Asst. News Director: Iain Munro

Web Producer: Todd Dukart

ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE-KBIM) - Roswell on Thursday opens up to UFO enthusiasts and skeptics alike for its annual celebration of the Roswell Incident, one of the most debated incidents in history.

The Roswell UFO Festival runs Thursday through Sunday, featuring guest speakers, authors, live entertainment, a costume contest, parade, family-friendly activities and more.

Jefferson Starship will be the "Grand Martians" of the Amazing Roswell Alien Parade on Friday at 7:30pm. They will also perform. Also in the parade is Kentucky Derby-winning horse Mine that Bird.

In early July 1947, a mysterious object crashed on a ranch 30 miles north of Roswell. The Roswell Army Air Field issued a statement claiming to have recovered a crashed "flying disk."

An article ran on the front page of the Roswell Daily Record and the next day, RAAF changed its statement to say that the object was a weather balloon, not a flying disk as they previously reported.

This revised statement sparked immediate controversy and has continued to be a topic of debate more than 60 years later.