By Wendy Holdren

September 20, 2018 - The Rocket Boys Festival is coming to Beckley, West Virginia this week, featuring best-selling author Homer Hickam and some of his fellow Rocket Boys.

The Rocket Boys Festival’s central location is Beckley’s New River Park, which boasts an authentic exhibition coal mine that will be open for discounted tours, taking riders on a motorized tour 1,500 feet underground. The park also features an award-winning youth museum and planetarium, great Appalachian food, a complete full-size replica of a 1950s mining town similar to Coalwood, a miner’s museum and more. The Rocket Boys Film Festival will take place at the historic Black Knight Country Club.

Celebrating the world premiere of Paradise Park The Musical this summer at Theatre West Virginia, join us Thursday, Sept. 20 for a screening of the film the musical was based on with a talkback featuring award-winning West Virginia filmmaker Daniel Boyd and Mountain Stage’s Larry Groce. They will discuss transitioning a script from film to stage and developing an original score for the world premiere. Friday, Sept. 21 will feature dinner and a movie with Homer Hickam and Roy Lee Cooke. Join them for a delicious meal and then sit back and enjoy October Sky followed by a talkback with Homer and Roy Lee. On Saturday, Sept. 22, attendees can participate in a highlight of the annual Rocket Boys Festival, Writer’s Row, hosted by Homer Hickam featuring West Virginia authors including Daniel Boyd, author of the eco-thrillers CARBON and SALT.

One of the Rocket Boys Festival signature events gives dozens of students from schools all over America the opportunity to join Homer Hickam and the other Rocket Boys to launch rockets at New River Park’s hilltop “Cape Coalwood” launch pad. Rocket kits and launch supplies will be available for sale at the festival. Construction and launch are easy, even for first-timers.

More information on the Rocket Boys Festival, including a complete schedule of events and lodging information, is available online at http://www.rocketboysfestival.com. The city of Beckley is located on Interstate 64 in southern West Virginia and is also accessible via Beckley/Raleigh County Airport and Amtrak service on the Cardinal line.

For media interview requests before the festival with Homer Hickam and filmmaker and author, Daniel Boyd contact Ginger A. Willis with Allen Media Strategies at (404) 915-4008 or by email ginger@allenmediastrategies.com.