"You get the commemorative movie pack with it," said Walls, 44, Syracuse, who stopped to buy tickets Tuesday at festival headquarters, 502 S. Washington St.

Walls plans to make the hour's drive to Marion on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with his wife, Candy.

"He's just a big James Dean geek," said Candy Walls, who is more interested in hearing some of the bands scheduled to play: America, Little River Band and the Fifth Dimension.

Opening ceremonies are at noon Friday, and events will include celebrity autograph signings, a skydiving demonstration and an 8 p.m. screening of the movie East of Eden.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Bob Walls said. "An opportunity to meet Martin Sheen and Dennis Hopper, an opportunity to be around some real celebrities. ... Just the idea that a little farm boy from Indiana could be this big star."

Festival organizers planned to assemble a 100-foot-wide movie screen this afternoon at the airport, said John Goldstone, executive producer and CEO of the event. The festival will feature screenings of Dean's three movies, one each night. No seating is being provided. Guests are asked to bring a lawn chair or blanket, which can be checked at the gate. Parking will cost $5 per car.

Those attending the festival need to plan to make a day of it. Guests won't be allowed to come and go from the festival grounds, organizers said. Once you're there, you must stay until you're ready to go home.

"Just like a concert," said Jennifer Seybold, wife of Mayor Wayne Seybold and a paid staffer at Dean headquarters.

Organizers won't say how many tickets have been sold, but business was steady Tuesday at the headquarters.

"I just bought tickets for all three days," said Gloria Drook, 60, Marion, who received the senior citizen rate. "I got them for me and my husband. I love even the James Dean Days in Fairmount in the fall. I just like the music, being around all the people."

Goldstone said setup will begin in earnest today at the airport, which is scheduled to close the longest of its two runways at around 9 a.m.

"It's kind of really just going through checklists to make sure we're covered on things," Goldstone said Tuesday from the airport. "The screen's going up (Wednesday). The plan is to actually project in the evening when it gets dark to make sure it's actually working."

Elsewhere in Grant County, a film crew was already at work Tuesday. James Dean Fest representative John Dutton, Los Angeles, and cameraman Ryan McKeever, Indianapolis, interviewed area residents as part of a documentary of the festival.

Longtime Marion resident Shirley Overman strapped on her microphone and talked matter-of-factly into the camera about her impressions of the film icon.

"He's so typical of the boys I dated when I was in high school," said Overman, who never met Dean. "He looks really like a lot of other skinny high school kids. If I had seen him, I wouldn't have said, 'Whoa, he's going to be famous.'"