When I was 17, I had an unforgettable experience while driving south on I-91 near Holyoke, Massachusetts. It was late spring, around late April 1995, and as we neared a rest stop overlooking the city, my family and I noticed a bright, star-like white light over Holyoke. Initially, it seemed like a helicopter hovering in the distance, but the light’s behavior quickly shattered that assumption.
This solitary light began to change colors mesmerizingly, shifting from white to purple, then zigzagging in ways no conventional aircraft could manage. The eerie spectacle saw the light morph through red, blue, green, and back to white, maintaining a steady glow without blinking or displaying typical aircraft lights.
Curious and somewhat unsettled, my father pulled over at the rest stop, and all five of us piled out of the minivan. We weren’t alone—several other cars had pulled over, and it seemed like nearly twenty people were watching in awe. The light defied natural conditions, sometimes darting swiftly against the wind in erratic zigzag patterns. Then, in a truly inexplicable moment, it vanished in a way that felt almost surreal, like the sky itself slid over it, reflecting back to us and erasing the light.
Before the crowd could disperse, a young woman exclaimed, “There it is!” and we all turned to see the light had reappeared behind Mount Tom, completely silent, and within seconds, it shot straight up beyond the clouds and disappeared from sight for good.
This encounter has stayed with me not just because of its extraordinary nature, but because years later, similar sightings have been reported near Holyoke. It makes me wonder if this area might be a hub for mysterious aerial phenomena. Living here, I haven’t heard much about these sightings, but the possibility remains that the skies over Holyoke hide secrets that continue to elude explanation.