Friends of Big River Steampunk Festival Statement

Lisa Marks | March 18th, 2018

Editors Note: This was originally published on Friends of Big River Steampunk Festival Facebook group page. Please be sure to check them out if you are in their region!

Hello friends, I decided to go ahead and weigh in on some of what's happening in the Steampunk world:

Ken and I started Big River Steampunk Festival five years ago simply as a way to celebrate Hannibal's history and as a fundraiser for the non-profit Hannibal History Museum. We had been fascinated by Steampunk for several years and, as some of you understand, were "Steampunk" before we knew there was such a thing -- we've always had a true love for all things historic, Victorian, Gilded Age, Industrial Revolution, etc.

We did not set out to compete with other Steampunk events and we certainly never expected the Big River Steampunk Festival to grow to the extent it has over the last four years. We are not interested in being the "Largest Steampunk Festival", we are not interested in gaining notoriety or somehow being important -- we just want to offer a fun event that celebrates all the wonderful things about Hannibal through the creative, inspiring, exciting Steampunk aesthetic. What could be a more perfect fit for Hannibal than Steampunk? We are Victorian, we are Mark Twain's boyhood home (who was friends with Tesla and loved the art of invention), and we were a major center of commerce during the Industrial Revolution with many Gilded Age mansions still intact. It's a no-brainer for Hannibal to be Steampunk!

We have been to TeslaCon in Wisconsin several times and thoroughly enjoyed it. We loved Emerald City Steampunk Expo in Wichita. I was at Wild Wild West con in Tuscon as a guest of Ravenworks last year and thought it was wonderful! We've brought entertainers and Steampunk "celebrities" from across the country to Hannibal because our audiences are excited to learn more about Steampunk -- so many of our guests are newbies where other Cons sometimes cater to the more serious Steampunk cosplayer. We have always been delighted to promote other events and allow Steampunkers to communicate about all Steampunk opportunities on our Facebook pages. We hate the word "competition" -- we believe high water raises all the boats. The more Steampunk there is in the world. the more it benefits all of us.

Therefore, we are saddened that there will be no Steampunk World's Fair this year. We have no opinion one way or the other about that event as we were not involved and have no behind-the-scenes knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the decision for it to be canceled.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, we do not feel competitive with any of the other Steampunk Cons. And the notion that the size of the crowds somehow matters is absurd -- it is the quality of the experience, not the quantity of the participants, that makes the Big River Steampunk Festival grow each year. Even when it comes to satisfying our vendors, we would rather have 1,000 people who are there to spend money than 10,000 people who just walk around "to look".

We feel a special burden for each year's Festival to live up to its reputation, and our goal is to do just as well as we did the year before -- not better -- because we are satisfied with what we have established, the entertainment we offer, and the betterment that our Festival brings to the community of Hannibal at large. THOSE ARE OUR ONLY CONCERNS.

We hope EVERYONE in the Steampunk community, and all those who are just joining in the fun, are able enjoy this wonderful diversion from the stress of our modern life. Here's to all who work so diligently to bring together these events across the country -- we know how hard you work and we want nothing but the absolute best success that your efforts can bring.

VIVE LA STEAMPUNK!

Be sure to check out Lisa's links:

Haunted Hannibal | Hannibal History Museum | Big River Steampunk Festival