Sunday, July 2 is World UFO Day. It's a day people all around the world turn their eyes to the sky, but for one Western Wisconsin town, they might not have to look very far.
Elmwood, Wisconsin, population 820, is a village in Pierce County. It is also one of three towns that claim to be the UFO capitol of Wisconsin (joined by Belleville and Dundee). That's because there have been many reported sightings of unidentified flying objects in the sky.
Tom Forster said he has experienced hundreds of UFO sightings. He said the first happened in 1975 when he was four years old.
"We were coming home from my grandma and grandpa's and we had seen a bright star in the sky," Forster said. "We were singing "Star light, Star bright" and it didn't land in the road in front of us but it came close and stopped us and we stopped at a neighbor's."
Forster is not the only one who has said they've had strange encounters in Elmwood. The most famous sightings happened in 1975 and 1976, when police officer George Wheeler reported seeing multiple UFO's near the rock quarry just outside of town, causing more people to take notice.
"People started talking about it because he doesn't have anything to gain, his whole reputation is at stake," Amy Bechel said.
Bechel is the president of the Elmwood community club, the group that puts on the UFO Days festival every year in late July to celebrate the town's unique encounters with the unknown.
In addition to community shows and festival events, UFO Days also includes tours of the different sighting locations in the area.
"We're not state football players every year, we're not state basketball players every year so that would be our claim to fame would be the UFO sightings and our town celebration," Bechel said.
While the town celebrates their claim to fame, some things remain a mystery.
"Are they from outer space? Is it the government? Experimental ships?" Forster said. "Will we ever know?"
Elmwood is preparing for the 44th annual UFO Days. It runs July 28 through 30. Click here for more information. All humans and other life forms are welcome.
Story Source: WXOW News 19 or CLICK HERE
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