Our 50 year anniversary of the 1973 incident was such a success that we're doing it again with a new title of "UFO CAPITAL OF MISSOURI" and a celebration of the 2024 Great North American Eclipse. Save the date and keep and eye out for upcoming details for April 5-8th.
****Please note that this is not an all inclusive list. As other things are planned in the community they will be added. If you or your business have something planned please submit info to the Chamber Office via chamber@visitpiedmontmo.com ****
**** ALL WAYNE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PROGRAMS WILL BE HELD AT THE LUNA MUSEUM LOCATED AT 108 WEST ELM STREET*****
Friday, April 5, 2024
12:00 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Introduction and Welcome
12:00 -1:15 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Dennis Hovis - A Recap of 1973 UFO Event
2:00 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Mary Ann Zeibell - The Bigfoot Research Organization
2:30 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Lou Padilla - The Bigfoot Research Organization
3:00 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Scott Brinkley - Bigfoot Story
3:00 pm: Food trucks open at Clearwater High School
3:00 - 7:00 pm: Vendors open at Clearwater Family Youth Center
4:00 - 5:00pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Earl Mullins - An Entertaining Science Demonstration
5:30 - 7:30: Clearwater Store Cafe: Live music with Noah Mesey and Missouri Beverage tasting.
6:00 - 7:00pm (approx): Wayne County Historical Society Program: Representative Chris Dinkins - Declaration to be presented designating Wayne County as the UFO Capital of Missouri
8:00 pm: UFO Fest Parade
Parade will begin at dark (approx. 8pm) at the Clearwater High School Parking Lot and follow Main Street to Rotary Park. No registration is required. We will have volunteers available to assist with lineup beginning at 7pm.
Saturday, April 6, 2024
8:00 am: Alien Abduction Dash 5K and Fun Run
Pre-registration open until March 22nd. Registration at 7:30am at the H.S. Baseball Field Pavilion. Run begins at 8am.
10:00 am - 4pm: Vendors open at Clearwater Family Youth Center
10 am : Guest Speaker Dennis Hovis at Wayne County Community Building (Old AARP)
10 am - 2pm: Kid Zone at Clearwater Family Youth Center
Free kids crafts will be available)
12:00 pm: Local author Rhonda Payton Boyer will be reading from her new book Suzy's Big UFO Playdate: Fun and Mysteries in Piedmont inside the Kid Zone
12:00 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Volunteer UFO Readings
12:00 - 4:00 pm : Guest Speakers Wayne Co Community Building (AARP)
Debbie Ziegelmeyer
Missouri MUFON State Director
MUFON Business Board of Directors
MUFON Functional Director of Underwater Research and Recovery
Presentation: “Visitors or Colonists, In our Oceans and Seas”
Consultant on two episodes of “Alien Highway”, appeared on two episodes of “Alaska Triangle”, appeared on the 2021 Discovery+ series “Roswell the Final Verdict” and in 2024 on an episode of “Ancient Aliens”. In 2017 was awarded the “Roswell Incident Excellence Award” by the Roswell Daily Record, and MUFON “Field Investigator of the Year”. In 2023 was awarded the MUFON Chapter of the year award for the state of Missouri. Author of: “The Alien Colonization of Earth’s Waterways”, and “The 50th Anniversary of the SE Missouri Ozarks UFO Flap” which she co-authored with Margie Kay.
Margie Kay
Missouri MUFON Assistant State Director
Presentation: Buck Nelson, UFO Traveler from Mountain View, Missouri
Margie Kay will share information about this minor celebrity in the 1950's and 60's from Mountain View, who traveled the saucer circuit and held saucer conventions on his farm every year. Buck said he traveled from the Moon to Mars and Venus with his Venusian friends. He was taken very seriously by saucer enthusiasts at the time and had a lot of publicity. Margie will also discuss the connection to Doc Janzen and the Geneseo, Kansas Museum. This is a fascinating story!
Margie Kay is the Assistant State Director for Missouri MUFON, and is a licensed private investigator in Missouri. She is a 40-year veteran paranormal and UFO investigator. Kay owns the KUNX Digital Broadcasting Network (Un-X Network) and hosts the Un-X News podcast. She is the co-author of the 50th anniversary of the SE Missouri Ozarks UFO Flaps. Her websites are www.margiekay.com and www.unxnetwork.com.
Melton Van Vickle
Missouri MUFON Chief Field Investigator
Presentation: The St. Clair Lights: A Tribute to Harley D. Rutledge, Ph.D. and Project Identification.
In March 1973, Dr. Rutledge initiated Project Identification, a multi-year observational experiment to bring science and technology to bear on the multitude of UFO reports coming from Southeast Missouri, both before and after the famous mass sighting in Piedmont. This presentation draws parallels between the observations and conclusions of Project Identification and the observations of present-day MUFON Field Investigators in response to multiple sightings reported in the area of St. Clair Missouri. Employing 21st century technology and all the principals of good old fashioned field work, MUFON continues a long heritage of truth-finding by validating Dr. Rutledge’s findings, and much more.
1:00 pm: Guided Tour with Dennis Hovis - $10/person
Bus will load at Clearwater High School at 12:45. Tours will travel local "hot spots" and infamous sighting areas with resident expert Dennis Hovis re-living the experiences of 1973. Seating is very limited. Pre-register with the Chamber office so you don't miss out.
1:00 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Scott Brinkley - Historic Architectural Anomalies
2:00 pm: Kids Costume Parade
Parade will begin at Clearwater High School Parking Lot and end at the Clearwater Family Youth Center. All children are encouraged to dress in their most out of this world attire.
2:00 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Dawn Allen - UFO Experiences in 3 states
2:30 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Volunteer Reading Bigfoot stories submitted by Roy Stout
3:00 pm: Guest Speaker Mel Van Vickle at the Wayne County Community Building (Old AARP)
3:00 pm: Guided Tour with Dennis Hovis - $10/person
Bus will load at Clearwater High School at 12:45. Tours will travel local "hot spots" and infamous sighting areas with resident expert Dennis Hovis re-living the experiences of 1973. Seating is very limited. Pre-register with the Chamber office so you don't miss out.
3:00 pm: Wayne County Historical Society Program: Joe King (pending) - Witness of the 1973 UFO Flap
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm: Back Table Live music with Caden McNail, food trucks, games, drinks and giveaway raffle.
Dark: Pine Hill Drive In Movie - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Sunday, April 7, 2024
All Day: Sam A Baker-Otahki Lake KOA Solar Eclipse Totality Festival
Dark: Pine Hill Drive In Movie - Proximity
Monday, April 8, 2024
11:00 am: Great North American Eclipse Watch Party at Clearwater High School
Food, games, kids crafts, music/DJ and more.
All Day: Sam A Baker-Otahki Lake KOA Solar Eclipse Totality Festival
Pine Hill Dive In Watch Party
Wayne County Historical Society Watch Party at Luna Museum
Wally B's Seafood and Steakhouse Eclipse Party
