CARBONDALE, Pa. — It's an out-of-this-world festival! On Saturday, Carbondale will celebrate its history with aliens at the inaugural Carbondalien Festival. There will be an Extraterrestrial Express train ride, alien hot-air balloon rides, out-of-this-world vendors, live music, and more.
"There's a free speaker series at the Hotel Anthracite. We also have activities at the YMCA. There's a free swim. The Carbondale Public Library has a free film series and story time and crafts for kids," Stefanie Colarusso said.
The Carbondalien Festival marks the 50th anniversary of a reported UFO sighting in Carbondale. In 1974, a glowing unidentified object was reported at nearby Russell Park. You can relive the event at Saturday's festival with the "Russell Park Experience."
"They will ride a bus as if they are press members being brought in to meet actual witnesses who were there the night that it happened. So you're bringing them down to the site where it happened? Yes, we are going to Russell Park, to where the Silk Pond is," Brenda Fager said.
Art takes center stage at the festival. Nearly three dozen aliens are throughout Lackawanna County, many sponsored by businesses.
"Recognizing the artists in the area but also just boosting this local economy and making sure that Carbondale is part of some growth here and welcoming people into this cute, quaint small town," Colarusso said.
The Carbondalien Festival is next Saturday, November 9th, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Downtown Carbondale. For more information, click here.