Authorities admit they don't know what to expect as the 'Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us' event kicks off in rura...
Authorities admit they don't know what to expect as the 'Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us' event kicks off in rural Nevada.
More than 2 million people have said they are 'attending' the event and more than a thousand tourists have already descended upon the tiny towns of Rachel and Hiko, located close to the highly classified Air Force Base.
The two towns have a combined population of just 175 people, with many locals wondering whether their community can cope an influx of people - after an invite to the extraterrestrial-themed event went viral on Facebook back in June.
Lincoln County Sheriff Kerry Lee told Associated Press on Thursday that around 1500 people have arrived near Area 51 - long thought to harbor government secrets about alien activity.
Police are out in force as the 'Storm Area 51' event kicks off in rural Nevada. The Air Force has issued stern warnings for people not to try to enter the Nevada Test and Training Range, where Area 51 is located
More than 2 million people said they were 'attending' the event when a Facebook invite went viral in June, with local officials bringing in extra enforcement for the three-day event, which commences on Friday.
Lincoln County Sheriff Kerry Lee told Associated Press that around 1,500 people have already arrived in the area
The Air Force has issued stern warnings for people not to try to enter the Nevada Test and Training Range, where Area 51 is located.
Several people went close to the Base on Thursday evening according to local authorities, but no arrests were made.
'It's public land. People allowed to go to the gate, as long as they don't cross the boundary,' Sheriff Lee stated.
Authorities reported no serious incidents related to festivals scheduled until Sunday in Rachel and Hiko - which are are located about a 45-minute drive apart on a state road dubbed the Extraterrestrial Highway.
George Harris, owner of the Alien Research Center souvenir store in Hiko, said locals are putting on concerts, movie screenings and talks about alien lore.
Meanwhile, electronic dance music DJ and recording artist Paul Oakenfold is headlining an 'Alienstock' concert in Hiko.
The event also promises food trucks and vendors, trash and electric service, and a robust security and medical staff.
Locals are putting on concerts, movie screenings and talks about alien lore for revelers arriving in the area
Eric Holt, the Lincoln County emergency manager overseeing preparations, said he believed authorities could handle 30,000 visitors at the two events in Rachel and Hiko
Attendees are seen setting up camp close to Area 51. Authorities are warning people to be prepared, as services such as cell phone service may go down
One musician who has arrived in the area to perform told Associated Press: 'It started as a joke, but it's not a joke for us 'We know people will come out. We just don't know how many.'
Eric Holt, the Lincoln County emergency manager overseeing preparations, said he believed authorities could handle 30,000 visitors at the two events in Rachel and Hiko.
Still, neighbors braced for trouble after millions of people responded to the 'Storm Area 51' Facebook post weeks ago.
'Those that know what to expect camping in the desert are going to have a good time,' said Joerg Arnu, a Rachel resident who can see the festival grounds from his home.
Those who show up in shorts and flip-flops will find no protection against 'critters, snakes and scorpions.'
'It will get cold at night. They're not going to find what they're looking for, and they are going to get angry,' Arnu said.
deputies last week arrested two Dutch tourists attracted by 'Storm Area 51.' The men pleaded guilty to trespassing at a secure U.S. site nowhere near Area 51 and were sentenced to three days in jail after promising to pay nearly $2,300 each in fines.
Extra police are on hand, as authorities admit they're unsure how many people will actually show up to the three-day long festivities
Some cellphones didn't work Thursday in Rachel, and officials expect what service there was to eventually be overwhelmed.
The Federal Aviation Administration closed nearby airspace, although Air Force jets could be heard in the sun-drenched skies, along with an occasional sonic boom.
Sharon Wehrly, sheriff in adjacent Nye County, home to a conspicuously green establishment called the Area 51 Alien Center, said messages discouraging Earthlings from trying to find extraterrestrials in Amargosa Valley appeared to work.
She reported no arrests or incidents Thursday.
Her deputies last week arrested two Dutch tourists attracted by 'Storm Area 51.' The men pleaded guilty to trespassing at a secure U.S. site nowhere near Area 51 and were sentenced to three days in jail after promising to pay nearly $2,300 each in fines.
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