Man Behind 'Storming Area 51' Facebook Event Hosting Alienstock Festival
(CNN) -- Were you planning on storming Area 51? This festival is for you.
The creator of the viral Facebook event page calling on people to "Storm Area 51" and "see them aliens" meant it as a joke. But when 2 million people on Facebook said they'd be totally into it, hotels in the area started filling up. Soon, the feds got involved, and creator Matty Roberts got a little worried.
However, when one door closes, another opens. Roberts is now promoting something called the Alienstock Festival, a festival celebrating aliens that's set to take place September 19-22, the same weekend as the original "storm Area 51" event.
"We're aiming to establish something unique here, a meeting place for all the believers. Come out to the desert to dive into a world full of live music, arts, and camping under the stars," the festival's website says.
The town isn't really OK with this
The festival is scheduled to take place in Rachel, Nevada, a small town with an official population of ... 98. And though the festival's website states that land owners are on board with the plans, it doesn't seem like the town as a whole is.
"A dubious group, known for chaotic events like Burning Man and the Las Vegas Electric Music Festival has taken over this event. They threaten to 'take over Rachel' and claim that the residents are 'on board,' " the town's website warns. "The residents were not asked and are not on board and will certainly not allow their town to be taken over. This has a high potential of getting ugly. Please consider visiting at another time."
At the very least, a place like Rachel is not set up for an influx of alien-enamored festival-goers. It has only one motel, which doubles as a bar and restaurant, and the closest gas station is 50 miles away. The inn, called the Little A'Le'Inn, says it is booked for the weekend, meaning those who want to attend will have to camp.
So even if only a few thousand people show up -- a mere fraction of those interested in the Facebook event -- that would still be a few thousand probably inexperienced campers attempting to make it in the desert. In a city where there's no store to buy essentials, and everything is cash-only. And they may have to supply their own water.
Yeah, things aren't looking great.
Alienstock's website says it is "doing everything in our power to establish an amazing experience." It says there will be parking, camping spaces, toilets and drinking water provided, and they'll organize traffic, too. The site also boasts of "huge names" coming out to perform, but it doesn't provide any more specifics.
It could be out of this world. It could also be Fyre Festival 2.0.
The county sheriff's department and some federal agencies will be present during the event, according to Rachel's website, which also reiterates that anyone who tries to trespass into Area 51 itself will get arrested.
"And stay away from the residential part of Rachel," the town instructs. "Most residents do not like where this event is going and will respond accordingly."
Believers, you've been warned!
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
