COALWOOD, West Virginia USA -- The eighth annual October Sky Festival will be held on Saturday, October 7, 2006 in Coalwood, West Virginia. 

Cape Coalwood, the location of the launch pad described in the memoir Rocket Boys, and shown in the movie October Sky, will be open for rocket launches. 

The October Sky Festival is a unique opportunity to meet the personalities behind the book and movie as well as see the town in its natural setting.  The Festival is a charity event where 100% of the proceeds (mostly from sales of Hickam's autographed books on the day of the festival) go to support the youth activities of the town. 

Please contact Homer Hickam's assistant, Alexandria Terry, at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  for more information, or go to http://www.homerhickam.com/ and click on "Rocket Boys/October Sky" for more concerning the event.  Homer will be there as will Rocket Boys O'Dell, Billy, and Roy Lee.  Many of the other real people in the book will also be attending. 

At past events, NASA astronauts have joined the festivities, while visitors toured the town and launch site.  Home-made foods such as fried chicken, beans, cornbread and delicious deserts filled a church basement while a Ham radio club broadcast their rendition of the events around the country.  Coalwood Cookbooks were on sale by the Coalwood Methodist Church and a homemade craft sale featured local artistry, meanwhile a raffle was offering special gifts.

If you would like to particpate this year or just go and look around, here are a list of accomodations nearby:

WHERE EXACTLY IS COALWOOD, WV?
Coalwood is in extreme southern West Virginia. Look at a map of the state and notice the small bump at the southern end. That bump is McDowell County where Coalwood is located. Some maps of the state show only Welch and War, the largest towns in the county. Coalwood is about halfway between them on state highway 16. Coalwood is in a very mountainous area with tight switchback roads. The roads are in good condition but drivers should go slow and plan plenty of time.

DIRECTIONS
Coming from Roanoke, Virginia:
Take Interstate 81 southwest. Get off on Interstate 77 at Wytheville and go north to Beckley (don't go there!). Get off on highway 460 to Bluefield. At Bluefield, get onto 52 North towards Welch. Travel on 52 to Welch (you will pass through Bluewell, Bramwell, Maybuery, Keystone, and Kimball) and continue on 52 toward Premier and Iaeger (don't go there!). After you pass through Welch, you will start to climb a mountain with businesses on both sides. After a mile or so, you will see a sign for Route 16. Turn left on 16 and you will be only five miles from Coalwood.

From Bristol, Virginia (easiest):
Take Interstate 81 northeast. Get off on Interstate 77 at Wytheville and go north to Beckley (don't go there!). Get off on highway 460 to Bluefield. At Bluefield, get onto 52 North towards Welch. Travel on 52 to Welch (you will pass through Bluewell, Bramwell, Maybuery, Keystone, and Kimball) and continue on 52 toward Premier and Iaeger (don't go there!). After you pass through Welch, you will start to climb a mountain with businesses on both sides. After a mile or so, you will see a sign for Route 16. Turn left on 16 and you will be only five miles from Coalwood.

From Bristol, Virginia (scenic route):
Take Interstate 81 northeast. Get off at Marion. Go on highway 16 (very curvy and mountainous) toward Hungry Mother Park (great restaurant here). Stay on highway 16 through Tazewell and Bishop to the West Virginia border (about 50 miles). Enter McDowell County at Bishop on highway 16 and proceed to War (home of Big Creek High School). Stay on highway 16 through Caretta to Coalwood (about 8 miles from War). Note abandoned coal mine tipple at Caretta and Olga Coal Company sign. This was part of the mine managed by Homer Hickam, Sr. Although the mine in Coalwood has been torn down, it was very similar to the operation in Caretta.