alone in the universe, and that makes it not improbable that we will be or have already been visited by alien spacecraft - I have to ask: Why would they put big blinky lights on their spacecraft???? If they're not going to land and say "howdy," then they certainly would make sure their craft didn't glow like a xmas tree. Just sayin.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 11:58 AM on June 26, 2007

Well, I guess the theory could be that the lights are by-products of the ufo propulsion system.
That would make a bit more sense then running lights.
posted by Iax at 12:21 PM on June 26, 2007

There were claims very recently of a UFO over the English Channel.

Neat link, Steven C. Den Beste. Seeing that post the second time really added insight its first sighting it in the actual FPP.
posted by humannaire at 12:38 PM on June 26, 2007

People still believe in UFOs? What is this 1994?

*runs off to wear flannel and watch x-files*
posted by damn dirty ape at 2:15 PM on June 26, 2007

fleet of experienced Air Force pilots could discern flare fires.

Funny how the US military in all its various departments is considered to be largly incompetent by many especially in matters of intelligence except when it comes to UFOs. When roadside bombs and small militias are giving the the worlds greatest fighting force a run for its money its proof of incompetence. If an officer somewhere expresses skepticism of some lights in the sky not being swamp gas its suddenly proof of extreme competence AND alien life.
posted by damn dirty ape at 2:19 PM on June 26, 2007

Could you imagine how this world would react if Aliens were confirmed? We can't even coexist with all of the fear mongering now with War and Religion...imagine if intelligent life from another planet was reality?

I think we would end up reacting HORRIBLY wrong and start an intergalactic war. Or just piss them off so they leave us alone and never come back (cures for diseases, new technology - Buh Bye).

I've always been a huge alien believer, but I feel this world is too ignorant to accept that they might not have the biggest dick in the universe.
posted by PreteFunkEra at 4:27 PM on June 26, 2007

After you get your ya-ya's out at Roswell's UFO museum, I highly recommend you walk down the street and check out the Robert Goddard museum. I've been to many museums, but few have genuinely moved me. The UFO fantasy is fun, but the reality of Goddard's accomplishment is profound.
posted by Tube at 5:22 PM on June 26, 2007

Took me a while to find it, but this page conclusively proves the Mexican UFO video is of oil platform flares in the Gulf of Mexico. The position of the lights in the video matches the positions of the flares exactly.
posted by smoothvirus at 5:43 AM on June 27, 2007

What strikes me as crock is the claim made by the UFO-logist that other governments such as the Mexican and French would sit on evidence and defer to the US to declare that there is solid evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Why would other first-world countries act so gingerly?
posted by Azaadistani at 9:50 AM on June 27, 2007

I've had Roswell Alien beer. It's not very good.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:53 PM on June 27, 2007