Exeter UFO Festival

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UniqueExeter
DatesDates TBA · Usually SeptemberCheck locally before booking
DurationAutumnEstimate from available data
Crowd-Public scale varies
Best forUnusual spectacle, playful rulesThe Exeter UFO Festival is grounded in a
LanguageLocal language; English access variesCurrency: USD
CategoryUniqueFestival type
The story

Exeter UFO Festival in Exeter

The Exeter UFO Festival is an annual Labor Day weekend event in downtown Exeter, New Hampshire, sponsored by the Exeter Area Kiwanis Club and built around the 1965 Incident at Exeter, a widely reported UFO sighting near Kensington, New Hampshire. The 2026 festival runs September 5 and 6, filling Town Hall Common with guest speakers, an alien costume contest and parade, and family activities.

On the night of September 3, 1965, an eighteen-year-old named Norman Muscarello was hitchhiking on a rural road in Kensington, New Hampshire, when he reported seeing a large, silent object with pulsing red lights hovering low near a farmhouse.
Your trip starts here
What is special

The part that makes it specific.

01

The place changes

The Exeter UFO Festival is grounded in a specific, well-documented piece of local history rather than a generic sci-fi theme: on September 3, 1965, eighteen-year-old Norman Muscarello reported to Exeter police that he had seen an unidentified flying object behind a barn in nearby Kensington, a case investigated at the time by journalist John Fuller and the Air Force's Project Blue Book and still cited in UFO literature as one of the better-documented American sightings

02

The mystery stays covered

The Exeter Area Kiwanis Club turned that local notoriety into an annual fundraiser that blends serious content, noted paranormal investigators and authors giving talks on ufology and related cases, with unabashedly playful programming like an alien costume contest, an alien pet contest and a UFO crash-site creation activity for kids

Traditions & symbols

The language of the festival.

What moves first

Living ritual

The festival's core ritual is retelling and re-engaging with the 1965 Incident at Exeter

Water and renewal

Living ritual

including trolley tours to sites connected with Norman Muscarello's original sighting and talks from ufologists and investigators who examine the case and related regional sightings such as the 1961 Betty and Barney Hill abduction

The sacred route

Living ritual

Around that serious core

The local code

Living ritual

the Alien Costume Contest and Parade and the Alien Pet Contest have become the festival's most visible community traditions

Tradition 5

Living ritual

open to all ages and central to the event's identity as sponsored by the Exeter Area Kiwanis Club

Before you go

Essential information

When to go

Dates TBA · Usually September

Getting around

Use the city as a planning base, then confirm the exact venue, route, or meeting point close to the date.

What to wear

Early-September New England attire: a t-shirt or light layers for warm early-fall days, with a light jacket for cooler evenings during live music or the dance party. Comfortable shoes are...

Safety

Keep valuables light, follow local instructions, and watch how residents use the space before joining in.

Where to stay

Stay near the part of the city you will actually use, with a simple return route after the main event.

Tickets/cost

Check official or local sources for ticketed areas, paid stands, and same-year access rules.

Language/currency

USD

Family friendly

unknown

Interactive map36.30 N, 119.14 WOpen in Google Maps

Exeter, NH

Nearest airportFAT — Fresno Yosemite
TransportUse the city as a planning base, then confirm the exact venue, route, or meeting point close to the date.
Stay areaStay near the part of the city you will actually use, with a simple return route after the main event.

Your Trip Starts Here

External travel services to turn the plan into a trip — each opens in a new tab.

How to get thereRoutes, times and prices to Exeter via local transport.Search routesFind a place to stayStays near Exeter, close enough for the event-day route.Browse staysFind flightsCompare fares into the nearest practical airport for September.Compare faresFestival gearEarly-September New England attire: a t-shirt or light layers for warm early-fall days, with a light jacket for cooler evenings during live music or the dance party. Comfortable shoes are recommended for walking downtown Exeter, and, if you want to join in, a costume for the Alien Costume Contest and Parade is very much encouraged rather than required.Shop the kitCheck visa requirementsSee whether you need a visa for United States and apply online.Check entry rulesTravel insuranceCover for trip hiccups, gear and health on the road.Get covered

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FAQ

Quick answers.

When is Exeter UFO Festival?

Exeter UFO Festival is listed for September · Autumn. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.

Where does Exeter UFO Festival take place?

The festival is listed in Exeter, United States. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.

How long should I plan for?

Autumn is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.

Is a source linked?

Official source linked. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.

Where exactly is it?

Exeter, NH

Is it family friendly?

unknown

Sources and editorial review

About this guide

This guide is independently written by Eventisimus using publicly available information, official event and organiser sources where available, local tourism references, and additional editorial research. Eventisimus is not the official organiser of this festival and is not affiliated with it unless explicitly stated.

Festival dates, schedules, ticket conditions, access rules, and local arrangements can change. We aim to present useful and accurate information, but travelers should confirm important details with the official event source before booking transport, accommodation, or tickets.

Found something inaccurate or outdated? Email hello@eventisimus.com with the festival page link and the correction.

Official URLexeterufofestival.org
Organizer accessAre you the organizer? Claim this listing →
SourceSource link available
Listed datesDates TBA · Usually September
Source statusOfficial source linked
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