This weekend, Dublin can experience a few out of this world events as the 133rd Anniversary of the Dublin UFO Explosion takes place.
On Saturday, June 15, there will be an event to commemorate the 133rd Anniversary of the Dublin UFO Explosion over the William T. Miller Grist Mill in Wright Park.
According to information published in the Dublin Progress, on Saturday, June 13, 1891, on a quiet summer day, a group of townspeople went out for a walk near the Wasson & Miller flour mill and cotton gin. The gin was one of the town’s major businesses in the community of 2,000.
The gin was closed for the weekend and the townspeople noticed something unusual in the sky above the gin – a bright, oblong shape hovering about 300 feet in the sky.
An eyewitness, whose name was not given, told the local newspaper that what he saw looked like “a bale of cotton suspended in the air after having been saturated in kerosene oil and ignited, except that it created a much brighter light.
“It’s one of those little known facts about Dublin that makes us interesting, and I just wanted to celebrate that,” organizer Orion Gallagher said.
The weekend will kick off Friday, June 14 at 8:45 p.m. (dusk) with a free outdoor screening at the library with Monsters vs. Aliens. Free popcorn will be provided.
Saturday, June 15 will kick off with Dublin Market Days at 9 a.m. in Wright Park. Come prepared to shop local!
At 9:30 a.m. at the Pavilion in Wright Park, an Alien Costume contest will be held with both people and pet categories.
At 10 a.m. under the pavilion, MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) member Roy Schauffele will give a free presentation based on his research entitled “Is there a Texas UFO Triangle?”
At 11 a.m. the library will also be offering an activity for kids called STEM and Space. The class will be taught by Army Veteran and former NASA engineer, Robert Hamilton, who worked at Johnson Space Center. Kids will learn about asteroids and make their own, see a demonstration about how comets are formed, and get to explore some activity stations about space. Those participating in asteroid creation need to be at least 7 years old due to small parts.
At noon, back at the Pavilion in Wright Park there will be a Best Tin Foil Hat Contest.
At 1 p.m. Dublin Market Days will end.