Despite the recent rash of 80-degree weather, fall is in the air. Leaves are changing, sweaters are appearing, and CVS is going all-in on the Halloween junk. Oh, and the 2016 Milwaukee Paranormal Conference is gearing up for its second spooky year. Science—to borrow a phrase from Carl Sagan—may be a candle in the dark, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had listening to grown human beings seriously discuss the “Roswell incident” and the existence of a “Wisconsin Sasquatch.”
The conference is set for October 15-16, with most of the events taking place at the UWM Student Union. Organized once again by Milwaukee author (and Milwaukee Record contributor) Tea Krulos, MPC2016 promises a wealth of guest speakers, panel discussions, tours, workshops, vendor areas, after parties, and other events devoted to otherworldly topics like “ghosts, UFOs, cryptozoology (the study of mystery animals, like Bigfoot), and folklore and culture.” Here’s a list of speaker highlights, courtesy of MPC2016:
Cryptozoology expert Loren Coleman, who has written dozens of books on the subject and is curator of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Katrina Weidman, star of the hit reality show Paranormal Lockdown.
Chase Kloetzke, Deputy Director of Investigations and Special Case Manager for the Mutual UFO Network.
Elizabeth Saint, proprietor of Ghostly Gadgets and co-star of Destination America’s Ghosts of Shepherdstown.
Linda S. Godfrey and Chad Lewis, both longtime researchers and authors of strange phenomenon in Wisconsin.
The Roswell Debate. A moderated debate between researchers Donald R. Schmitt and Mark O’Connell on UFO investigation techniques and the 1947 Roswell case.
In addition to the main events, the conference will feature a VIP dinner party at the Mitchell Park Pavilion on the Lagoon October 14, a “Raven’s Ball” after party at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center October 15, and an MPC Film Fest at the Underground Collaborative October 16.
A full schedule of events can be found here, and pre-sale tickets can be picked up via Indiegogo here.