The fourth annual festival celebrating the anniversary of the world’s first encounter with the iconic Men in Black is Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Quarterdeck in Des Moines. 

The Men In Black Birthday Bash (MIBBB) is the main event of the week-long MIBBB Fest 2025. Bash attendees come dressed as Men in Black or other black-and-white attire and enjoy themed music, comedy bits, quirky traditions, light bites, and surprises. 

The MIBBB program launches at exactly 6:22 p.m. (corresponding with 6/22, the date the first MIB reportedly appeared in the Pacific Northwest) with a ceremonial collective countdown to the “Great Synchronization.”

Loosely structured as an annual meeting of a decades-old secret organization representing the “Men and Women in Black Worldwide” (the “MAW-IBW Chapter 1947”), the Bash is part birthday party, performance art, and variety show. Irreverent surprises are the norm. Traditions have included:

  • Each attendee receives a mission box with curated event-related swag. 
  • An annual report of MIB news and the status of grievances with Roswell’s “UFO-industrial complex.”
  • Trays of chocolate-covered donuts, a reference to the FBI’s 1947 description of the Maury Island UFOs.
  • The coveted MIBBBY Awards for the best Men/Women in Black costume.
  • Dancing to Johnny Rivers’ “Secret Agent Man,” the official song of the MAW-IBW.
  • Lifetime achievement awards (the first was given to Dan Akroyd, who did not attend and has yet to pick up his trophy).
  • The finale: an annual warning and prediction, fueled by “scientific findings,” of precisely how long until the alien invasion. 

MIBBB Fest commemorates the first recorded sighting of a Man in Black. On June 22, 1947, a Tacoma man, Harold Dahl, was visited by a man dressed in a black suit and fedora the day after Dahl allegedly saw six UFOs over Puget Sound. Known as “The Maury Island Incident,” the encounter was the first UFO sighting during the Summer of the Saucers, when thousands of UFO incidents were reported worldwide. 

Organizers have adopted the theme “Sparky’s Revenge” for this year’s MIBBB Fest and will pause to remember the beloved family dog allegedly struck by debris from a Maury Island UFO.

The encounter inspired the award-winning film The Maury Island Incident, written by local historian and MIBBB Fest co-founder Steve Edmiston and directed by Burien resident Scott Schaefer. 

Over 9 days, additional 2025 MIBBB Fest Events include: 

  • June 13, 5:30 p.m., Alien Abductee Colleen Rafferty Look-alike Contest: Marina Mercantile, Des Moines. Sponsored by Harper Studios. Free with ticket.
  • June 13-20, Alienvitation Scavenger Hunt: Westfield Southcenter Mall, daily during mall hours. Sponsored by Explore Seattle Southside. Free, no ticket required.
  • June 20, 6:30 p.m., Alienvitation Saucers with Sass: Maury Island Incident film screening and drag queen trivia contest, AMC Southcenter 16 Theater. Sponsored by Explore Seattle Southside. Ticketed.
  • June 21, 5:30 p.m., Men in Black Birthday Bash: Quarterdeck, Des Moines. Ticketed.
  • June 21, 9:30 p.m., MIBBB Games Bash Afterparty: Waterland Arcade. Arcade entry fees apply, Bash attendees and cosplay discounts provided.
  • June 22, 11:00 a.m., Sparky’s Revenge Dog Flying Disc Tournament: Des Moines Field House. Sponsored by Destination Des Moines featuring Summit Disc Dogs. Free, no ticket required.

Tickets for All Events Available at EventBrite

  2025 MIBBB Fest links:

About MIBBB Fest

Held each year in Des Moines, Washington, MIBBB Fest commemorates history’s first alleged encounter with the so-called Men in Black, the infamous 1947 Maury Island Incident, and the top-secret government intervention that followed. This local festival was founded in 2022 by a small group of Des Moines residents, including Des Moines natives Steve and Melody Edmiston, who are passionate about sharing the fascinating stories of their hometown’s history.

About Steve Edmiston

Steve is an appointee to the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, and has keynoted the Washington State Historical Society, Smith Tower Rumrunners Club, McMenamin’s History Pubs, conferences, festivals, historical societies, and business groups.  He is also a business, entertainment, Intellectual Property attorney, and independent film screenwriter/producer. He is credited with four feature films (including Lifetime’s Crimes of the Past). His award-winning shorts include The Maury Island Incident, The Day My Parents Became Cool, and Thr33. Click here to learn more about Steve Edmiston.