I recently attended for the 2nd time, the McMinnville UFO Festival, hosted by McMenamins, in Oregon, USA. Small, quaint, the parade was cute. We stood with the Wookie, Sith, and Mexican Wrestler Alien. People were posing for pictures with the aliens, especially posing their kids. The Klingon charity group was there handing out candy.
What I don't get is the town McMinnville seems to be strongly ignoring this event completely, It's only featured on one street, and a huge number of competing junk sales hosted by businesses on the other streets.
McMinnville allows military-tactics style religious fundamentalists to take over at the end of the parade--BOTH years I've attended. At one end of the parade route, glassy-eyed young people clapping and singing in military formation edging the crowd towards the other end of the route where their pastor was standing with another group of young Moonie-like religious extremists. He either had a loudspeaker or was very loud, and was quite disruptive. I'd bet money if a guy feels THAT ballsy & godlike, he's probably helped himself to the young-people's "favors". (PROBABLY a fantastic news GOLDMINE waiting there.)
The fundamentalist presence inadvertently signifies that Jesus or God is an alien, or that Mary was impregnated by one.
The only way to make this "fair and balanced" would be invite the other religions: Hare Krishnas, Scientologists with their Xenu & aliens, Hindus, Buddhists, Catholics with their recent "OK" of belief of aliens, etc.
One of the surrounding costume jewelry shops, they seemed embarrassed about the alien festival.
Anyway, since McMinnville is soooo NOT INTERESTED in this event, I'm sure other McMenamin's sites (Forest Grove, Beaverton, Portland) would get a lot more enthusiastically & respectfully involved.
Mrs_Spock
I recently attended for the 2nd time, the McMinnville UFO Festival, hosted by McMenamins, in Oregon, USA. Small, quaint, the parade was cute. We stood with the Wookie, Sith, and Mexican Wrestler Alien. People were posing for pictures with the aliens, especially posing their kids. The Klingon charity group was there handing out candy.
What I don't get is the town McMinnville seems to be strongly ignoring this event completely, It's only featured on one street, and a huge number of competing junk sales hosted by businesses on the other streets.
McMinnville allows military-tactics style religious fundamentalists to take over at the end of the parade--BOTH years I've attended. At one end of the parade route, glassy-eyed young people clapping and singing in military formation edging the crowd towards the other end of the route where their pastor was standing with another group of young Moonie-like religious extremists. He either had a loudspeaker or was very loud, and was quite disruptive. I'd bet money if a guy feels THAT ballsy & godlike, he's probably helped himself to the young-people's "favors". (PROBABLY a fantastic news GOLDMINE waiting there.)
The fundamentalist presence inadvertently signifies that Jesus or God is an alien, or that Mary was impregnated by one.
The only way to make this "fair and balanced" would be invite the other religions: Hare Krishnas, Scientologists with their Xenu & aliens, Hindus, Buddhists, Catholics with their recent "OK" of belief of aliens, etc.
One of the surrounding costume jewelry shops, they seemed embarrassed about the alien festival.
Anyway, since McMinnville is soooo NOT INTERESTED in this event, I'm sure other McMenamin's sites (Forest Grove, Beaverton, Portland) would get a lot more enthusiastically & respectfully involved.