Weekend Getaways: Two Labor Day Events Just for Geeks

Geeks rejoice! Labor Day weekend has two great reasons to stay nearby: Dragon*Con and the Decatur Book Festival.

Dragon*Con is one of America's largest multi-media, pop culture events, focusing on science fiction, fantasy, movies, literature, comics, games, TV shows, music and art. The *Con will take over five hotels in downtown Atlanta this year. The event features workshops, dances, concerts, lectures, classes, signings, contests and more. Costumes are a big part of Dragon* Con, so you might run into Darth Vader, the Harry Potter kids, a super hero, or your favorite character from Star Trek. What's even better than a lookalike? Meeting the actual star. You might even run into actors from popular sci-fi and fantasy culture, including Lou Ferrigno, Edward James Almos, William Shatner, Charlaine Harris, Wil Wheaton, Carrie Fisher and many, many more - there's a huge list here.

As amazing as it is, Dragon*Con is quite expensive and crowded, so it may be better you to hit the free annual parade on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. on Peachtree Street. Kids and adults alike will enjoy floats, costumes and entire bands of Stormtroopers - some possibly in kilts.

Just a few miles away, the focus is on literature. If you're into books, you won't want to miss the Decatur Book Festival, which will take over historic Decatur Square on Saturday and Sunday. The keynote speakers for Friday night are Colin Melloy of The Decemberists and illustrator Carson Ellis, the duo behind the much anticipated middle grade book Wildwood. Other events include a writer's conference, a book fair and signing by nationally and locally-known authors, as well as a variety of readings, talks, panels and cooking demonstrations that can be found here. All genres are represented, from kids and young adult, to romance, fiction and non-fiction.

If you're looking to make a weekend of it, find a hotel on the MARTA line, and you'll be able to enjoy both events with a minimum of parking troubles. Be sure to bring your camera - you'll never forget that day you met Slave Leia at Starbucks.