Revelers gather at the 'Storm Area 51' spinoff event 'Alienstock' in Rachel, Nevada.

Several dozen people -- rather than the two million feared -- showed up on Friday near a secretive US military base in the Nevada desert, answering a meme-inspired Facebook event to storm the site in search of Aliens.

The revelers, some wearing Alien masks or tin foil hats, began gathering at the suggested time of 3:00 am Friday near the base known as "Area 51," but they did not attempt to storm the heavily-guarded site.

One woman who attempted to pass under a gate was briefly detained as was a man who urinated nearby.

Alien themed decorations are seen at the Alien Research Center in Hiko.

People walk at a 'Storm Area 51' spinoff event called 'Alienstock.'

Alien dolls are displayed at the Little A'Le'Inn during the 'Storm Area 51' spinoff event 'Alienstock.'

Alien-hunters gather to "storm" Area 51 at an entrance to the military facility near Rachel, Nevada.

Two tiny desert towns not far from from the once-secret Area 51 are hosting alien related events.

The event had been posted on Facebook as a hoax in June but it quickly got out of control when more than two million people answered the call to storm the remote base, long the subject of UFO conspiracy theories.

"They can't stop all of us," quipped the post, later taken down by Facebook. "Let's see them Aliens."

The military issued a stern warning ahead of the event saying lethal force would be used against anyone who tried to trespass at the site, which the government only acknowledged existed in 2013.

The "Storm Area 51" invitation has meanwhile spawned weekend festivals in the two tiny Nevada towns of Rachel and Hiko which are located near the site, about a two and a half hours drive from Las Vegas.

Agence France-Presse