Grand Tales Told by Liars; Competitions for the Best Costumes; Ragtime and Jazz; Goggles, Gloves, Masks and Accoutrements for Gentlemen and Ladies--All of these wonderful sights and sounds could be found last Wednesday night at the Steampunk and Makers Ball. On April 30th, 2014, in Lafayette, Louisiana, arts and crafts vendors, musicians and Steampunk enthusiasts gathered in downtown for four hours of what turned out to be a great night.
I arrived at 5:40 to set up my booth. There were four other booths, five artists in total, other than myself. We set up in the fenced-in courtyard outside the former Trynd Building. The brick building is two stories tall, with a bar in a room downstairs and a bar and balcony upstairs. The band, Confabulation of Gentry, was busy carrying instruments upstairs while the rest of us were busy making preparations in the courtyard. At about 6:30 or 7, when the Ball was scheduled to begin, attendees began to arrive.
Many of the people who were present at the Steampunk and Makers Fair last November were not present this time; the Ball had only been planned a few weeks ago, while last year's Fair was better advertised and had been in the works for months ahead of the main event. A few of the people who were present at last week's ball had actually missed last year's Fair, so we had a mix of newcomers and returning guests.
Most people arrived in costume. One woman in street clothes happily rushed through the door when she realized we were holding a steampunk event. She and a friend had been passing by on the street when she stopped and complimented me and another vendor on all of our costumes, which she could see through the fence. She asked me what the event was for, and when I told her it was Steampunk, she immediately grabbed her friend's hand and headed for the door. A couple of hours later, after I'd already run into her a few times, she happily told me that she was still feeling enthusiastic about the whole event. Her enthusiasm was awesome.
I got to know the other jewelry and steampunk artists throughout the evening. My neighbor at the Ball, Sandy Earle (yearsofsouvenirs.com), has an impressive collection of hand-assembled necklaces and earrings that incorporate genuine antique clock pieces, watch parts and other items. She collects parts from flea markets, antique stores and estate sales. I actually recognized her jewelry as soon as I saw her business card design, a sepia-tone photo of herself as a child within a collage of late nineteenth century drawings and diagrams. I'd first seen that card and her jewelry at her booth at the Southern Garden Festival.
The next table over held an assortment of goggles with binoculars, spiked fingerless gloves, mini hats, brooches, rings, ray guns, corsets and wigs. Their business's name is Moonhoar (www.moonhoar.com). Steampunkers looking for costume accessories should definitely check out their wares. The two ladies at the booth had both fashioned the various items for sale. I'd met one of them at the 2013 Steampunk and Makers Fair. They plan to attend the next Fair in November of this year.
At another table at the Steampunk and Makers Ball, Kelly Chehardy of Majestic Thorns (majesticthorns.etsy.com) had various painted clay pieces for sale. Leaf-like pendants pockmarked with stamped abstract shapes and designs could be found beside clay wall sculptures and lacy steampunk armbands. Her work is detailed and has a unique style that I love.
Beside the Majestic Thorns booth, Jess the Mask Maker, aka Jess Newton (JessalynNewtonDesign.etsy.com), was selling lovely wire worked bracelets and pendants alongside steampunk pendants and other jewelry. She also makes intricate beaded and wired masks, including one mask with a beak that extends over the wearer's nose and mouth. Her work is gorgeous.
Meanwhile, I displayed my steampunk jewelry and beaded jewelry at my booth. I had a few new pieces mixed in with the rest, which I'd made in the weeks leading up to that Wednesday night. I didn't bring my photographs this time, since I didn't have any steampunk-esque prints to sell.
As for costumes, guests and artists alike were as creative as expected. Kelly Chehardy wore homemade wings with her outfit. One guest wore a handmade cream skirt, a red vest and hat, and gloves with leather claws, while a friend of hers sported a cloth gas mask she'd made. A whole family--including father, mother, and three children--wore costumes, all made by the mother. I asked for photos of costumes from as many people as I could while I still had daylight.
Other cosplayers were present at the Ball, as well. One woman attended the Ball in a smashing UNIT uniform (which became fitting late in the evening, when the band played a steampunk version of the Doctor Who theme).
Costume contests and beard and facial hair competitions took place downstairs in the courtyard. The prizes were key/bottle openers, leftover souvenirs from the 2013 Steampunk and Makers Fair. Halfway through the evening, the Liars Competition took place upstairs. I heard only one of the liars, since I was in the courtyard the rest of the time, but she spun a marvelous tale.
After the last liar left the stage, the Confabulation of Gentry soon began their first set. The other vendors and I packed up our booths and loaded our cars. Some of them went home, but at least one other vendor and I returned upstairs. I arrived in the middle of the band's last song of their first set, and I stayed for their second set. It was a great end to the evening, since the band was very good, and there was plenty of dancing to do.
Not everyone who attended the Ball was as satisfied as I was, I'm sorry to say. Unlike the Steampunk and Makers Fair, which is a much bigger and more involved event that is planned for months in advance, the Steampunk and Makers Ball was a last-minute affair. It was put into motion only weeks ahead of time, after the organizers were asked to come up with something quickly for Lafayette's INNOV8 Festival. I think they did a good job without having much time to plan, but at the same time, I can understand why some attendees didn't enjoy it as much as they could have. For one, the $10 entrance fee at the Ball likely convinced a few Steampunkers to stay home, while last year's Fair was free to attend; hundreds of people came to the Fair last year, but only a three or four dozen attended last week's Ball. The low attendance rate also affected the profits of all the vendors, unsurprising, but this time, I personally didn't really care, since I was enjoying myself anyway and even did a little shopping. Another problem for guests of the Ball arose because the event had been advertised as being friendly to all ages, but the reality was a little different. Minors (unless accompanied by a parent) were not allowed to venture into the upstairs bar, even if they just wanted to listen to the Liars Contest or the Confabulation of Gentry. There were a few minors present at the downstairs portion of the Ball, and they unfortunately didn't get to see as much as they should have. Last, there was no food available, and while I'd eaten before I'd arrived, others went hungry all night even though they'd been led to expect food to be available.
Despite all of these issues, I was lucky enough to be able to go upstairs and to see a good deal of the night's entertainment, and I had a wonderful time all night. Lafayette's nerd culture has emerged, and I'd like to think that the Ball was only a taste of what Lafayette has to offer. I'm looking forward to this coming November when the Steampunk and Makers Fair will come to town. I don't know much yet about what's planned, but I expect the Fair to be different than the Ball, if this year's Fair is anything like last year's. I hope to see a much higher number of attendees, with hundreds of cosplayers mingling with civilians. There might be a couple dozen arts & crafts vendors and food vendors. Several bands should perform throughout the day and evening, and there might be costume and beard and facial hair competitions and other activities. As far as I know, this year's fair will be free to attend, just like last year, it will last all day, and no events will take place in bars, so there will hopefully not be any age restrictions. As the date approaches, I will hopefully learn more about what can be found at the Fair. I plan to attend, and I hope to see many more people there, too, dressed in fine attire from any era.
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I arrived at 5:40 to set up my booth. There were four other booths, five artists in total, other than myself. We set up in the fenced-in courtyard outside the former Trynd Building. The brick building is two stories tall, with a bar in a room downstairs and a bar and balcony upstairs. The band, Confabulation of Gentry, was busy carrying instruments upstairs while the rest of us were busy making preparations in the courtyard. At about 6:30 or 7, when the Ball was scheduled to begin, attendees began to arrive.
Many of the people who were present at the Steampunk and Makers Fair last November were not present this time; the Ball had only been planned a few weeks ago, while last year's Fair was better advertised and had been in the works for months ahead of the main event. A few of the people who were present at last week's ball had actually missed last year's Fair, so we had a mix of newcomers and returning guests.
Most people arrived in costume. One woman in street clothes happily rushed through the door when she realized we were holding a steampunk event. She and a friend had been passing by on the street when she stopped and complimented me and another vendor on all of our costumes, which she could see through the fence. She asked me what the event was for, and when I told her it was Steampunk, she immediately grabbed her friend's hand and headed for the door. A couple of hours later, after I'd already run into her a few times, she happily told me that she was still feeling enthusiastic about the whole event. Her enthusiasm was awesome.
I got to know the other jewelry and steampunk artists throughout the evening. My neighbor at the Ball, Sandy Earle (yearsofsouvenirs.com), has an impressive collection of hand-assembled necklaces and earrings that incorporate genuine antique clock pieces, watch parts and other items. She collects parts from flea markets, antique stores and estate sales. I actually recognized her jewelry as soon as I saw her business card design, a sepia-tone photo of herself as a child within a collage of late nineteenth century drawings and diagrams. I'd first seen that card and her jewelry at her booth at the Southern Garden Festival.
The next table over held an assortment of goggles with binoculars, spiked fingerless gloves, mini hats, brooches, rings, ray guns, corsets and wigs. Their business's name is Moonhoar (www.moonhoar.com). Steampunkers looking for costume accessories should definitely check out their wares. The two ladies at the booth had both fashioned the various items for sale. I'd met one of them at the 2013 Steampunk and Makers Fair. They plan to attend the next Fair in November of this year.
At another table at the Steampunk and Makers Ball, Kelly Chehardy of Majestic Thorns (majesticthorns.etsy.com) had various painted clay pieces for sale. Leaf-like pendants pockmarked with stamped abstract shapes and designs could be found beside clay wall sculptures and lacy steampunk armbands. Her work is detailed and has a unique style that I love.
Beside the Majestic Thorns booth, Jess the Mask Maker, aka Jess Newton (JessalynNewtonDesign.etsy.com), was selling lovely wire worked bracelets and pendants alongside steampunk pendants and other jewelry. She also makes intricate beaded and wired masks, including one mask with a beak that extends over the wearer's nose and mouth. Her work is gorgeous.
Meanwhile, I displayed my steampunk jewelry and beaded jewelry at my booth. I had a few new pieces mixed in with the rest, which I'd made in the weeks leading up to that Wednesday night. I didn't bring my photographs this time, since I didn't have any steampunk-esque prints to sell.
As for costumes, guests and artists alike were as creative as expected. Kelly Chehardy wore homemade wings with her outfit. One guest wore a handmade cream skirt, a red vest and hat, and gloves with leather claws, while a friend of hers sported a cloth gas mask she'd made. A whole family--including father, mother, and three children--wore costumes, all made by the mother. I asked for photos of costumes from as many people as I could while I still had daylight.
Other cosplayers were present at the Ball, as well. One woman attended the Ball in a smashing UNIT uniform (which became fitting late in the evening, when the band played a steampunk version of the Doctor Who theme).
Costume contests and beard and facial hair competitions took place downstairs in the courtyard. The prizes were key/bottle openers, leftover souvenirs from the 2013 Steampunk and Makers Fair. Halfway through the evening, the Liars Competition took place upstairs. I heard only one of the liars, since I was in the courtyard the rest of the time, but she spun a marvelous tale.
After the last liar left the stage, the Confabulation of Gentry soon began their first set. The other vendors and I packed up our booths and loaded our cars. Some of them went home, but at least one other vendor and I returned upstairs. I arrived in the middle of the band's last song of their first set, and I stayed for their second set. It was a great end to the evening, since the band was very good, and there was plenty of dancing to do.
Not everyone who attended the Ball was as satisfied as I was, I'm sorry to say. Unlike the Steampunk and Makers Fair, which is a much bigger and more involved event that is planned for months in advance, the Steampunk and Makers Ball was a last-minute affair. It was put into motion only weeks ahead of time, after the organizers were asked to come up with something quickly for Lafayette's INNOV8 Festival. I think they did a good job without having much time to plan, but at the same time, I can understand why some attendees didn't enjoy it as much as they could have. For one, the $10 entrance fee at the Ball likely convinced a few Steampunkers to stay home, while last year's Fair was free to attend; hundreds of people came to the Fair last year, but only a three or four dozen attended last week's Ball. The low attendance rate also affected the profits of all the vendors, unsurprising, but this time, I personally didn't really care, since I was enjoying myself anyway and even did a little shopping. Another problem for guests of the Ball arose because the event had been advertised as being friendly to all ages, but the reality was a little different. Minors (unless accompanied by a parent) were not allowed to venture into the upstairs bar, even if they just wanted to listen to the Liars Contest or the Confabulation of Gentry. There were a few minors present at the downstairs portion of the Ball, and they unfortunately didn't get to see as much as they should have. Last, there was no food available, and while I'd eaten before I'd arrived, others went hungry all night even though they'd been led to expect food to be available.
Despite all of these issues, I was lucky enough to be able to go upstairs and to see a good deal of the night's entertainment, and I had a wonderful time all night. Lafayette's nerd culture has emerged, and I'd like to think that the Ball was only a taste of what Lafayette has to offer. I'm looking forward to this coming November when the Steampunk and Makers Fair will come to town. I don't know much yet about what's planned, but I expect the Fair to be different than the Ball, if this year's Fair is anything like last year's. I hope to see a much higher number of attendees, with hundreds of cosplayers mingling with civilians. There might be a couple dozen arts & crafts vendors and food vendors. Several bands should perform throughout the day and evening, and there might be costume and beard and facial hair competitions and other activities. As far as I know, this year's fair will be free to attend, just like last year, it will last all day, and no events will take place in bars, so there will hopefully not be any age restrictions. As the date approaches, I will hopefully learn more about what can be found at the Fair. I plan to attend, and I hope to see many more people there, too, dressed in fine attire from any era.
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