Have you ever seen something in the sky that you can’t explain? You’re not alone. In fact, it may be more common than you think. Washington has a long history of reported sightings— dating all the way back to the late 1940s.
Next weekend – you’ll have a chance to chat with other believers at the annual Flying Saucer Party in Chehalis. It’s where the term ‘flying saucer’ was coined back in 1947.
The event takes place on September 12 and 13 at the Lewis County Historical Museum.
There will be expert speakers, live music, vendors, a costume contest, a local film festival, costume karaoke, a beer garden, and many more fun activities.
KIRO 7 spoke to Jason Mattson – the Executive Director of the Lewis County Museum. He says people really get into the spirit for the event.
“It’s a neat day of aliens and sci-fi. It’s really great,” he shared.
This year will be the second year of the Alien Invasion Parade. Anyone who is in costume can participate.
“Some people fully color their hair, do full-on makeup. I’ve seen Dalek from Doctor Who. People bring their dogs and dress them up, which is really fun,” Mattson said.
The parade leads up to the popular ‘Saucer Drop’ where children can catch a flying saucer and win a prize.
The event itself is free to attend and everyone is welcome. Speaker sessions are ticketed and cost $15 each. The film festival costs $10. The money is a fundraiser for the museum—which will also be open during the event for people to explore.
To learn more about the festival, click here.
“It’s amazing how many people see things that they can’t explain,” Mattson said. “I’ve met some folks of all walks of life that have seen unusual things, you know, floating spheres, just things zig-zagging through the sky,” Mattson told KIRO 7.
He also shared his experience with the unknown.
“When I was in fifth grade, I was walking to my school bus and I saw a black triangle off in the distance that wasn’t making any sound,” Mattson told KIRO 7. “It just kind of hovered and went over the hill and disappeared. So that was my experience. Maybe that’s what prodded me into this direction.”
UFO history in WA
On June 24th, 1947, a pilot, Kenneth Arnold, flew out of the Chehalis Airport and spotted nine unidentified flying objects over Mt. Rainier. When he landed, he met with a reporter and shared what he saw. Arnold said they moved like saucers skipping over the water. The reporter misquoted him and the term ‘flying saucers’ was born, kick-starting the UFO craze of the 1950s.
“There have been several really cool sightings that people have had,” Mattson told KIRO 7.
This year’s theme for the Chehalis Flying Saucer Party is a nod to someone who said he had an interaction in Mineral, Washington, in the 50s.
“They warned of impending doom of mankind, and this was two years before any of the published contactees,” Mattson told KIRO 7.
KIRO 7 UFO coverage
In November, we decided to take videos from KIRO 7 viewers to the National UFO Reporting Center, to try to make sense of what you’re seeing – as we dig into our state’s past, and present, with the peculiar.
To learn more about what we found, click here