Thank you!!! Sadly, the Alien Abduction Festival is now over & all good alien big kids are now tucked safe in their beds. Please click here for the quickie wrap-up!
Happy Worker, 3rd Quadrant Comics, Bakka Phoenix Books, Raq n Waq and Come as You Are invite you to attend the
Celebrating of all things extraterrestrial & sci-fi, for alien fanatics and creative types alike.
- To everyone who came and created - you were (and are) amazing!! Thanks for joyfully turning "junk" into super groovy tin foil hats, UFOs and aliens.
**If you can share any fun pics pretty please email us copies and we'll post a selection early next week.
If you'd like to know about any future crazy & creative events, email us and we'll add you to our monthlyish mailing list. - To everyone that donated or bought t-shirts and buttons - thank you for spreading good karma & supporting the community and its rebirth from the fire.
- To everyone who helped out (you know who you are) we can't thank you enough. But for now, please accept one "thanks!" as just a small token. More thanks coming soon.
- Final note... this was the first Alien Abduction Festival, and as can be expected when big ideas meet sleep deprivation not everything went exactly to plan. But everyone overlooked the small hiccups and focused on what the festival was all about - having fun and celebrating inventive whimsy. Thanks! :)
Yours with lots o' alieny love and creative affection,
the Happy Worker crew & the Alien Abduction Festival bunch - 3rd Quadrant Comics, Bakka-Phoenix Books, Come as You Are and Raq n Waq.
Alien Abduction Festival 2008
Location: Queen & Bathurst, Toronto ONDate: Thursday, March 20
Time: 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Email: info@happyworker.com
100% Free!
Download the Alien Abduction Festival Poster [PDF] [JPG]
About & FAQs
What is "Extraterrestrial Abductions Day"?The short answer… March 20 is the "official" day of the Festival of Extraterrestrial Abductions. Despite our extensive research, we don't know who created the day or for what specific purpose. But we assume it's the special day chosen by our alien overlords themselves. Every year on March 20 they swoop down and select lucky humans from around the globe for a personal tour of their spaceships, along with the unique opportunity to take part in various exciting testing procedures.
What is the "Alien Abduction Festival" all about?
It’s a good excuse to share some light hearted, geeky n' creative fun. We’ve joined with some great spots in our 'hood to share a wide variety of alieny fun for everyone… human and ETs alike. There’s extraterrestrial arts and crafts with alien, UFO and tin foil hat making, bizarre eats, funky music, and a grab bag o' fun like random alien abductions, UFO rides, and crop circles, and other spacey strangeness.
Where's the Festival being held?
The extraterrestrial epicenter is Queen Street West and Bathurst Street, the creative hotspot in Toronto, ON, Canada. All locations are on Queen Street within 1-2 blocks west of Bathurst.
View Larger Map
For the official event map, please see the Guide to Alien Abduction Festival - for humans.
What if I'm not in Toronto?
If you're not able to join the festival in person, please take a few minutes to doodle what an extraterrestrial would look like to you & add it to our "Alien Exhibit… drawn by humans" gallery! If you're interested in alien-inspired higher learning, check out our Alien Resource and Info Page to gather information about these little green men.
What events are happening?
Click here to get all the facts.
What if I don't think alien abductions should be treated in a light-hearted way?
We appreciate that for some members of the extraterrestrial community, abductions are considered a serious matter. Some feel it should not be approached in an entertaining way. Please understand that we are not attempting to poke fun at these concerns or at abduction events.
I like Aliens... Teach me about them!
There are loads of web resources about local, national and international happenings about UFO fun, alien encounters and crop circley good times. For a short list of the best resources, see the Alien Resource and Info seciont. *Remember to remove your tin foil hat first for maximum learning and experience sharing with the aliens!
Who is Happy Worker?
We’re a band o' inventive types… we create original action figures, custom toys, and other fun for big kids. We also happen to be cursed with really overactive imaginations, and look for ways to let out a little creative stream to prevent our brains from exploding. We also love giving back to the community whenever we can.
Event & Activities
Alien Birthing RoomCreate your own ETs & abduct them home afterwards
3rd Quadrant Comics, 685 Queen St. W
Spaceship factory Craft your own UFO from all kinds of unidentifiable found objects
Bakka Phoenix Books, 697 Queen St. W
Probology 101Hourly sessions from 5 to 8 on possible alien probing techniques (adults only)
Come as You Are, 701 Queen St. W
Tin Hat TailoringDesign your own tin foil hat and protect your thoughts from prying little green men
Happy Worker @ 3rd Quadrant, 685 Queen St. W
Extraterrestrial Eats & Grooves for Intergalactic TravelAll kinds o' alieny snacks and drinkypoos
Raq n Waq, 739 Queen Street West, 2nd floor
How to Talk to Aliens
Anthropology Expert Dr. Kathryn Denning
9:00 pm @ Raq n Waq, 739 Queen Street West, 2nd floor
Plus!
- Free UFO rides
- Random abduction incidents
- Other alieny fun & frolic
Official Events & Activities in Greater Detail
Alien Birthing Room
Alien Birthing Room
3rd Quadrant Comics, 685 Queen St. W
Everyone has their own idea of what aliens look like. This is your chance to look through your own inner extraterrestrial eyes and create your own version of an alien.... and then abduct them home afterwards. All sorts of crafty materials can -- and will be put to use... playdoh, sculpy, foam, paints, recycled objects, old toys, etc. While a mish mash of materials will be provided, all alien inventors are encouraged to bring some of their own favorite materials to play with. If you desire, you may get your a little extraterrestrial revenge by conducting some experiments on your own alien. Your newly birthed alien will be made immortal through picture taking for web posting and future identification purposes.
Event Location & Official Sponsor: 3rd Quadrant Comics, 685 Queen St. W, (416) 974-9211
When: Thursday, March 20, 2008, 5 PM to 11 PM
Extraterrestrial resources:
If you need a little inspiration, here's a few links to get your alien-making-juices going...
- A to Z of Extraterrestrial Species (Cosmic Conspiracies)
- What do aliens look like? (Alien Abduction Experience and Research)
Spacecraft Crafting
Spaceship Factory
Bakka Phoenix Books, 697 Queen St. W
Who hasn't seen strange things streaking through the sky and wondered... what if? Tap into your inventive human mind and see if you can give the alien-made crafts a run for their money (or a run for their gold-pressed latinum). Design your own UFO from an assortment of strange items.... some spare spaceship parts will be supplied, but bringing any suitable UFO-friendly materials and/or toys is also encouraged. (We don’t normally promote shooting old toys into outer space, but in this case, we’ll make an exception)
Event Location & Official Sponsor: Bakka Phoenix Books, 697 Queen St. W., (416) 963-9993
When: Thursday, March 20, 2008, 5 PM to 11 PM
UFO resources:
Fire up your extraterrestrial engineering with a few UFO related resources...
Probology 101
Probology 101
Come as You Are, 701 Queen St. W
Get the 411 on ET’s preferred human probing device (adults only) Go deep into the world of anal probing to find out what surprises await you at abductin’ time. Hey, if you miss this, you'll never now what else you're missing!
Event Location & Official Sponsor: Come as You Are, 701 Queen St. W, (416) 504-7934
When: Thursday, March 20, 2008, hourly sessions - 5:00pm, 6:00pm, 7:00pm and 8:00pm
Tin Foil Hat Tailoring
Tin foil hat tailoring station & “fashion show”
Happy Worker @ 3rd Quadrant Comics, 685 Queen St. W
Event Location & Official Sponsor: Happy Worker, hosted at 3rd Quadrant Comics, 685 Queen St. W, (416) 974-9211
When: Thursday, March 20, 2008, 5 PM to 11 PM
Extraterrestrial Eats & Grooves for Intergalactic Travel
Extraterrestrial Eats & Grooves for Intergalactic Travel
Raq n Waq, 739 Queen St. W, 2nd floor
Enjoy your Marvin the Martini with a Platter o' Misc. Human Parts (like many things, these taste a lot like chicken... or in this specific case, a lot like scrumptious chicken wings). Alien-inspired discs will be spun, providing mood music for all those planning their next space trip.
Event Location & Official Sponsor: Raq n Waq, 739 Queen St. W, 2nd floor, (416) 504-9120
When: Thursday, March 20, 2008, 5:00pm to 1:00am
How to Talk to Aliens
Anthropology Expert Dr. Kathryn Denning
9:00 pm @ Raq n Waq, 739 Queen Street West, 2nd floor
Plus!
-
Free UFO rides
-
Random abduction incidents
-
Other alieny fun & frolic
Guide to the Alien Abduction Festival... for humans
Attention aliens: the extraterrestrial version of the guide follows.
The official Alien Abduction Festival map... so you don't get lost on your way to being abducted:
(note: the guide is below)
View Alien-sized Map
Step 1: Check your calendar/clock. Is it now March 20, 2008? If yes, proceed to step 2. If no:
- before March 20, 2008? If yes, only a few more sleeps till the aliens arrive... add yourself to the official Facebook event page, and tell all your friends.
- after March 20, 2008? Sorry, ET has phoned home and the aliens have temporarily returned to their home planets. Consider adding yourself to the Happy Worker mailing list to be invited to future festivals or other fun events.
Step 2: Yay, the Alien Abduction Festival is here! Bring yourself and any alien-friendly friends down to the Queen & Bathurst area in Toronto, ON. Feel free to bring along any funky crafts to add to your UFO or alien creating experience.
Do:
- be ready to enjoy and embrace strangeness in all its forms
- jump in and create fun wherever you go!
- wear your tin foil hat and other extraterrestrial garb with pride
- support the Queen Street Fire Fund either by depositing earthly forms of currency in appropriately indicated collection jars, and/or by buying buttons and t-shirts
- spread joy and happiness to all humans and aliens you meet
- fill your brain with outer space stats on aliens, UFOs, crop circles and paranormal niffy facts
Do not:
- abduct anyone yourself -- please leave this to either our friendly neighborhood ETs or trained professionals
- use your ray gun or neurilze anyone
- consume an inhuman amount of Romulan Ale
Step 3: Check stomach. Hungry? If so, grab some extraterrestrial eats. If no, go to step 4.
Step 4: Take your pick of any of the alieny events.
Step 5: Repeat Step 4 until official earth time reaches 11 PM.
Step 6: After 11 PM? Perhaps your brain cells are in need of further stimulation... may we suggest an alien nightcap?
Step 7: Sleep well, with visions of happy aliens and their human friends dancing through your head... ZzZzZzzzz :)
Alien Abduction Festival Guide (in Alienese)
Gooeede-a tu zee Eleeee Ebdoocshun Festifel... foo eleeens
Zee ooffffeeciel Eleeee Ebdoocshun Festifel mep... su yuoo dun't get lust oon yuoor vey tu beeeng ebdoocted:
(nute-a: zee gooeede-a is beloo)
Feeoo Eleeee-seezed Mep
Step 1: Check yuoor celender/cluck. Is it noo Merch 20, 2008? Iff yes, pruceed tu step 2. Iff nu:
- beffure-a Merch 20, 2008? Iff yes, oonly a foo mure-a sleeps till zee eleeens erreefe-a... edd yuoorselff tu zee ooffffeeciel Fecebouk ifent pege-a,, und tell yuoor freeends thet zeey cun jueen in.
- effter Merch 20, 2008? Surry, IT hes phuned hume-a und zee eleeens hefe-a tempurereely retoorned tu zeeur hume-a plunets. Cunseeder eddeeng yuoorselff tu zee Heppy Vurker meeeling leest tu be-a infeeted tu footoore-a festifels oor oozeer foon ifents.
Step 2: Yey, zee Eleeee Ebdoocshun Festifel is here-a! Breeng yuoorselff und uny eleeee-freeendly freeends doon tu zee Qooeee & Bethoorst erea in Turuntu, OoN. Feel free-a tu breeng elung uny foonky creffts tu edd tu yuoor UFO oor eleeee creeting ixpereeence-a.
Du:
- be-a reedy tu eejuy und imbrece-a strungeness in ell its furms
- joomp in und creete-a foon vherefer yuoo gu!
- veer yuoor tin fueel het und oozeer ixtreterrestreeel gerb veet preede-a
- sooppurt zee Qooeee Street Fure-a Foond ieezeer by depuseeting ierthly furms ooff coorrency in epprupreeetely indeeceted cullecshun jers, und/oor by booyeeng boottuns und t-shurts
- spreed juy und heppeeness tu ell hoomuns und eleeens yuoo meet
Du nut:
- ebdooct unyune-a yuoorselff -- pleese-a leefe-a thees tu ieezeer oooor freeendly neeeghborhuud ITs oor treeened pruffesseeunels
- use-a yuoor rey goon oor neooreelze-a unyune-a
- cunsoome-a un inhoomun emuoont ooff Rumoolun Ele-a
Step 3: Check stumech. Hoongry? Iff su, greb sume-a ixtreterrestreeel iets. Iff nu, gu tu step 4
Step 4: Teke-a yuoor peeck ooff uny ooff zee eleeeny ifents.
Step 5: Repeet Step 4 until ooffffeeciel iert time-a reeches 11 PM.
Step 6: Effter 11 PM? Perheps yuoor breeen cells ere-a in need ooff foorzeer stimooleshun... mey ve-a sooggest un eleeee neeghtcep?
Step 7: Sleep vell, veet feesiuns ooff heppy eleeens und zeeur peupley freeends (yuoo?) dunceeng thruoogh yuoor heed... ZzZzZzzzz :)
Alien Information & Resources
Interested in extraterrestrials, UFOs and the paranormal? Inform yourself and check out these mainly Canadian resources on all things alien. Already informed, but looking to have some out of this world good times? Attend the Alien Abduction Festival.Canadian UFO Survey
http://www.canadianuforeport.com/survey/index.html
UFO information and resources, plus Canadian UFO sighting statistics
Orbwatch
http://orbwatch.com/
Images of UFO and Orb sightings
Life on Other Worlds
http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/~rucinski/ast251.html
Lectures and discussions about life in outer space
Ontario Sightings
http://www.pararesearchers.org/UFOs/sightings/sightings.html
Send in your personal paranormal experiences and read sightings recounted by others
Canadian Crop Circle Research Network
http://www.cccrn.ca
Investigation and study of crop circle occurances across Canada
Paranormal Investigation Society of Toronto
http://ghosts.meetup.com/547/messages/boards/thread/4177540
Vote on paranormal events and give your opinion. Check out investigation images, too.
Skeptics Canada
http://www.skeptics.ca/index.html
A critical look at paranormal theories based on factual information and data. Test yourself with fun logical quizzes.
Have a link to suggest? Contact heidi@happyworker.com with your suggestion.
Partners
Many thanks to the official Alien Abduction Festival sponsors!
3rd Quadrant ComicsHosts of the Alien Birthing Room
685 Queen St. W, Toronto, ON | (416) 974-9211
A generous helping of the pop culture universe that's magically squeezed into one store, 3rd Quadrant Comics caters to comic and toy geeks of all types.
Bakka-Phoenix BooksHosts of the Spaceship Factory
697 Queen St. W, Toronto, ON |(416) 963-9993
Bakka-Phoenix Books may be Canada's oldest SF bookstore, but that doesn't mean we've been involved in the cover-up of alien abductions since 1972. That's our story, and there's no one left alive to contradict it.
Come As You AreHosts of Probology 101
701 Queen St. W, Toronto, ON | (416) 504-7934
Come As You Are is the only co-operatively run sex shop in the world! Its open, comfortable and inclusive store helps people of all sorts explore their sexual possibilities. With its online store and a website chock full of sexual resources and info, Come As You Are supplies a wide range of sexual solutions for its diverse clientele.
Raq & WaqHosts of Extraterrestrial Eats & Grooves for Intergalactic Travel
739 Queen Street West, 2nd floor, Toronto, ON | (416) 504-9120
Raq n Waq was first established in 1997, and is not only one of the first bars to arrive in the Queen West neighbourhood, but it's also rumored to be a favorite hangout for extraterrestrials passing through the area.
Happy WorkerHosts of Tin Foil Hat Tailoring
We happily bend over backwards to bring fun to aliens and big kids alike. Our ultimate dream is for everyone to be a happy worker. Our original action figures include SuperMom, GeekMan, MoneyMan and BossMan. We also create custom toys and gifts that bring happiness to corporate types, and run an online magazine filled with odd-ball facts, trivia, news, and features about weird-o happenings in the work world.
Rickshaw Runners of Toronto Media
Providers of fine rickshaw rides, servicing streets and corporate events throughout Toronto
An aside...
A heaping big special thanks with sugar on top to our volunteers, and to the whole Happy Worker creative crew for pitching in a lot of nights and weekends to make the impossible probable... Heidi for her word-spreading wizardry, Dani for her groovy alien art, Stephanie for her crafty goodness, Evan for his photo-snappiness, Shirley for her digital prowess, and Kris for making doing nothing look like something. Thanks gang!!
Participate
Crafty, Sci-Fi Loving & Enthusiastic Volunteers wanted and needed for Alien Abduction Day!
Before the event...
- Help create funky ET crafts - join in creating smallish or medium sized strange UFOs and ET creatures to be placed all around the Queen and Bathurst area, from any materials or found objects of your choosing. We're also turning a regular everyday conveyance device into a funky UFO.
- Take part in the Alien invasion craftacular - on the evening of Wednesday, March 19, the day before the official festival, aliens and their crafts will magically appear all over Bathurst & Queen to turn the streetscape into a melange of hundreds of little green men/women and UFOs. The humans that inhabit Queen West will never be the same again.
- Give us your cool junk - Let us know if you have quantities of any strange materials that somehow could fit the alien theme, we'll gladly take them off your hands and free up some room in your basement. The materials will provide the raw materials to create all sorts of weird aliens, spaceships and tin foil hats. If you're planning to join the festivities, feel free to bring any materials you'd like either to share or for your own personal alien crafting.
- Spread the word - let others know about the event! Just send 'em this e-card...
On the day of the event, March 20th 2008...
- Lead a craft session - share your love of crafting with other aliens by leading or supporting alien or tin foil hat making
- Drive a UFO for an hour - surprise other humans and those in antiquated petroleum-based vehicles by lending your legs to people power a UFO around the Queen & Bathurst area (While a UFO drivers' licence is not required.. a basic level of physical fitness is recommended).
To volunteer or ask any festive alien questions, please contact Heidi, heidi@happyworker.com.
Attend
Come, have fun & be abducted!
2 ways to sign up: The Event is free, but appreciate it if you'd sign up so we know you're coming and can keep you in the loop on all alieny happenings:
- Add yourself to the Facebook event page
- Join the occasional Happy Worker newsletter list
- You can also... - Lead an alieny workshop or give a fun talk - email heidi@happyworker.com
- Volunteer & join the abduction crew - email heidi@happyworker.com; more info on volunteering here
