With the admonition “Don’t Keep Calm; Run! They’re Coming,” the hamlet of Pine Bush is set to celebrate all things paranormally extraterrestrial this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The all-day, family-friendly UFO Fair will once again take over Main Street with an out-of-this-world parade, live music, children’s activities, food and craft vendors and the ever-fantastical Miss Galaxy Contest.
At a Speakers’ Tent, locals who have tales to tell about their own paranormal experiences will be on hand, including Dr. Bill Wiand, Nathan Rosenblum and Linda Zimmerman. Also, special daytime appearances from the lineup of speakers scheduled for the evening conference include Travis Walton, Marc D’Antonio, Peter Robbins and Kate Thorvaldsen. The Paranormal Center will proffer evidence of ET contact from a number of paranormal groups in the area.
Visitors can play the Eye Spy and Alien Game or have a psychic reading on the porch of the Pine Bush Bed & Breakfast at 215 Maple Avenue. At dusk, cartoons and the movie ET: The Extraterrestrial will be screened.
On Saturday evening, all seriousness sets in at the Pine Bush UFO Fair Speaker Conference, to be held at the Catholic War Veterans’ Hall at 161 Center Street. Ten dollars at the door will get you in to enjoy a riveting series of talks from 5 to 9 p.m. Mark D’Antonio’s talk on “Exo-Planets” will inform attendees about planets beyond our solar system. With a degree in Astronomy, D’Antonio is CEO of FX Models and the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON)’s chief photo/video analyst. Peter Robbins, who has more than 35 years’ experience as a writer, researcher, investigator, lecturer and author, will present “The Life & Work of Budd Hopkins,” the American painter, sculptor and prominent figure in alien-abduction phenomena and related UFO research.
The Norwegian-born multimedia artist Kate Thorvaldsen will speak on “Close Encounters & Implants.” Thorvaldsen was the first person to scientifically establish the presence of implants in her own body: all close enough to the surface that magnets stick to them. And Travis Walton wraps up the evening with “Saved by the Light.” Walton’s experience of being knocked unconscious and taken aboard an alien ship when he was 22 years old is the sort of life-altering occurrence from which one never entirely recovers. He has much to say on the philosophical changes that he has gone through in his lifetime.
For avid enthusiasts who want a jump-start on the Fair, there will be a special screening of the movie Travis: The True Story of Travis Walton on Friday, May 19 at 7 p.m. at Homes2Suites in Middletown. Tickets cost $10 at the door; a question-and-answer session with Travis Walton and the film’s producers will follow the screening. Located at 600 Route 211 East, Homes2Suites is offering special rates to UFO Fairgoers; call (845) 703-8000 for info and reservations.
Pine Bush UFO Fair, Saturday, May 20, (rain date: May 21), 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Pine Bush; (845) 744-8230, www.pinebushufofair.com, www.facebook.com/pinebush.ufofair?fref=photo.