Normally, when you think of Hardin County, Ky., most Americans would think of a log cabin that existed long ago, where one of this country's greatest presidents was born more than 200 years ago. This coming weekend, however, it will be the home for the area's first ever science-fiction festival.

This Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15-16, the Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center and the Historic State Theater in Elizabethtown, Ky. will host the Southern Fried Sci-Fi Festival at their respective establishments. Events will take place on Friday at the performing arts center, and Saturday at the Historic State Theater, a restored movie theater in the city.

Friday events include three performances (two for students in the county which are both sold out) of the live stage show, Star Trek Live: Starfleet Academy. This is the show that premiered this summer at the Kennedy Space Center and is also touring the country. The third performance, which is open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. that night with tickets running from $5 for balcony seats to $20 for the VIP section.

Later that evening, Ronny Cox (Star Trek the Next Generation, Robocop, Stargate SG-1, Deliverance, and several other movies) will appear in concert. Along with his acting, Cox is an accomplished singer/songwriter, whose style is totally different from so many of the characters he has played in people's favorite science-fiction films.

On Saturday, the activities move to the Historic State Theater for a Star Trek film festival. This festival will present Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and the 2009 J. J. Abrams reboot of the franchise, Star Trek. However, the activities do not end there. During the afternoon, Eugene Rod Roddenberry, son of Gene and Majel Barrett Roddenberry and the CEO of the company, Roddenberry Productions, will appear on the screen live via teleconference to talk to the fans in attendance and answer questions.

There will also be three fan films shown during the afternoon. They include Quantum Leap: A Leap to Di For and Star Trek vs. Batman, both produced by Racso Productions, along with Doctor Who: Trek Through Time, one of the nominees for this year's Airlock Alpha Portal Awards.

Readers who wish more information can visit the festival's website for further information. This weekend promises to be one of fun for fans of any age.

Photo courtesy of Adam Bouska.