Mystery

MARFA is spontaneous. You never know who or what you might encounter in MARFA, it could be anything or nothing and both are special. It speaks to those who are willing to create, be inspired, and be surprised.

The Marfa Lights—or Marfa Mystery Lights, as some call them—are a top reason to visit MARFA, drawing visitors from around the globe for a chance to see these unexplained phenomena. Accounts of the strange spectacle just east of MARFA began during the 19th century and continue to this day.

The MARFA Lights

Ranchers, Native Americans, high school sweethearts, and famous meteorologists alike have reported seeing seemingly sourceless lights dance on the horizon southeast of town, an area that is nearly uninhabited and extremely difficult to traverse. The mystery lights are sometimes red, sometimes blue, sometimes white, and usually appear randomly throughout the night, no matter the season or the weather.

While the source of the mystery lights is still a point of contention, the show goes on. By most reports, they are whimsical and friendly; other witnesses maintain that they are ever distant and aloof; and some sources claim they zoom across the plains at terrifying speed, only to whip back around and dissolve before hitting the dumbstruck viewer.

The cynics will tell you that this so-called paranormal phenomenon is just the atmospheric reflections of cars and campfires at night. The mystics will tell you that’s hooey.

“What roads?”

“Which campfires?”

The truth is, we just don’t know. Everyone agrees it’s a mystery to be reckoned with. There’s only one way to find out for yourself.

Each year, we celebrate with a Marfa Lights Festival, one of the most popular annual events in MARFA, with live music, food, and a parade.

The official Marfa Lights Viewing Area is located 9 miles east of town on U.S. 90, towards Alpine. Bring an open mind and enjoy the great view!