Was that a UFO seen above Barnardsville?

CITIZEN-TIMES.com

At least 12 UFOs were spotted hovering over the picnic area of the Big Ivy Community Center on Friday night in Barnardsville. The dark, starry sky with gentle winds made for perfect weather conditions for UFO launching, and seekers of the paranormal gathered shortly after dark in anticipation of making contact.

As a result, the third annual Speaking of Strange UFO Experience was a beaming success, and many took the chance to build and launch their homemade UFOs.

Joshua P. Warren emceed the event and provided entertaining commentary during UFO viewing. Warren is the host of the Speaking of Strange radio program (speakingofstrange.com) that airs on WWNC-AM on in Asheville Saturday nights from 8 to 11 p.m.

"This event serves two purposes,"Warren said. "Seeing creative fake UFOs will help us rule out fakes when analyzing UFO pictures and footage. Secondly, it's just going to be downright fun."

The UFO Experience is a UFO launching competition at which UFO builders bring handmade masterpieces to be launched into the night sky.

Vessels are usually propelled into the sky with the use of helium balloons and then brought back down to earth with a tethered line.

The spacecraft are judged on how well they create the illusion of being an actual UFO and how well they can be seen in the dark sky.

For the third year in a row, the grand prize went to Jeff Wilson of Morristown, Tenn. Jeffs fantastic display of lights and misty special effects drew cheers from the crowds. Jeff and his wife, Debbie, celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary on the day of the competition. The prize package included a two night's stay at Barnardsville's Graystone Cabins, a gift certificate from Barnardsville Grocery and a toy UFO. Debbie found this year's event, "the most competitive by far."

Jim Robison, who lives near Chattanooga, Tenn., won the second place prize, which included a discounted stay at Graystone Cabins. Robison's space craft illusion was created by using paper, fire and physics that formed a galactic lantern producing a variety of effects.

Robison has been building spacecraft since 1979 and appreciated being recognized for his efforts. When asked about whether his friends supported his passion for UFO building, he replied, "They aren't quite as open minded as I am." After such a positive experience, he plans to return next year.

The third prize package, tickets to Asheville's Haunted Ghost Tour (HauntedAsheville.com) and Dark 30 Tour (Dark30Tour.com) went to Yeva, who, like Cher, goes by one name. Yeva is a smashing blonde-haired terrestrial diva with an extraterrestrial soul. If her spacecraft didn't capture the crowd's attention, then her playful spirit certainly did, as she told stories of her recent visit to New Mexico for the 60th anniversary of the Roswell incident. Yeva (yevasuniverse.com) is a cosmic artist, poet and songwriter who claims to have the largest ET collection in this world.

Next time you think you spot a UFO, you had better be sure the annual Speaking of Strange UFO Experience isn't in town.