Who needs a few silly ol' playoff games when you have Bracket Town?

OK, we'd never dream of telling you to skip the culmination of the NCAA basketball tournament if you actually have the option. In fact, it'd be amazing if we could all attend the Final Four madness and watch history in the making.

But it's simply not feasible for most. Tickets to the games have been sold out for months, and scalpers won't part with theirs for anything less than your rent payment.

But just because you want to keep a roof over your head doesn't mean you have to miss all the hoops hoopla.

Bracket Town — "the ultimate fan fest" — opens Thursday at the George R. Brown Convention Center, and runs through next Monday. And, after previewing the event, I can assure you that it's better than expected. Scout's honor.

While the rumbles may be at Reliant Stadium, the fan insanity is certainly taking up residence at the George R. Brown.

"It's a 400,000-square-foot Final Four fan fest. There's something for everybody at Bracket Town," said Shea Guinn, senior vice president of events and hospitality at IMG. "We want everyone to have the chance to experience all things Final Four."

We're going to let you finish, Mr. Guinn, but Bracket Town is so much more than that. With life-sized demo versions of a basketball court, football field, baseball stadium, soccer field, hockey floor, and lacrosse field, it's an interactive athletic experience that blows your Wii Fit out of the water.

From Q&A and autograph sessions with former NCAA players and coaches to demonstrations to contests and more — well, it seems there actually is something for everyone at Bracket Town.

Did we mention there's a complete basketball court — the Buick Center Court — with seating for 2,500? It will be the site of a celebrity game of H-O-R-S-E on Thursday at 6 p.m. Footballers Antonio Gates (who played basketball in college) and Desmond Howard face off against former Houston hoopsters Clyde Drexler and Robert Horry.

"We want to encourage families to come down to enjoy the festivities," said Sharon Adams, director of corporate affairs and marketing for the city's convention and entertainment facilities department. "We've even made it easy for them to take the rail and a shuttle over."

Admission is $10 (ages 12 and over); $6 (ages 3-11, college students, senior citizens (55 and older), and military). Children two and under are admitted free.