Paul Andrews, Founder of U.F.O. Festival Contact in the Desert, Dies at 77
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 26
Paul Andrews, Founder of U.F.O. Festival Contact in the Desert, Dies at 77
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 26
Summary
Paul Andrews died June 30 at his home in Walnut Creek, California, at 77, his wife Abigail Lewis confirmed; no cause was given.
In 2013, Andrews launched Contact in the Desert at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center in Southern California, creating a gathering for U.F.O. believers to discuss encounters, interstellar science and paranormal claims.
Thousands attended the annual event, widely dubbed the “Woodstock of U.F.O.s,” for lectures on crop circles and government cover-ups and for nighttime sky watches using $5 rental night-vision goggles.
A longtime paranormal believer, Andrews said childhood experiences shaped his worldview, and supporters said his convention offered a rare public space for people to share extraterrestrial and inter-dimensional stories.