posted 09-17-2007 05:00 PM               

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Historic West Virginia Town Gears Up for the 2007 "October Sky Festival" October 6th Featuring Hometown Hero Homer Hickam, NASA Astronaut Bill Readdy and October Sky Movie Actor Scott Miles

Best selling author Homer Hickam and the cast of "Rocket Boys" and other books in Hickam's popular "Coalwood" series, including Rocket Boys Roy Lee Cooke, Billy Rose and O'Dell Carroll, will gather again Saturday, Oct. 6th 2007 for the annual "October Sky Festival in their hometown, historic Coalwood WV. A famed NASA astronaut and one of the stars of the movie "October Sky" (based on Hickam's book) will also appear at this year's festival.

October 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of the Russian Sputnik program, which inspired Hickam's interest in rockets and the New York Times #1 bestselling book, "Rocket Boys" which became the basis for the major motion picture "October Sky".

The picturesque town of Coalwood, located near Bluefield in the rugged mountains of southern West Virginia, is expected to play host again this year to thousands of guests from across the USA for the "October Sky Festival". Many of the structures from 1950's era Coalwood which were pivotal to the book and movie are still standing, including the massive miner's clubhouse, Hickam's boyhood home, the company store and the machine shop where Hickam and the boys received help from local mine machinists in building their rockets.

This year, NASA space shuttle astronaut Bill Readdy will also be a special guest of the October Sky Festival, signing autographs, posing for pictures and meeting October Sky Festival attendees. Readdy is a veteran pilot astronaut with three space flights and has logged over 672 hours in space. Readdy and Hickam have been friends since working together at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville in 1992.

In another exciting addition to the festival, for the first time ever a cast member from the film version of October Sky will make an appearance at this year's event. Scott Miles, who portrayed Homer's older brother Jim Hickam in the movie, will be on hand to meet fans of the movie and "bring a touch of Hollywood to Coalwood", said event organizers. Mr. Miles has starred in several major motion pictures and television series in addition to "October Sky", including "Remember the Titans", "The Patriot" and "Star Trek-Voyager".

In past years, thousands of fans from all over the country have converged on Coalwood for the festival, including busloads of school kids and fans eager to meet their heroes With this year's additional special guests and the anniversary of Sputnik, the 2007 October Sky Festival is expected to host the biggest crowd in it's history.

Fans attending this year's event will enjoy:

• Rocket launches at nearby "Cape Coalwood" by students from across the U.S. inspired by the book and movie.
  
• Guided trolley tours of Coalwood, the rocket launch site at Cape Coalwood and more.
  
• Live music from performers from across West Virginia, including local artist Delbert Kiser and Charleston native Jon Wikstrom, who has performed with Grammy winner Oleta Adams, Sara Evans, Livingston Taylor and others.
  
• Authentic classic coal mining museum displays.
  
• A parade and lots of kids activities in and around Cassell Park, the Coalwood Rocket Boys playground which features a replica of a NASA shuttle.
  
• Delicious homemade food and a festive family atmosphere all day near the height of fall foliage in West Virginia.

Besides "Rocket Boys," Hickam is the author of many books, including the "Josh Thurlow" series of WWII adventures, the "Coalwood" series and others. His next book, "Red Helmet" published by Thomas Nelson Publishing, is scheduled to be released in February 2008. "Red Helmet", a fiction novel, will be set in the modern day West Virginia coalfields.

Opening ceremonies for the 2007 October Sky Festival begin at 10am on the clubhouse steps in Coalwood main, and the festival continues until 6pm. Homer Hickam's books and many Coalwood souvenirs will be sold with proceeds benefiting the non-profit Cape Coalwood Restoration Association, to be used to help fund town youth activities. Hickam will sign books from 11am to 5pm and the other Rocket Boys Roy Lee Cooke, Billy Rose and O'Dell Carroll will also drop in to sign throughout the day.

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