By Ella Connors
The Town of Crawford will be holding its 13th annual UFO Fair on Main Street Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., inviting alien enthusiasts from across the community to take part in themed activities and events. All attendees are encouraged to cosplay their favorite characters and dress in their best alien-centered costumes. A series of speakers will also present throughout the day.
“Come by to watch or join in with the fantastic Cosplay Characters and extraterrestrials of all shapes and sizes as they take over Main Street in Pine Bush, NY,” the fair’s website reads. “Watch out for unidentified other-worldly beings walking about, surprise visitors, pop-up street performances and photo-opportunities at every turn.”
Lance Hallowell, the director of the Pine Bush Paranormal Museum, said there will be two new events this year as part of efforts to extend the weekend beyond the day of the fair and further spotlight the experience — the Cosmic Drum Circle and Space Prom.
The Cosmic Drum Circle will be headed by United Friends Observer Society, a UFO support group, previously facilitated by Bill Wiand — who helped spearhead the first ever UFO fair in the town — and the Pine Bush Area Arts Council. The drum circle, a “meditative and music event,” according to Hallowell, will be held on Thursday night from 6-9 p.m. at Alice Court.
Taking place on Friday night from 7 to 11 p.m., Space Prom, as Hallowell puts it, is “exactly what it sounds like,” referring to it as a “retro alien formal.” People attending the prom will dress in formal wear and in tuxedos as different extraterrestrial characters.
“It is a fantastic way to bring people who share the same interest together and also to provide family entertainment,” Hallowell said.
The fair first launched with the help of Wiand’s wife Sue and their friends Curtis Johnson and Lynn Inglima who worked to increase community interest in UFOs. They then ended up collaborating with the town to create this annual event, which eventually grew to become a family oriented experience.
Multi demographic and multiage, the fair draws a wide range of people, Hallowell said. The vendors will be alien themed, and a variety of food choices will be offered including cookies, hot dogs and shrimp.
Live music from multiple performance groups will also be featured. Hallowell said Blue Alien Mystic, a rock band, Tom and Tommy Brendel, a sci fi jazz group and Faith Kelly and Caswyn Moon, who are both independent folk musicians, are among the featured music groups at the event.
The Alien Runway Stroll, a group of costume contests including several different categories, will take place during the fair. Individuals will also have the opportunity to dress up their pets for the chance to win prizes. The contests will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Center Stage Gazebo.
There will also be a paranormal game show, where contestants will be able to put their alien and UFO knowledge to the test.
The Pine Bush UFO and Paranormal Museum offers many other “out of this world” opportunities throughout the year. They offer self-guided or guided tours to learn more about extraterrestrial history within Pine Bush and the Hudson Valley and gallery lectures featuring different experts on paranormal history and current alien presence.
On Sunday June 2, an Alien Toss Cornhole Tournament and Hoedown will also take place which includes the tournament and food fest with more vendors. Additionally, the night of the fair, the Pine Bush UFO speaker conference will spotlight a selection of speakers to discuss UFOs and their impact within modern day society.
In the event of rain, the fair will be moved to June 2.