Katie Paysinger
News editor
The 10th annual UFO Festival will take place May 15 and 16 at McMenamins Hotel Oregon. The UFO Costume Parade and Alien Pet Costume Contest will take place May 16.
The McMinnville Downtown Association is putting on the parade and pet costume in conjunction with McMenamins’ annual UFO Festival to draw more people to the downtown area, Ginger Williams, promotions and event coordinator for the association, said.
Adjunct professors of art and visual culture Totem Shriver and Cris Moss are teaching Spatial Exploration in two sections, each of which is building a float for the festival.
In addition to the parade and pet costume contest, Portland band Vivid Curve will perform and provide supplies for a workshop on how to build your own didgeridoo, a type of instrument traditionally constructed from Eucalyptus trees.
The festival normally conflicts with Linfield’s final exam schedule, but this year it happens
earlier than usual.
“We were thrilled when we found out it was going to work with Linfield’s schedule,” Williams said. “We’re really looking forward to having [the art classes] involved.”
Judging for floats will begin at 11:30 a.m. May 16, and the parade will begin its trek down Third Street at 1 p.m.