Sunday, June 12, 2011

Steampunk World's Fair 2011

Waaaaay behind on getting the events up, so please excuse me. Now that summer is in full swing and the cons are..well..practically every weekend, I'll be dedicating more time to them. That said, let's talk about the Steampunk World's Fair!

Top hats. Top hats everywhere. ...and goggles. Soooo many goggles. This is what I expected of the local steampunk extravaganza and I was not disappointed, but there was more! This event boasts the largest gathering of people in costume I've ever seen. Among these dedicated ladies and gents, even those not in costume are welcomed by smiling faces around every corner. There is zero attitude at this show! Also equally important to mention, every vendor was pleasant, helpful and happy to chat. This makes the entire experience better thank 90% of the shows I've been to in my life.

The layout of this show (though I hear it was somewhat unintentional) saw the vendors in every nook and cranny of the building, allowing you to casually walk the hallways and peek in doors to see who had what. What was found was the expected in top hats of all shapes and sizes as well as home made weapons of low tech scifi destruction, as well as the unexpected hand made clothing, jewelry, crafts, authors and musicians. Speaking of performers, those were also around every corner! In the courtyard, you could listen to a band, watch dancers and see a man hammer a nail into his head all at the same time. Spots around the floor were designated for performers as well, so you could pass one just heading to an exit. On a grander scale, two stages played host to performers as well..some just singing and strutting their stuff and some accompanied by a hula hooping stripper. This is the "more bang for your buck" most other shows are lacking.

So in a day, I watched a full on brass band tear up some rock and roll, watched a dude run a spike through his face and met lots of awesome people who had to have been sweating up a storm in their 15 layers of steampunk trappings...except for steampunk Boba Fett who was apparently raptured and thus, left his gear in a lump in the lobby. We wish him well.

CLICK HERE for a heaping stack of images from the show! Special thanks to Jeff Mach and his crew who rolled with every punch and pulled off an excellent event.

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