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A Special Report from our on-the-scene editor, S. Joan
Popek--
The 1999 Festival
in the UFO Capital of the World
Roswell, New Mexico
The 1999 UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico was a glittering success. Stars
were abundant (the Hollywood kind as well as the celestial kind), and aliens were
everywhere. In the Southwest, we are used to prairie dogs and coyotes on our
sagebrush covered plains, but in Roswell, we also host other creatures--aliens
from other galaxies.
On any given day, you may witness Unidentified Flying Objects streaking
across our clear night skies, but during Festival time, you will see the pilots
and passengers of these craft striding down Main Street in their full glory.
This year was no different.
The streets were packed with costumed UFO enthusiasts each with their own
idea of what the well dressed alien wears to a party. Tee-shirts with glow in
the dark eyes were the casual evening wear as the more adventurous bedecked
themselves in sparkling formal wear of the future. Long, silver trains of
metallic material and skin tight suits with sparkling gold emblems gleamed in
the sunlight and the starlight as the wearers hurried to attend banquets,
special light shows, hundreds of exciting UFO events, special tours of the world
famous UFO Museum and Research Center and fantastic flights through our galaxy
in the planetarium.
There were fashion shows of the future, alien craft races, guest speakers
from all over the world here to tell their story or theory of what really
happened here in 1947. Did aliens crash? Did the United States government try to
cover it up? Was it really just a weather balloon? When you hear it all, you can
only look up at the sky with new awe, and think, "Hmm–I wonder...."
One of my personal favorites was the banquet at which George Takei, Star Trek’s
Captain Sulu, was the keynote speaker. What a singing voice! And such a
personable man with an outstanding sense of humor. He was a true pleasure to
meet. The food and service provided by The Sally Port Inn, during the banquet
was top-notch.
Another exciting event was a line up of professional science fiction writers
that had me in awe. Jack Williamson, one of the masters, was here, but sadly, I
missed meeting him by only about 10 minutes. I went to have him sign the large
number of books I have collected over the years written by him and discovered
that he had to return home unexpectedly. That was a true disappointment, but he
only lives about 70 miles from my home, so I plan to visit him on the next
opportunity.
During all the events, I noticed that wherever I looked, people were smiling
and laughing. Total strangers engaged in animated, intelligent conversations.
The Roswell UFO Festival is proof positive that everyone loves a mystery. What
did happen here in 1947? Did extraterrestrial beings crash here? Did any
survive? Where are they now? Will they be back?
Well, there are many opinions, and I was too young to know (or remember)
anything about that, but I can tell you what happened in Roswell New Mexico in
1999.
A miracle! That miracle was neighborly love.
I have lived in Roswell all my life, but this year, walking down Main Street
with one of my closest friends, I was amazed by the blend of cultures, people
and ideas that made up this event. In the Southwest, we are used to a melding of
cultures, but this was remarkable. All had one goal; to seek the truth and have
a good time doing it. It was as if during that one week, all races, creeds and
ideals came to an agreement to agree; to empathize; to unite. I wondered why we
humans can’t do this all the time. This time, it wasn’t a common enemy that
bound us together, (as is often the case, like when we watch The X Files) but
rather a common idea. A notion that we are not alone in the Universe–that
there is more–that we are not the all powerful–all important beings
we think we are. Instead, we are all a part of our Creator’s family–whoever
we believe that creator to be.
I invite you all to come to next year’s Festival. It will be the year 2000,
and some really remarkable events are planned. Di is coming, and we will both be
here to welcome you into our world of adventure, mystery, alien cultures and
maybe a few surprises.
So yall come. You hear? And we will share an amazing and wonderful
occurrence. We will share a meeting of minds. And who knows, maybe that’s the
year the visitors with the big eyes and bigger hearts will choose to pay
us another visit. Wouldn’t that be a grand event? After all it is the
New Millennium.
See ya there,
Jo
Visit Roswell online at these locations
Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center:
Roswell UFO Encounter Facts:
Roswell N.M. Home page:
Planet ROZ, the home page of the weekly comic strip, Roswell, by Casey Shaw:
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The "Woulda' Coulda' Shoulda'" contest is now over. The
Anthology was featured in the 1999 Roswell UFO Festival. There are a
limited number available for the special price of $7.95 through
JoPop Publications
PO Box 8118
Roswell, NM 88202
S. Joan Popek was born and raised in New Mexico. She
still lives in Roswell, NM, the UFO capital of the world, with her husband, Joe.
She is the mother of five and the grandmother of thirteen with another on the
way.
Although known for her speculative fiction primarily, she has published many
non-fiction articles. See the October issue of Fiction Writer for
her article, "Flashes of Brilliance." Her nonfiction has also appeared
in FYI, Southern New Mexico Magazine, Southern New Mexico online Magazine,
Writer's Hall, and The Candlelight Poetry Journal. She has had poetry
in several national magazines including Feelings and Eclipsing and
her work has appeared in several anthologies.
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