Written By: Tim Waller

If you find yourself surrounded by women in 1800’s garb, large brass weapons, and steam-powered jetpacks, you might just be at Steampunk Day!

Steampunk Day is a large event put on by Wichita’s Cowtown Museum every year that focuses on the popular subculture, steampunk. You may not know what steampunk is and that is most likely because it has no definitive definition. Steampunk is defined by most as a genre of cosplay that focuses on an alternate history set in the late 1800s that includes “Victorian Era futuristic” items. What this means is that, most commonly, you will find a woman in a vintage corset and bonnet carrying a prop laser gun that supposedly runs on steam.

Steampunk is a very popular subculture around the world, but Steampunk Day is a very popular attraction right here in Wichita, with over one thousand people attending this year alone. The annual event has certainly been up to par this year, with an overall sense of fun lining every aspect. Cowtown has done a very good job in making sure that the steampunk feel has come across as well(of course, an entire town constructed to mimic the 1800s helps), with the entire atmosphere being what you’d expect from a steampunk world. The entire day was full of fun and entertaining activities, ranging from a cannon duel to a pirate comedy show, all of which was steam-powered.

One of the best parts of Steampunk Day was the visitor participation. Cowtown holds a lot of events all year long, but for the most part the audience isn’t directly involved; you won’t see Aunt Sally wearing a corset and bonnet to visit the museum. This event was majorly different. People of all ages were dressed in their brass and steam attire, resulting in some breathtaking costumes and outfits. Almost everyone in costume had a unique story to go along with it, allowing their creativity to be unleashed. Many plague doctors, airship pirates, and “air marshals” were seen, each of them vastly different in some way or another. Many different stores were full of valuable trinkets, charms, clothing, and six barreled pistols. A certain “fawn” even offered me a charm to remind me of my “times at sea”…

One of the main attractions was “Airship Vindus”, the creators and actors of a well known steampunk inspired web series, “Steamworks and Shadows”. Airship Vindus had two panels in which they discussed their series and the steampunk society as a whole. Another captivating performance was by the “Scallywags”, a comedic pirate show that involved horrible puns, innuendo, and great laughs.  Another spectacular attraction that day was the massive cannon duel at midday that left many spectators thrilled, despite a slight loss of hearing.

Steampunk Day 2016 was, in one word, amazing.  Cowtown did a great job of hosting the event, but I found that it was the people that made the day perfect. This annual event may be over, but it is definitely worth saving the date for in 2017. From amazing cosplay to amazing people, Steampunk Day had me looking forward to next year.