BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Bruce Willis isn't the only thing that dies hard, so do alien encounter stories such as what allegedly occurred 60 years in Roswell, New Mexico, where at least 35,000 people took part in a festival last week to commemorate a purported flying saucer crash on a nearby ranch in July 1947.

Participants filled hotel rooms and nearly doubled the southeastern New Mexico town's population for a few days for the 2007 Amazing Roswell UFO Festival.

The festival, which began Thursday, is a mixed bag of live concerts (one headlined by a band with a computer-generated 'alien' drummer), costume contests, vendors, a Main Street parade and lectures that ponder everything from body snatchers to "What Does NASA Really Know?"

The festival came to light in the 1990s to encourage debate about the alleged flying saucer crash, which the government says was a top-secret weather balloon. Believers in the Roswell Incident say the government is conspiring to hide the truth about the events of that day and, more broadly, the existence of extraterrestrial life.

The city's convention center swarmed with vendors hawking trinkets and dolls, photo ops with costumed aliens, psychic readings and a kit to test whether your neighbor or boss is from outer space. Many peddled their books, DVDs or artwork of all things otherworldly.

The festival was organized for the first time by the city of Roswell, after the local UFO museum hosted it for more than a decade.

Mayor Sam LaGrone said he was happily surprised by the turnout - and the economic boost it would give the city.

"I've never seen so many cars in town," he said.

(Agencies)