Convention Fans:
The 2010 Steampunk World's Fair Convention Report

This past weekend, the Alltern8 / Convention Fans Blog team went out to The Steampunk World's Fair in Piscataway, New Jersey (USA). Billed as "the first East Coast event to welcome Steampunks, Neo-Victorians, Retro-futurists, Gas Lamp Fantasists, and any and all others who consider themselves part of steampunk into a weekend long festival celebrating all things steamy," I am happy to say that it was that and much much more.

The Steampunk World's Fair (hereafter known as SPWF) turned out to be an event that combined the best elements of a ren fair, a music festival, and a traditional fandom convention. We had so much fun, that I'm not even sure where to begin.

I guess the first thing I want to comment on was the overall atmosphere of the convention. Most cons see maybe 30% of their attendees in costume. Although I wasn't officially counting, my best guess would be that 90% of the SPWF attendees were in costumes of some kind. Many went all out, demonstrating the absolutely incredible creative talent that the community is known for. I saw creations at SPWF that I have never seen at any other event (and that's saying something, considering I attend Dragon*con every year). I saw a top hat that was also a sewing machine. I saw a hurdy gurdy. I saw musicians, opera singers, living statues, a caricature artist, dancers... the list goes on. There was no shortage of creative talent at SPWF.

I definitely want to mention the event's musical entertainment specifically. When we first entered the hotel, we wandered over to the indoor music space, which had a stage set up for performances. We were treated to some opera from singer Katie Kat (her voice is incredible, by the way). From there, we were heading to the vendor rooms when we got distracted by some hallway performers. I didn't have a chance to get one of their cards, but there was a fiddler and a drummer, along with a man who had a very strange instrument, which I have since been told is a "hurdy gurdy". It was part cello, part crank instrument, and I have absolutely no idea what else. All I know is that it was cool.