Article originally printed at TOR
Spring is here (at last, at long last!) and steampunk events are popping out in time for the warmer weather. Party with pirates in Las Vegas. Watch the industrial histories come alive in Springfield, MA, Bridgeport, CT, and other towns across the United States. Or take trip to Paris to see Abney Park perform! All of these events and more are gathered right here, brought to you by Kevin Steil the Airship Ambassador and our guest contributor author Eileen Gunn. We also had help from the newest events listing for aether-gatherings: the Steampunk Events Calendar sponsored by Steampunk World’s Fair. So take a gander after the jump!
Did we miss your event? Plug it below! Interested in being featured here in the future? We’re taking listings for May events until April 15th—email the details to
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All descriptions are taken from the event website or Facebook, unless otherwise noticed.
The Airship Ambassador recommends:
Steampunk: Art of Victorian Futurism Now through May 18—Seoul, South Korea
South Korea’s first exhibit about featuring over a dozen artists, including James Ng, Art Donovan, and more.
Steampunk Springfield: Re-Imagining an Industrial City Now through September 28—Springfield Museum, Springfield, MA
Steampunk Springfield is a city-wide initiative featuring fantastical exhibits and events, guest curated by Steampunk visionary, Bruce Rosenbaum. In the Springfield Museum there will be two exhibits. In Humachines: Authors & Inventors who Changed the World, Now Transformed into the Machines They Imagined to Change the World Again, there will be twelve signature pieces created by Rosenbaum and a group of select artists. Jules Verne becomes the fantastical Nautilus submarine; H.G Wells becomes a human “Time Machine” and Mary Shelley becomes the High Voltage Machine that brings Frankenstein to life. Each Humachine includes original period objects with relevance to the actual machines and inventions imagined or created by these iconic visionaries. The Humachines’ mission is to time travel into our present and their future to re-inspire Springfield towards a positive, more vibrant future. In Brassy Bridal: Steampunk Wedding, steampunk bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos and suits, jewelry and other accessories created by artists and community members as part of a fashion design competition.
City of London, Ontario, Steampunk Society’s 2nd Annual Gala April 5—London, Ontario, Canada
Grab your cane, your parasol and your ray gun and join us for the most stupendous event of the year. Enjoy the exceptional stitchery of fashion designer Meg Pehlke and let yourself be carried away on the melodious stylings of The White Ravens. Looking for a bobble or perhaps a pocket watch? Vendors will be aplenty at our Gala. An evening of merriment will be had by all at this event! Tickets may be procured from their aethernet site.
Steampunk Bridgeport April 12—Bridgeport, CT
Steampunk Bridgeport, in partnership with Made In Bridgeport, Arcade Mall Bpt , Downtown Special Services District, Create Here Now, Magnacon 7, WAN ( World Artist Network) and various small businesses and friends who love and follow Steampunk’s alternative culture are planning a fantastic event. Our goal will create future events, meet-up groups, and connect the Steampunk Community to Bridgeport’s architecture and history, the Barnum Museum, our libraries, music venues, theaters and various locations throughout the Park City where Steampunk belongs. The event will include a fashion show created by Redfield Designs/ Katheryn Paterwic, a juried art exhibition of artists from the tri-state region, music and theater vignettes by local artists and vendors selling their Steampunk creations. The evening culminates with a Steampunk movie, “The City of Lost Children.”
Eileen Recommends:
Steampunk Empire Symposium April 25-27—Cincinnati, OH
This is their third annual symposium, and the theme this year is Steam Wars—The Steampunk Empire Strikes Back. They have a delightful series of posters by Guest Artist Bryan Arendt that charmingly illustrate their cross-cultural mashup. Other Guests include Leanna Renee Hieber, Silof’s Workshop, Cindy Spencer Pape, and two Steampunk Boba Fetts, Danny Ashby and John Strangeway. Music GOH is Voltaire. The Symposium offers a ‘Welcome Tea-Stroll’ on Friday from 4-6pm in the hotel atrium and facing suites, offering scrumptious goodies and a chance to socialize over a proper cup of tea, as the Queen intended, before the start of festivities. Membership for the weekend is $50 in advance (until April 20), and $60 on site, $20 for children. Day passes may be purchased at the convention. Go here to purchase memberships. (Much thanks to Dave Francy on this!)
Some would say that the Czech esthetic sensibility inspired steampunk, and a good case can be made for that using the films of Jan Švankmajer and other brilliant Czech animators. In any case, the Czech steampunk scene is alive and well, with the recent publication of Plnou Parou (Full Steam), edited by Martin Šust, with gorgeous cover art by Pavel Travníček, a collection of steampunk stories translated from English, including Zeppelin City, originally published right here on Tor.com. This follows the publication in 2012 of the first native-Czech steampunk collection: Mrtvý v parovodu (Dead in a Steampipe), edited by Vlado Ríša. (If you don’t read Czech, will give you a rough idea of the text on these pages.)
Giant wicker mushrooms present a remarkable Steampunk photo-op in London’s Kew Gardens. Sculptor Tom Hare created these huge, anatomically correct wicker fungi, which will be at Kew until May. Half of them will then be installed at Wakehurst Place, Kew’s country estate in Sussex. The remaining fungi will be re-installed at Kew in a different location. Wakehurst Place exhibits two other collections of Hare’s work, the seed-walk sculptures and the UK-native-seed hub sculptures. Doesn’t this look like a wonderful setting for artful steampunk photographs? If you’re going to Loncon3, check it out!
Note: Non-commercial photography is welcome at Kew, according to their Garden Regulations, but if you are planning a large costumed shoot, you may want to check with them directly.
Additional Events from Around the World:
The SteamWërk Ball April 5—Lancaster, PA
The SteamWërk Ball is one of America’s longest running annual Steampunk and Neo-Victorian events, created by the team that brings you the monthly dance party Shadowland Lancaster and co-founders of the Steampunk DJ performance group CogHead – DJ Kiltboy and Dave Ghoul! Now held on the first Saturday of April, this event offers a night of dancing, performances, vendors and more.
Cincinnati Steampunk Salon Monthly Salon April 5—Cincinnati, MO
In April, the Salon is moving to the third floor of Molly Malone’s where we have that whole space reserved. For the first few hours the Salon will continue in its normal fashion of food, drink, and conversation, but we shall be playing silent movies during this time, and then at 11PM we shall have a performance from Automaton and at midnight we invite you to dance until 2AM as DJ Eats Unicorns takes over to close out the night. There is NO COVER CHARGE, but to show our appreciation of the night’s performances there will be a pass of the hat for the band and DJ.
New Hope Steampunk Fantasy Faire April 5-6—New Hope, PA
Events slated for Havana’s, Eagle Fire House and town proper. A Steampunk Fantasy Faire to celebrate all times and dimensions!
Air City Expedition April 11-13—Nashua, NH
New England’s Only Steampunk Convention! Fully immerse yourself by joining the Expedition to find Air City. Explore clues, solve puzzles, and unravel the mysteries to help us reach our destination! Special Guests include Thomas Willeford as Lord Featherstone, John “Steampunk Boba Fett” Strangeway, Ayleen the Peacemaker, Madeline Foxtrot, and More! Activities include formal tea with Miss Kitty, Maker Panels for all ages, Costume Contest, Merchant Car, Movie Car, Old Fashioned Game Parlor and more!
Wild West Fest April 12-13—Yermo, CA
After a rousing success last year, Calico Ghost Town in Yermo, CA, is bringing back the WILD WEST FEST for an entire weekend! Steam Powered Giraffe headline Saturday April 12 at 6pm in the Silverbowl. Slated talent to date includes: Steam Powered Giraffe, Dyno Staats, Trails & Rails, The Gypsy Time Travelers, Dr. Solar, Poplock Holmes, Esteem de Corps Marine Band, Ted Shred Fire Manipulator, Gunfights, Panels and Workshops and more being added daily! Tix are $20 adults, $10 ages 6 to 15 and FREE for 5 and under
Steampunk Spring Stroll April 13—US Botanical Gardens, Washington DC
Spring has (finally!) come. Time to dress in elegant layers and enjoy nature’s beauty (and our own). Fancy dress suggested but not required. Admission: Free. See Facebook event for more details.
Beats Antique at the Turner Hall Ballroom April 17—Milwaukee, WI
At the Milwaukee Steampunk Society it is our privilege, nay our duty to invade such an amazing show here in our hometown! The most intense live show you will experience this year. Beats Antique combine an intense visual assault on the senses swirling the sounds of orchestral Gypsy music, the Middle East, down tempo, dub-step and glitch. Doors open at 7:30pm. Tickets are $20—see the Facebook page for details about a group rate.
The Clockwork Ball: A Steampunk Party April 19—Saxapahaw, NC
Attention Pilots of Airships and their Crews, Mad Scientists, Explorers of the Unknown, Admirers of Verbosity, Respecters of the Strange, Those Lost in the Throes of Absinthe, Teetotalers, Scallywags, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dandies, Fops, and Urchins… Join us on Saturday April 19th, 2014! Hosted by that darling DJ duo – Emmett Davenport & Lady Nikolai Attercop (both of The Clockwork Cabaret).
Jim Musgrave at the Upstart Crow Bookshop April 24—San Diego, CA
Jim Musgrave, creator of the Pat O’Malley Steampunk Mystery Series returns to Upstart Crow in Seaport Village. Last August we we treated to storytelling by Jim, plus some of the stars of San Diego’s Hell on Heels Burlesque Revue, plus food, prizes and music from Jennifer Perry. What happens this year? Find out!
Pirate Fest April 25-27—Las Vegas, NV
Pirate Fest Las Vegas is all about pirates. We have a large Steampunk area with a cardboard regatta, and other fun events going on all weekend. Don’t just see the Pirates, Be a pirate!
April New England Steampunk Meetup April 26—Lowell, MA
The newly renovated Mill No. 5 has a Victorian Lounge and a theater. Activities will include a swap meet, photography, and the main event will be the screening of a steampunk-y movie. See our Facebook event page for more details.
Abney Park à Paris – Steam Tour Paris 2014 April 26—Paris, France
Steam Rocket and Abney Park will have their first concert in the City of Lights! Tickets can be purchased here. Our partners for this event: Arthur Morgan, French Steampunk, ActuSF, Geekopolis, World of Smog, KissKiss Bank Bank, Chronoxyde, Steampunk Bordeaux, Steampunk Marseille, Freaks Factory, Victor Sierra, Michaelys Ruby, Tempus Factoris, Qui veut pister Paris?, La librairie l’Antre Monde, Darkoïd Radio
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