REMINDER: It’s time to put on your tin hat! The Men in Black Birthday Bash (aka MIBBB Fest) starts tomorrow – Friday, June 13, 2025 – with an alien abductee lookalike contest inspired by the recurring SNL character Colleen Rafferty, played by Kate McKinnon.
The week continues with wild and wacky events to commemorate the Maury Island Incident, which resulted in the first ever reported encounter with a Man in Black, right here in the PNW. The festival’s signature event happens on Saturday, June 21, when guests come dressed in black and white for an evening of music, entertainment and quirky traditions, followed by an afterparty at the Waterland Arcade. The week concludes with Sparky’s Revenge Dog Flying Disc Contest, a tribute to a pet who allegedly met his end in an incident involving the UFO in the Maury Island Incident.

MIBB Fest Events

Here’s a complete rundown of MIBBB Fest 2025 special events:
  • Friday, June 13: Alien Abductee Lookalike Contest at Marina Mercantile, Des Moines
  • June 13-22: Alienvitation Scavenger Hunt at Westfield Southcenter
  • Friday, June 20: Maury Island Incident screening and drag queen trivia contest, AMC Southcenter 16 Theater
  • Saturday, June 21: Men in Black Birthday Bash, Quarterdeck, Des Moines
  • Saturday night, June 21: Bash after-party at Waterland Arcade, Des Moines
  • Sunday, June 22: Sparky’s Revenge Dog Flying Disc Contest, Des Moines Field House

Tickets Available at EventBrite

For more information – including other 2025 MIBBB Fest events:

About MIBBB Fest

Held each year in Des Moines, WA, MIBBB Fest commemorates history’s first alleged encounter with the so-called Men in Black, the infamous 1947 “Maury Island Incident” (which occurred when a Tacoma man claimed he saw flying objects while scavenging logs off Maury Island), and the top-secret government intervention that followed. This local festival was founded in 2022 by a small group of Des Moines residents 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. Learn more about Steve Edmiston here.