MIBBBFest 2025 – the annual, grassroots Men In Black Birthday Bash inspired by the legendary Maury Island Incident – is inviting community members to march in this year’s Waterland Parade on Saturday, July 19, 2025, in full costume.
Organizers are seeking volunteers to join an “elite intergalactic crew” that will walk behind a giant inflatable UFO, helping tell a wildly reimagined version of the 1947 Maury Island Incident.
Parade participants are encouraged to dress as aliens, MIB agents, ghost dogs abductees, and conspiracy theorists in what promises to be one of the most surreal and entertaining entries in the popular summer parade.
“You’ll walk behind our giant inflatable UFO, help tell the (very loosely interpreted) story of The Maury Island Incident, and generally cause confusion and delight among the Earthlings of Des Moines,” the group’s official announcement said.
MIBBBFest organizers call for characters including “Colleen Raffertys,” “Men & Women in Black,” “Aliens,” “Sparky the Ghost Dog,” and even Harold Dahl & Son, referencing the original figures tied to the Maury Island legend.
The parade will take place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. in downtown Des Moines, although organizers note that “parades operate on their own space-time continuum” and the end time is approximate.
MIBBBFest has become a cornerstone of Des Moines’ summer event calendar, blending humor, history, and sci-fi with local flair. The festival commemorates the alleged 1947 UFO encounter near Maury Island—an event widely considered one of the earliest flying saucer reports and the origin of the “Men in Black” legend.
“The truth is out there. So is the parade,” the announcement concludes.
How to Join
The event calls for costumes and creativity, with full signup details available here.
