Photo: UFO investigator turned author Ray Szymanski speaking at the Dexter District Library on August 24, 2024. Szymanski brings new revelations to his March 2026 presentation. Photo by Doug Marrin.
On March 20 and 21, 2026, UFO researcher and author Raymond Szymanski will return to the Dexter District Library with a new presentation revisiting the 1966 Dexter and Hillsdale sightings, an event still etched into local history. The two dates will feature identical programs, and attendees will be required to register for one session.
The presentations fall on the 60th anniversary of the Dexter and Hillsdale incidents, when hundreds of people, including dozens of police officers, reported seeing unidentified objects at close range. The national attention that followed led to a short Air Force investigation and Dr. J. Allen Hynek’s now-famous “swamp gas” explanation.
Szymanski says his goal is to offer a final, fully documented challenge to that conclusion, and that his presentations “will be the final formal rebuttal and exposé of that ridiculous explanation.” He notes that the material is supported by “highly credible witness testimony and Dr. Hynek’s own written confession.”
New Witnesses and Unreleased Accounts
Szymanski’s program, titled Dexter’s New UFO Witnesses Burn ‘Swamp Gas’ Explanation, will introduce several recently identified witnesses who say they observed the objects in March 1966.
“Many of these incredible stories have never been made public until now,” he says.
The presentation will include video interviews and new accounts describing where the objects may have been observed during the daytime. Szymanski asks, “Do you want to know where the flying saucers were hiding near Dexter during the daytime in March 1966?” His presentation will reveal just that.
Among the better-known witnesses were Frank Mannor and his son Ronald, who reported approaching an object within 300 feet. According to Szymanski, “the absolute closest encounter” belongs to a different witness whose story he plans to reveal during the program.
“Who had a flying saucer lazily float right over their head, just above the treetops, as they stood next to their vehicle on a dark and deserted country road?” Szymanski says, adding he knows who that is and will be sharing their story.
Registration and Event Details
Participants may register through the Dexter District Library website at https://dexter.lib.mi.us/ or in person at the library’s Help Desk. Registration is expected to open in mid-December 2025.
Szymanski will present the same material on both dates, including identical slides, videos, and narration.
He has authored several books on the subject of UFOs, including Michigan’s 1966 events, and will have them on hand for purchase.
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8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
