What I expected to be a weekend of UFOs and conspiracy theories turned out to be one of the most entertaining festivals in New Mexico.
Updated June 2026
Even after living in New Mexico for more than 20 years, I’d somehow never made it to the Roswell UFO Festival. I figured there would be plenty of aliens, a few conspiracy theories, and more than a handful of people wearing antennae.
As it turns out, I wasn’t entirely wrong. Antennae were also found on pets.
What I discovered was one of the most entertaining festivals in New Mexico. Each summer, thousands of visitors descend on Roswell for a weekend of UFO lectures, costume contests, parades, live entertainment, and enough extraterrestrial enthusiasm to make even the most skeptical visitor smile.
Here’s what I found during my close encounter with the Roswell UFO Festival.
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Welcome to the Roswell UFO Festival!
For those unfamiliar with the backstory, Roswell’s claim to fame dates back to 1947, when the Roswell Army Air Field issued a press release announcing that it had recovered a “flying disc” from a nearby ranch. The military quickly changed its story, saying the object was actually a weather balloon. That explanation satisfied some people. Others have spent the last eight decades insisting it was something far more interesting, and the debate continues today.
I’ve never paid much attention to UFO theories, and my personal experiences with aliens and UFOs are easy to count. I’ve had approximately zero encounters in my life. I say “approximately,” as I’ve met some mighty strange beings over the years, so that must count for something.
All that to say, I drove to Roswell with a healthy dose of skepticism. On the other hand, I’m also of the opinion that we know very little about the universe, so I’m open to the possibility that extraterrestrial life exists. Beyond that, I hadn’t given the subject much thought over the years, although the now-famous “Tic Tac” UFO video certainly caught my attention.
A Crash Course in Ufology
To help improve my “ufology” education, I decided to kick off my 2022 visit to the UFO Festival by attending a lecture and Q&A session at the “Roswell Incident” portion of the festival. The Roswell Incident featured three days of lectures and interactive sessions with researchers, filmmakers, and other experts on the topic of UFOs and aliens. To get my feet wet, I signed up for a session called UFO Witnesses: The Latest Testimony and Where It Leaves Us With the Truth. I figured it would be a good way to quickly get up to speed on what we know about UFOs and aliens, and perhaps more importantly, what we don’t know.
The speaker was Ben Hansen, host of the television series UFO Witness. Hansen shared some of the more compelling cases he has investigated over the years and discussed the challenge of separating credible testimony from speculation. One thing that caught my attention was the sheer volume of reported sightings. Are every one of those thousands of reports explainable? Maybe. But the number alone is enough to make you stop and think.
The Q&A portion featured Mike Bara, Melissa Tittl, Ben Hansen, and Caroline Cory. I decided to ask the panel a question along the lines of: “Over the years we’ve made significant improvements in photo and video technology, and many more people now carry smartphones. Have these technologies yielded a corresponding increase in credible sightings?”
The short answer was no. While there are certainly more photos and videos than ever before, most are too blurry, distant, or inconclusive to settle the debate. Several panelists pointed to the now-famous “Tic Tac” UFO video as one of the more intriguing pieces of evidence currently available. More than anything, they emphasized the large number of reports from people they considered credible witnesses with little obvious incentive to fabricate a story.
Up to that point, I found myself nodding along with much of the discussion.
Then the conversation shifted to telepathic communication with aliens.
My affirming head nods came to an abrupt halt.
Caroline Cory described personal experiences communicating with extraterrestrial beings, which ventured well beyond where my skeptical mind was prepared to go. I can’t disprove her experiences, but that was a much bigger leap than I was prepared to make. I was more intrigued by her efforts to capture UFOs using advanced camera systems, an effort she later documented in the A Tear in the Sky.
After the Q&A, I had a chance to chat with Melissa Tittl, co-star of Season 2 of UFO Witness. Melissa has spent more than a decade developing and producing television shows and documentaries, including Ancient Aliens. She seemed down to earth and half-jokingly warned me that the more I learned about UFOs, the more I’d get hooked and eventually find myself all in. I laughed and agreed that stranger things have happened.
The Galaxy Fair at the Convention Center
After the lecture and Q&A session, I spent some time exploring the Galaxy Fair inside the Roswell Convention Center. The exhibit hall was filled with vendors selling everything from UFO-themed artwork and collectibles to books, jewelry, T-shirts, and enough alien merchandise to stock a small interplanetary gift shop.
As a bonus, several extraterrestrial visitors were roaming the convention floor and seemed more than willing to pose for photos. To my surprise, I even recognized one of them.
Outside the convention center, food trucks and additional vendors were selling all manner of alien and UFO-themed merchandise. There was also a stage with live music throughout the day. Temperatures were pushing the upper 90s, which couldn’t have been much fun for the bands. The kids, however, seemed to have things figured out. Many were cooling off in the festival’s “Foam Zone.”
Invasion Station Alien Gift Store
As I made my way toward the Chaves County Courthouse, where many of the festival activities were taking place, I couldn’t resist stopping at a few of the quirky shops along the way. One of them was the Invasion Station Alien Gift Store, which featured an eye-catching mural on its exterior wall.
The store has an interesting connection to Roswell history. The owner’s grandfather, Dan Dwyer, was a lieutenant with the Roswell Fire Department and reportedly responded to the Roswell Incident crash site in 1947.
Inside, the shelves were packed with alien-themed gifts, souvenirs, clothing, and collectibles. Despite my best efforts at self-restraint, I somehow left with a new T-shirt.
Close Encounters on the Courthouse Lawn
The area around the Chaves County Courthouse was one of the main hubs of activity during the festival. There was a DJ, live entertainment, food trucks, vendors, and a steady stream of visitors wandering between events.
Some of the food trucks were serving UFO Festival specialties such as Alien Donut Burgers (a burger served on glazed donuts instead of a bun) and Alien Fingers (fried pickles). It was tempting, but I ultimately played it safe and ordered tacos.
As I explored the courthouse lawn, I had the opportunity to meet quite a few aliens. The annual People Costume Contest was about to begin, and contestants were gathering nearby. This should not be confused with the Pet Costume Contest held the following morning. After attending both, I’m still not sure which group had the better costumes.
As you might expect, the creativity on display made for some outstanding people-watching.
As the People Costume Contest drew near, aliens seemed to be appearing from every corner of Roswell. Here are a few of the new friends I met near the courthouse.
Laser Light Show and 100 Drones
As evening approached, I headed to the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium for a laser light show set to Pink Floyd’s classic album Dark Side of the Moon. It was a fun blast from the past. I was a huge Pink Floyd fan in college and had the opportunity to see them in concert a few times over the years.
The planetarium offered a variety of laser shows throughout the festival, featuring music from artists such as Queen, the Grateful Dead, U2, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles. Still, Pink Floyd felt like the appropriate choice for a UFO Festival weekend.
After the show, I stepped outside and immediately heard a strange buzzing sound overhead.
For a brief moment, I wondered if I’d finally have my first UFO encounter.
Nope.
It was the “Sky Elements Drone Light Show“, featuring more than 100 drones flying in a synchronized display above the convention center. The performance combined colorful animations, music, and impressive aerial choreography, providing a memorable ending to an already unusual day in Roswell.
Close Encounters of the Furry Kind
The next morning, I was up early to attend one of the festival’s most entertaining events: the Pet Costume Contest. The competition began at 9:00 a.m. on the courthouse lawn, and participants started arriving well before showtime.
This gave me an opportunity to meet some of the contestants before they took the stage. Some appeared eager to show off their costumes and soak up the attention. Others looked considerably less enthusiastic about the whole experience.
As it turns out, convincing your dog to dress as an alien is only half the challenge.
MainStreet Roswell Parade
After the Pet Costume Contest, it was time for the MainStreet Roswell Parade: Close Encounters of the Roswell Kind.
The parade featured a little bit of everything, from a solo unicyclist to large groups of alien dancers and costumed characters. Some participants appeared to have arrived from another planet. Others seemed to have come from somewhere even stranger.
The one thing everyone seemed to have in common was that they were having fun.
And the parade officially begins!
A short video clip of the MainStreet Roswell Parade getting underway in downtown Roswell.
By noon on Saturday July 2nd, it was time for me to head back to Albuquerque for another commitment.
When I asked one of the locals what they liked most about living in Roswell, the answer came without hesitation: “This festival.”
And I can see why.
The Roswell UFO Festival is quirky, entertaining, and unlike anything else I’ve experienced in New Mexico. Whether you’re a UFO enthusiast, a curious skeptic, or simply looking for a fun summer road trip, it’s worth adding to your calendar.
As for me, I plan to return. After all, there are still a few questions I haven’t answered. Most importantly, what does an Alien Donut Burger with a side of Alien Fingers actually taste like?
Roswell UFO Festival 2026: What You Need to Know
The Roswell UFO Festival is typically held over the Independence Day holiday weekend. In 2026, the festival runs from July 2–4 and includes guest speakers, a UFO parade, pet and people costume contests, drone shows, live music, family activities, and plenty of aliens.
Check the festival website for the latest schedule, event details, and ticket information.
📚 Want to Learn More?
If the Roswell UFO Festival sparked your curiosity about UFOs, the Roswell Incident, or some of New Mexico’s stranger stories, here are a few books, documentaries, and shows worth checking out:
- The Roswell Incident by Charles Berlitz and William L. Moore. One of the most influential books ever written about the Roswell Incident and the book that helped bring the story to a national audience.
- Roswell: Inconvenient Facts and the Will to Believe by Karl T. Pflock. A well-researched examination of the Roswell Incident from a more skeptical perspective, making it a useful counterpoint to many UFO books.
- UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record by Leslie Kean. A thoughtful look at unexplained aerial phenomena featuring interviews and accounts from military personnel, pilots, and government officials.
- Witness to Roswell by Thomas Carey and Donald Schmitt. A detailed investigation of the Roswell Incident based on eyewitness accounts, military records, and decades of research.
- A Tear in the Sky (Documentary Film). Directed by Caroline Cory, this documentary follows a team of scientists, military veterans, and investigators as they attempt to collect evidence of unexplained aerial phenomena using advanced cameras and other technology.
- UFO Witness (TV Series). Hosted by Ben Hansen, the speaker whose presentation I attended at the festival. The series examines UFO sightings and witness testimony from around the world and explores which cases may deserve a closer look.
Thought for the Week
For this week’s edition of the “Thought for the Week,” I predictably went with an alien theme.
Here’s a quote from Stephen Hawking, the renowned physicist and author who passed away in 2018. He had a brilliant mind. When I tried reading some of his books, I quickly discovered that Stephen Hawking and I were operating at slightly different intellectual altitudes. He was pondering black holes, the origins of the universe, and the nature of time itself. I was mostly trying to figure out what I had just read.
Fortunately, this is one Stephen Hawking observation I can understand.
“I believe alien life is quite common in the universe, although intelligent life is less so. Some say it has yet to appear on planet Earth.”
— Stephen Hawking
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
Mark (The New Mexico Travel Guy)
Mark Aspelin, The New Mexico Travel Guy (www.newmexicotravelguy.com), is a travel writer, conservation biologist, project manager, and author of two books. He’s visited over 100 countries and all 50 U.S. states—just enough to land in the Travelers’ Century Club and make choosing a favorite place nearly impossible. He’s currently on a questionable mission to visit every town in New Mexico (there are over 500) and write a story about each one, with plans to wrap it up sometime before his early to mid 100s. Mark balances his writing with conservation and project work from his home base in the East Mountains near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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