The Steampunk Festival January 28

Stillman and Birns  Beta Sketchbook

It's rather hard to describe "steampunk" if you are not familiar with it.  Words like "retro", time-travel, industrial, come to mind.

The photos inserted into my journal are taken at the festival yesterday in hopes that, like my clever friend Susan, I'll do some figure sketches from the photos later.  

These are not performers.  These are "attendees" at the festival.  About one out of every 20 people there was in some sort of "costume" peculiar to what "steampunk" followers like to wear.  A combination of "back to the future" and "Mad Max" would be my description with a slightly darker element wearing gas masks and plague masks and weapons that looks like they have been made from odds and ends and might shoot ping pong balls.  I enjoyed the fact that this was not a particular to any age group.  Folks anywhere from 16 to 90 came dressed up and enjoying themselves. Some children were there too.  

Top hats and goggles were the main costume.  Which is why I chose to sit and sketch them.  These were $75!   Booths were selling retro items...mainly rusty bits and pieces you might use in some way.  Hubby bought a retro glass lampshade for his train room. Or costumes were available you could buy.  You also found time machines (pictured in the top right) made VERY cleverly with old satellite dishes and gorgeous designs painted on them...imaginary bicycles and train engines...almost life size, tables and chairs made of wrenches and tools soldered together, etc.

So I am of a mind of people who like to do Civil War re-enactiments or Renaissance festivals where people come with gowns and swords.  This is somewhat like that only these are actually more creative.  

"Cog is Dead" was one of the bands that played and I interviewed the lead singer who was selling his CDs before the band went on and he explained the name is due to the fact that timepieces no longer have mechanical parts...they are all digital now.  No cogs anymore.  And the band mourned this loss of cogs.  Also I think "Cog is Dead" is a play on the old "God is Dead" movement of the past.  We didn't get into that.  Actually the band was pretty good.

The weather could have been better...mostly overcast all day with a few peeks of sunshine...temps hung around 60 with a slight breeze that kept everyone in jackets. No one complained (except whiner-me who likes 80.)  And the festival was supposed to continue on today but it is raining steadily at 8 am Sunday morning so it will surely depend on how that plays out.  I am so glad went yesterday!