“The Hudson Valley Corvette Club” is set in the Village of Pine Bush, New York in the fall of 1984. While there has been a long history of UFO sightings in the region, the phenomenon reached its climax in the early 1980s. One of the more popular accounts was of people seeing a mysterious triangular object outlined by colored lights. By 1984, public interest was at fever pitch and the sightings were covered in national news outlets. In August, more than 500 people attended an all-day conference at a middle school in Brewster NY to share what they had witnessed or learn more.

Law enforcement officials and some investigators went on the record—contending that what appeared to be UFO’s were actually a small group of planes flying in formation. An article in the November 1984 issue of Discover magazine, for example, reported that a group of pilots at nearby Stormville Airport had rigged lights on their small Cessna 152 planes, which gave the effect of a UFO from a distance. But scores of other eyewitnesses over the decades believed the objects they encountered defied any rational explanation.

While people may disagree on what the ultimate causes of these sightings are, few can argue that Hudson Valley UFO lore is intriguing and fun. Because Pine Bush has been a hotbed of sightings, the village has dubbed itself “The UFO Capital of the Northeast,” and has hosted the annual Pine Bush UFO Fair, which features panels of researchers and a street parade, where people of all ages are encouraged to wear costumes and join the festivities.

“The Hudson Valley Corvette Club,” not only asks “What if aliens really visited the Hudson Valley in the 1980’s?” but also “Why were they here?”