About 80 people gathered at the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino on Saturday for the second annual Pahrump Alien Conference, where speakers shared theories on UFOs and extraterrestrial life. Self-described ufologist De La Torre told the crowd he can see up to 200 unmistakable UFOs overhead during a few hours of sky-watching, presenting a blurry photo of a suspicious orb as evidence. "You can see anything you want to if you keep looking," he said.
The event featured a range of speakers, including author Kathy Porter, who incorporates her own reported alien encounters into her novels, and Jesse Marcel III, grandson of the Air Force major who investigated the 1947 Roswell incident. An online segment was scheduled to include an expert on Bigfoot sightings. Casino staff joined the theme, wearing headbands with shiny green alien ears alongside their uniforms.
Nevada's connection to alien lore runs deep, from Area 51 to the state-designated Extraterrestrial Highway. The 2019 "Storm Area 51" event brought thousands to nearby Rachel, Lincoln County. In rural Nye County, the vast desert landscape fuels a local affinity for the unexplained. Pahrump resident Pam Goslar joked her late father wasn't dead but "going back to the mothership."
Sisters Jacky Walker, 73, and Alma Wade, 82, returned for a second year, citing a shared curiosity and the conference's benefit to local businesses. "I did not have any idea that there was so many people interested this phenomenon," Walker said. "I'm hoping that it builds and becomes much more well-known." Las Vegas resident Mary Sanders, 69, who once dismissed alien theories, offered tarot readings using an alien-themed deck.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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