Pascagoula alien abduction 50th anniversary: Here's where you can celebrate UFOs

Brian Broom, Mississippi Clarion-Ledger
·3 min read
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It's been 50 years since Mississippi first made headlines around the world after two men claimed to have been abducted by aliens, and you can celebrate it at the Closest Encounter Festival in Pascagoula.

"It takes place on Delmas Avenue in downtown Pascagoula," said Susannah Northrop, executive director of Main Street Pascagoula. "We block off all of Delmas Avenue, so it's a block party.

"We're going to have a band. They're called DirtRoad Cadillac. We have art and crafts vendors. We'll be selling some alien-themed goods. People are encouraged to wear alien outfits."

Northrop said there will be activities for children such as free face painting. A speaker will be there to discuss the alleged abduction and claims of UFO sightings that took place on Oct. 11, 1973.

Two men, Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker, claimed they were fishing on the Pascagoula River that evening when a craft with bright lights appeared and hovered near them. The two said three aliens floated them into the craft and examined them while they were aboard. They were then floated back down to the bank and the craft disappeared.

Hickson died in 2011, while Parker passed away in August.

Saying he wanted to set the record straight, Parker wrote two books in the last years of his life about the event. He also wrote the forward for a third a book which was released earlier this year authored by Philip Mantle and Irena Scott.

Northrop said the most recent book, Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Pascagoula Alien Abduction, will be available for purchase at the festival.

The late Calvin Parker, one of two men who claimed to have been abducted by aliens in 1973, speaks at the 2021 Pascagoula alien festival. This year's event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the alleged alien contact.
The late Calvin Parker, one of two men who claimed to have been abducted by aliens in 1973, speaks at the 2021 Pascagoula alien festival. This year's event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the alleged alien contact.

An out of this world alien bar crawl

Northrop said local businesses will be open, and festival-goers can shop or dine at some of the local eateries. While it's a family-friendly event, it does have a component only for adults.

"We'll be having an alien bar crawl," Northrop said. "We have several businesses participating in the bar crawl."

Businesses in the bar crawl such the Downtown Jazz Club will be serving signature drinks concocted for the festival.

"We've been calling it The Alien," said bar manager Susan Williams. "The Alien is a green, rum-based shot that is out of this world. Beam me up, bottoms up."

At Scranton's Restaurant, the festival drink name is a bit more, umm, descriptive.

"It's called The Alien Ooze," said manager Jackson Pickett. "It's like a punch we make. It's tangy, sweet, the perfect shade of green and it will definitely send you into outer space."

Northrop said some people are skeptical of the event's roots, but that's no reason not to go and enjoy the evening.

"We always say, 'Believe it or not, it's still a fun time,'" Northrop said.

UFO witnesses speak: 'The story is very true. That's what has bothered me for 45 years.'

If you go

What: The Closest Encounter | 50th Anniversary of Pascagoula's Alien Abduction of 1973

When: October 20, 6-9 p.m.

Where: Delmas Avenue, downtown Pascagoula

Admission: Free

Alien abduction: 45 years after alleged UFO encounter, Mississippi man breaks his silence

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Toast the 50th anniversary of Pascagoula alien abduction at this fest