Storm Area 51 events — TIMELINE
A look at some key dates and events leading up to this week’s Storm Area 51 events.
June 27 — Matty Roberts creates the tongue-in-cheek “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” event on Facebook. Thousands quickly volunteer to storm the base, with more than 2 million people eventually signing up.
July 31 — The Belize Tourism Board offers residents of Rachel a chance to win a free trip to their country, including airfare and hotel accommodations, to escape the Storm Area 51 events.
Aug. 3 — Roberts posts a screenshot of the message he received saying the Storm Area 51 event “has been taken down by Facebook because content posted to this event went against our Community Standards.” The page is restored within days.
Aug. 12 — The Storm Area 51 Facebook event rebrands as Alienstock after Roberts set the alienstockfestival.com website.
Aug. 19 — Lincoln County pre-signs a declaration of emergency to prepare for a possible surge of visitors ahead of a pair of planned Storm Area 51 events. The County Commission also gave conditional approval for Alienstock, to be held in Rachel, and the UFology Expo, to be held in Hiko. The UFology Expo later became the Storm Area 51 Basecamp Experience.
Aug. 20 — Nye County officials vote 3-1 to deny an outdoor festival license for the Peacestock 51 event, which was slated to be located in Amargosa Valley.
Aug. 21 — Air Force spokeswoman Laura McAndrews acknowledges that “The United States Air Force is aware of the Facebook post” suggesting that people Storm Area 51.
Aug. 22 — Tickets for the Storm Area 51 Basecamp Experience in Hiko are available for $51 at Ticketmaster.
Aug. 28 — Nye County commissioners pre-sign an emergency declaration allowing for an expedited process if an emergency develops during planned Storm Area 51 events.
Sept. 3 — Alienstock in Rachel and Area 51 Basecamp in Hiko get the final green light from the Lincoln County Commission.
Sept. 9 — Lincoln County has a mandatory meeting of all agencies, including the sheriff’s department, jail, dispatch and the county’s legal team, to organize a plan of action for Storm Area 51 events. The sheriff’s department says up to $30,000 in overtime could be needed to cover the events.
Sept. 9 — Matty Roberts, the creator of the Storm Area 51 movement, announces he is pulling out of the Alienstock festival in Rachel, citing concerns abut the event’s organization and funding.
Sept. 10 — The Alientock festival in Rachel announces its musical lineup.
Sept. 10 — It is announced that Roberts, will be featured at The Bud Light Area 51 Celebration on Sept. 19 at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.
Sept. 11 — Two men from the Netherlands are arrested after Nye County police said they trespassed onto the Nevada National Security Site for a YouTube video.
Sept. 12 — Attorneys representing Roberts send a cease-and-desist letter demanding a halt to the Alienstock event in Rachel. The letter states that Alienstock is “in absolutely no shape to proceed” and cites “inadequate planning and preparation for the tens of thousands of people that were expected to show up, as well as inadequate infrastructure and services.”
Sept. 12 — The popular “Extraterrestrial Highway” sign, located at the junction of state route 318 and state route 375, is removed by the Nevada Department of Transportation ahead of planned Storm Area 51 Events.
Sept. 13 — Connie West, owner of the Little A’Le’Inn in Rachel, issues two releases calling the town of Rachel “the official host of Alienstock 2019” and declaring the party, set for Sept. 19-22, was on and safe.
Sept. 16 — Officials in Lincoln County suggest they could pursue legal action against Facebook and the original event organizers to recoup some of the money the county will spend during the two events. Emergency Manager Eric Holt said the county is budgeting $250,000 for oversight of Alienstock, which takes place Thursday through Sunday in Rachel, and Area 51 Basecamp, occurring Friday through Sunday at the Alien Research Center in Hiko. The rural areas more than 100 miles north of Las Vegas lack the services and infrastructure to host a large event
Sept. 17 — The Federal Aviation Administration issues temporary flight restrictions covering area in Lincoln County where two planned events are taking place, and one in Nye County, near where two Dutch Youtubers breached the gates of the test and training site, leading to their arrest. Flight restrictions will be in place from Sept. 18-23 and include the use of drones.
Sept. 19 — Groups of campers start to set up near the Storm Area 51 site, just off Route 375 in Rachel. Some fly American flags and some fly alien-themed flags, letting passersby know they’re ready for the party.
Sept. 20 — About 100 extraterrestrial enthusiasts converged at the back gate of Area 51 near Rachel to follow through on the original Area 51 raid plan. Some of the crowd acted as if they were going to “storm” the gates, but stopped after getting laughs from the crowd, as Europe’s “Final Countdown” blared from a attendee’s speaker.
