Here at PDXtoday headquarters, we used our sophisticated hacking skills to intercept an intergalactic transmission. After deciphering the message, it appears that extraterrestrials of all sorts will be landing their spacecraft Fri., May 19-Sat., May 20 for the 23rd Annual McMinnville UFO Festival.
You may be wondering why humans and aliens converge in wine country every year — other than the out-of-this-world pinot noir, that is. The story traces back to the turn of the millennium when McMenamins purchased the Hotel Oregon property in downtown McMinnville, located about an hour from Portland.
Historian Tim Hill was enlisted to research the building and town’s past and came across a front-page news article from 1950, telling the tale of a UFO sighting by a local farmer named Paul Trent. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this mysterious occurrence, Tim helped organize the first UFO Festival; it’s grown remarkably since then, second in size only to the gathering in Roswell, New Mexico.
Whether you’re a believer or not, you won’t want to miss these cosmic events.