Lewis County Historical Museum to host UFO costume workshop next month for parade

Jun. 21—Since the debut of the Chehalis Flying Saucer Party in 2019, event organizers have grown it each year.

This year, the new addition to the Flying Saucer Party — which will be held on Sept. 13 and 14 in downtown Chehalis — will be the "Alien Invasion" parade.

To help "Alien Invasion" parade attendees prepare to storm the streets, the Lewis County Historical Museum will host a "Create Your Own Flying Saucer or Alien Costume" workshop on Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The announcement of this year's Flying Saucer Party speakers will be made on Monday, June 24, the 77th anniversary of Kenneth Arnold's fateful flight in 1947 when the Chehalis pilot had his famous "flying saucer" sighting. Follow the Flying Saucer Party on Facebook for more information.

Space in the workshop is limited, so those interested in attending are asked to either call the Lewis County Historical Museum at 360-748-0831 or message the museum on Facebook to sign up.

"There will be a variety of crafting options and wonderful volunteers to help you make the best of whatever you decide to make. Once you have your creation made, bring them back for the 'Alien Invasion' parade that will be happening on Sept. 14," the museum stated.

Crafting options include an alien eye headband, an alien kite or an up-cycled flying saucer for a suggested donation of $5, an alien mask or flying saucer fascinator headpiece for a suggested donation of $10, and a flying saucer umbrella for a suggested donation of $20.

Attendees are allowed to pay more or less as they see fit, and nobody will be turned away.

As for the "Alien Invasion" itself, details are still being worked out, according to Lewis County Historical Museum Director Jason Mattson, but it will begin on Northwest Prindle Street and make its way north on Northwest Front Street, ending at the museum.

"It'll mostly be a costume parade and maybe some small non-motorized floats," Mattson said.

The Lewis County Historical Museum is located at 599 NW Front St.

Additionally, submissions for the second annual Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest, which will kick off the Flying Saucer Party, are still being accepted, with the deadline to submit a short film on Sunday, Aug. 18.

Custom trophies, bragging rights and a $300 cash prize are up for grabs. The deadline for submission is Aug. 18.

Submitted films must be 30 minutes or shorter and must be related to the UFO genre, meaning they can be about UFOs, extraterrestrials, men in black, alien invasions or alien technology.

Last year's inaugural Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest audience favorite along with winner of best documentary was "Stuck In Orbit."

The film features the late John Henricksen, under the moniker "Burt Burtson," who claims to have been abducted as he attempts to get people to believe his story. Henrickson made the film with the help of his family, including his grandson, Enoch Lui, who directed the film. "Stuck In Orbit" can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/868014471.

To submit an entry, visit https://filmfreeway.com/NWFlyingSaucerFilmFest.