A real American flag is hoisted up next to a fake flying saucer at the San Diego County Fair, which is focused around a UFO theme this year. The Fair runs through July 4. Most fairs and carnivals try to attract a wide demographic: Families, singles, foodies, aspiring prize-winners, but the organisers at the San Diego Country Fair are casting their net even wider and hope to get some extraterrestrials. The Fair opens June 8 is themed ‘Out Of This World’, and will include exhibits dedicated to space travel done by humans and alleged trips to Earth by alien visitors. Fair spokeswoman Linda Zweig says the fair is America’s sixth largest, but hopes to get bigger by attracting visitors from beyond the southern California — like Alpha Centauri. “It would be so cool if some aliens decide to come,” she said. “I don’t know if their craft would fit in the parking lot, but if they show up, we’ll make room. There’s plenty of room in the infield.” The infield area just happens to be where most of the alienating exhibits are located in a section called “Area Fifty Fun,” that will have displays of alleged alien encounters such as Roswell and ancient Egypt, and a mock UFO crash. Although mixing extraterrestrials with cotton candy, Tilt-A-Whirls and livestock competitions could be conceivably alienating, UFO researcher Mel Podell of the San Diego chapter of the Mutual UFO Network believes it’s an out-of-this-world opportunity to raise the profile of Ufology. “This may be the first UFO-themed fair ever,” Podell told The Huffington Post. “Hopefully, it will bring in more members to MUFON.” Podell says San Diego is already hotbed for UFO activity, thanks, in part, to the many military bases, and because the trademark sunny skies make it easier to spot strange aircraft. Another researcher, Ed McBride said: “The fact that they’re doing this is amazing, partially because of there’s so much institutional denial about UFOs, and also because they’re focusing on the science aspect.” The most famous example of that may be the 1997 mass suicide by the members of the Heaven’s Gate cult that took place in Rancho Santa Fe, a short saucer ride away from the fairgrounds. That event, which led to 39 deaths, is not mentioned in any of the UFO exhibits according to sources.