D.B.Cooper Party

Festival Location: Aerial, WA, USA

Festival State: Washington Festivals

Festival Type(s): Bizarre Festivals, Fan Coventions

D.B.Cooper Party

By: © Jan Friedman 2009

Let's set the stage. D. B. Cooper is famous for one, single act - he hijacked a jet in 1971 and parachuted into the Washington night with $200,000 of ransom money tied to his waist. He disappeared forever, leaving behind a legacy as the country's only unsolved hijacking. On the edge of Lake Merwin is the tiny (pop.700) town of Ariel that became, for a time, headquarters for the search team.

Since 1974 the town has held a D.B.Cooper Party at the Aerial Store to honor their only claim to fame. Two hundred and fifty fans show up each year, with one once coming from as far away as Australia. In the five-year milestone years, that number doubles. Always the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the party only lasts a day, starting around 1 PM and ending, usually, by midnight. If the guests are feeling creative, they'll start a story-telling contest, giving a prize for the best story of what might have happened to old D.B. They always have a look-alike contest, with D.B. Cooper fans showing up dressed as the hijacker was-in a suit with a backpack, a parachute, goggles, and no shoes. Otherwise they just hang around, listening to music, and keeping the story alive.

The above is an excerpt from Jan Friedman's wonderful, Eccentric America. Read more from Eccentric America at Jan's website at www.eccentricamerica.com or take a look at Jan's latest offering, Eccentric California at www.eccentriccalifornia.net.

by Jan Friedman

D.B.Cooper Party Dates and Location

The D.B.Cooper Party is held every November, always the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Aerial Store, 288 Merwin Village Rd, Aerial, WA 98603 [360 225 7126] 10 miles east of Woodland off Hwy 503. Look for the Merwin Dam sign