Alien enthusiasts will flock to a mysterious patch of dust deep in the Nevada desert today.
Massive hordes are expected to flood the area surrounding the facility today to answer a call to 'Storm Area 51.'
But the organiser behind the event has already pulled out of plans for an 'Alienstock' festival in recent weeks.
Matty Roberts cited fears that what started as a joke could turn into a "possible humanitarian disaster."
A statement on Nevada town Rachel's website earlier predicted that Alienstock would be "Fyre Festival 2.0" - referring to the disorganised 'luxury' island party that left attendees stranded with inadequate food, water and shelter.
Normally quiet desert towns, like Rachel, surrounding the highly-classified facility, have braced for the tourism explosion for the weekend's events.
Area 51 has long occupied a special place in the popular imagination as the base of the United States' Government's galactic secrets.
Theories of extraterrestrial close encounters, fanned by science fiction and Hollywood depictions of UFOs and little green men, have led alien enthusiasts and conspiracy theories to regard the facility with envious eyes.
Some of the two million people who signed up to an Internet joke to 'Storm Area 51' will be driven by desire to try to catch a glimpse of the closely-guarded enigma's deepest secrets. Many more will be there for the memes.
Already, the Internet is celebrating as footage of LKTNV Channel 13 Anchor News anchor Joe Bartels being photobombed by the day's first Alienstock legend performing a 'Naruto run'.
For those of us who don't travel in the meme-universe, that's a style of running where an anime character leans forward and sprints with their arms stretched out behind them like a ninja.
The US Airforce has issuing a stark warning any Area 51 stormers off trying to access unauthorised areas at their own peril.
But as the description for the original 'Storm Area 51, they Can't Stop All of Us' event on Facebook pointed out: "If we naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Lets see them aliens."
What is Area 51?
For decades, Area 51 has been the topic of conspiracy theories and sci-fi inspired folklore - fueled by the US Government's historical refusal to even confirm it even existed.
Wild theories range from Area 51 functioning as the base for captured UFOs and alien remains, to rumours it's where the government stores its secrets about extraterrestrial activity, and develops systems and aircraft based on alien technology.
Signs dotted around the base warning deadly force is authorised against trespassers has only added to the site's mystique.
After years of denying it even existed, the CIA was finally forced to acknowledge 'Area 51' in 2013 following a Freedom of Information request filed years earlier.
The official history revealed little to delight scifi enthusiasts, as it described the facility, officially called Groom Lake, as an open training range and experimental aircraft testing base.
In an earlier statement to the Washington Post on the Storm Area 51 event, an Airforce spokeswoman added: "(Area 51) is an open training range for the U.S. Air Force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces.
"The U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect America and its assets."
