http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/NEWS10/80424035/-1/newsfront
Close encounters of the fun kind By
Maggie Downs
The expansive desert of Landers is where stories bloom.
It is here where aerospace engineer George Van Tassel moved his family under Giant Rock, a sacred place for Native Americans and once the largest free-standing boulder in the world.
It is here where Van Tassel said he was visited by aliens, boarded their spacecraft and was given the plans for the construction of a machine that would make people young again.
It is here where Van Tassel built that machine, a giant dome called the Integratron, and held a series of conventions to help pay for its completion.
It is here where people still gather to pay homage to the paranormal phenomena of the 1950s, '60s and '70s -- and share their stories of otherworldly contact, too.
“As far as alien contact goes, Landers is every bit as important as Roswell (N.M.),” said Barbara Harris of Yucca Valley. “They just got all the attention.”
Harris wants to change that. Three years ago she organized the first Retro UFO Spacecraft Convention as a way to draw attention to Landers' history.
The quirky two-day event in cludes historical re-enactments, laser light shows, campy movies, even a foil hat competition, possibly to inspire another visit from outer space.
Visitors can enjoy relaxing sound baths inside the dome, tour the Giant Rock area and take part in question-and-answer sessions.
The more science-oriented can at tend lectures from astronomers and hear from speakers who worked with and knew Van Tassel.
"There’s so much to learn and so many people to learn from," Harris said. "This is a lighthearted event, but there are also people with im portant things to share."
The festival is also a throwback to the days when Van Tassel would draw more than 10,000 people to the high desert for meditation, speakers and an opportunity to talk about their experiences.
"This is a big part of our history, and we don’t want to lose it," she said.
Close encounters of the fun kind
What: Revisit the UFO phenomena of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s at the Retro UFO Spacecraft Conference.
When: Saturday and Sunday
Where: The Integratron, 2477 Belfield Blvd., Landers
Events: Speakers, soundbaths, exhibits, historical recreations, astronomers, movies, music and more.
Cost: $85 per day or $155 for the weekend
For more information: Call 365-5646 or e-mail retroufo@aol.com
