The Kecksburg UFO Festival, usually held annually in July, has been canceled this year, even though most of Pennsylvania’s covid-19 mitigation restrictions will be lifted May 31.

“We had to cancel. We needed more time to line up vendors. … There were just too many questions,” said Ron Struble, a Kecksburg volunteer firefighter and festival committee chairman.

Members voted last week to shelve the festival that commemorates an unexplained Dec. 9, 1965, event when several people saw an object resembling a UFO land near the village in Mt. Pleasant Township. The 2020 festival also was canceled because of the pandemic.

The festival attracts about 5,000 people each year for events including a community parade and UFO presentations, Struble said. Proceeds benefit the Kecksburg Volunteer Fire Department.

“We didn’t want to (cancel), but we just didn’t have enough time. We’re going to take a big hit,” Struble said, noting the festival raises about $15,000 to $20,000 a year.

To make up for some of the financial loss, the department plans to hold another drive-thru Old Fashion Day like it had last summer. A date has not been determined.

The fire department kitchen will be open for curbside service. Last year’s menu included hot dogs, burgers, fries, funnel cake fries, tacos and kettle corn.

Residents were invited to bring lawn chairs and eat and listen to the raffle drawings in the parking lot.

The department’s UFO paraphernalia store also will also be open.

“Maybe with Gov. Wolf lifting the covid orders, we can have a little bigger drive-thru event that day,” Struble said.

Plans are already in the works for the next UFO Festival, which will be held July 29-31, 2022.

Donations can be sent to the Kecksburg Volunteer Fire Department at 5128 Water St, Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666.

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