ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – The largest UFO festival in the world is blasting off in southeastern New Mexico, and businesses couldn’t be more excited.
“It’s a big just adrenaline boost, you know, for the whole community,” said Anne Baker, owner of Stellar Coffee on Main Street Roswell.
The UFO Festival began on Friday with some businesses seeing traffic they haven’t seen in a long time.
“Our sales yesterday were up 18% over last year’s Friday Festival, and now they didn’t shut the Main Street down last year,” said Baker. Baker’s Stellar Coffee isn’t the only one seeing the mass amount of people.
‘Imagine That! Scrapbooks & Gifts’ said they have seen lines most of the day and same with Sweet Baby J’s Bakery. The city said the festival is one of their largest economic weekends of the year.
“I would say that it’s in the millions of dollars in terms of the dollar turnover within the economy at local retail shops, restaurants, of course, hotels are booked solid through the week of the UFO festival,” said City Manager Chad Cole.
Crowds come from all over the world to come to the UFO Fest. On Friday night, the festivities kicked off with a walk of fame celebrating Mac Brazil, who the city says is credited with finding the crash site outside of Roswell.
Officials also lit up a new rocket display that once was a slide in the City of Roswell.
“It was an old rocket slide that was in one of the Peppermint Park here in Roswell, and it was probably stood for about 50 plus years, and it was decommissioned and ready to go into the scrap pile,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Edward Heldenbrand.
With the crowds seemingly large this year, everyone is happy.
“I think that, honestly, that post-COVID people don’t take it for granted anymore, you know, and I think that’s a good thing,” said Baker
The festival goes on until July 7.
