Carbondale hosts the Carbondalien Festival this weekend with a light parade, alien hot-air balloon rides, and a concert.
CARBONDALE, Pa. — An out-of-this-world event will be landing in Carbondale this weekend. It’s the Carbondalien Festival!
“Last year we had about 3,000 people come into Carbondale for the day. It was an amazing, beautiful day so we’re expecting a large crowd and some interesting and fun vendors to take a look at,” Carbondalien Festival Co-chair Stefanie Colarusso said.
Carbondale has a history with extraterrestrial beings. In 1974, a glowing unidentified object was reported at nearby Russell Park. You can relive the event at Saturday’s festival with the “Russell Park Experience,” which is an interactive play.
“We are doing this year twice as many performances in order to allow more people to get in and to experience this. They’ll come in, they’ll follow a tour guide around,” Playwright Brenda Fager said.
The Carbondalien Festival kicks off Friday with a light parade through downtown Carbondale followed by a concert featuring Tom May of the Menzingers. On Saturday there will be more than 50 vendors, hot air balloon rides and more.
“We have a speaker series downtown. We have our marketplace. We have live music, an art walk. We have live art happening downtown,” Carbondalien Festival Co-chair Nicole Curtis said.
You’ll be able to get your galactic passport stamped by visiting downtown businesses.
“Each one has an individual space-themed stamp for that business and if you get at least one stamp you can bring it back to the landing pad and receive your 2025 Carbondalien Festival keepsake,” Parade Organizer Lisa Hebden said.
The Carbondalien Festival and this Friday and Saturday in downtown Carbondale.