Strange UFOs Land In McMinnville, Oregon At This Annual Event

A little history

In 1950, two local Yamhill County, Oregon residents witnessed and photographed a UFO in their backyard. Evelyn Trent had gone out to feed her chickens and rabbits behind their farmhouse at around 7:30 pm on the evening of May 11, 1950. She saw a large, “metallic-looking, disc-shaped object” hovering in the sky to the northeast of the farm. She called for her husband Paul to come outside – and bring the camera. Paul, with their folding Kodak Roamer in hand, ran out to see what was wrong. After the two of them stood mesmerized for a few moments, Paul snapped the now famous picture (below - compliments of Yamhill County Historical Society). The event is known in UFO circles as the Trent sighting and is considered one of the most credible images of a UFO available.

Eventually, McMinnville began to celebrate their local celebrity with an annual parade and celebration. The event has grown to include speakers, film showings, and several community activities in honor of the anniversary of the Trent citing.

A tradition is born

This year’s event features experts/speakers regarding the “Phoenix Lights” event. On a March evening in 1997, during a 106 minute period, over ten thousand people in Arizona and Mexico reported seeing a strange object moving slowly in the sky. The object, described as a massive boomerang-shaped object with five visible spherical lights moved slowly over the area. Described as the size of several football fields, no one reported any noise or other unusual occurrences coincidental with the event.

Veteran pilots, air traffic controllers, and astronauts have concurred that no man-made aircraft with such attributes is known to exist. Researchers have eliminated a shooting star, a weather balloon, or dust on the camera lens as explanations. Experts conclude, “There was a massive craft in the air, moving without discretion across the skies.” Video of the event, as well as eye-witness reports, will be shared during this year’s festival.

The 2016 panel of presenters includes eyewitnesses of the Phoenix Lights, Phoenix city officials, Navajo Federal Rangers, and seasoned UFO investigators. While military experts classify the sighting as being nothing more than flares, similar sightings continue to occur. Similar reports were made in 2007, 2008 and most recently in 2015.

According to Dr. Edgar Mitchell, US Naval Officer and Apollo 14 Astronaut, “The Phoenix Lights is a compelling and thoroughly documented account of the most bizarre and widely observed UFO event in modern times.”

The McMinnville UFO Festival

McMinnville, Oregon, welcomes visitors from around the world to their UFO Fest, scheduled on May 12 – 15, 2016. Community events include vendor booths, carnival rides, community film showings, a beer garden, and a parade through downtown on Saturday afternoon.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in their best “UFO” attire during the weekend, but especially for the community parade on Saturday afternoon. The main street of downtown McMinnville is closed for the event. An “alien pet costume” contest will be held Saturday afternoon for leashed pets.

A detailed schedule of speakers is available on the website. Most community events are free, but admission to hear speaker events start at 20 USD for advanced sales and 25 USD at the door.