Honesdale goes Steampunk

Town festival dives headlong into mechanical fantasy

IAN PUGH
Posted 7/19/17

HONESDALE, PA — Honesdale’s claim to fame is rooted in steam power, but this weekend the town will be exploring the fiction as well as the reality of that history with Steampunk …

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Honesdale goes Steampunk

Town festival dives headlong into mechanical fantasy

Posted

HONESDALE, PA — Honesdale’s claim to fame is rooted in steam power, but this weekend the town will be exploring the fiction as well as the reality of that history with Steampunk Honesdale, a festival held in celebration of steampunk, a genre of fiction that depicts a retro-futuristic landscape taking its cues from the aesthetics and technology of the 19th century. Beyond the fact of the fiction itself, however, costumes are an extremely popular aspect of the trend: gears, goggles and top hats are all mainstays for the steampunk enthusiast.

Although this time of year is usually reserved for Sidewalk Sales Days, the Greater Honesdale Partnership (GHP) decided to mix things up with an event that would reflect on the town’s historical value and relate it to that same retro-future. “Because of the railroad, Honesdale had a great part to play in the Industrial Revolution,” says Gail Tucker, executive director of the GHP. “We are the birthplace of the American railroad, and we have a long history in coal mining in the area... Steampunk is a genre of its own, growing rapidly in popularity throughout the nation and in fact the world. If you Google it, look for steampunk conventions, you will find them everywhere.”

Honesdale will be joining the fun with a number of theme-appropriate activities. On Saturday, Chyle’s Classic Cuts extends to the festival its weeklong Beards and Gears facial hair competition—which includes prizes for Best Beard and Best Mustache—with a Best Steampunk category. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Viscose #6, a fully functioning steam train, will be available for hour-long rides departing 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. (Tickets cost $20 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under, free for children under two.)

On Sunday at 12 noon, Mount Pleasant Herbary hosts a round of “tea dueling”—a competition of care and etiquette with everyone’s favorite afternoon beverage. The festival’s list of activities continues with Coal Drop raffles, book sales, tarot readings, photo booths for humans and pets alike. Meanwhile, numerous vendors and artists will also be on hand at Central Park, redubbed “Steampunk Commons” for the occasion.

The town has had no trouble planning the festivities under the same aesthetic umbrella. “We’ve have a lot of help from social media,” says Tucker. “The Honesdale business community has always been a community that stands with one another.”

Steampunk Honesdale will be held across the borough of Honesdale on Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22, with various events taking place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Others, such as the Absinthe Party at the Wine Room in the Hotel Wayne, will take place in the evening hours that follow the formal festival.

For more information about the festival and individual events, visit the Greater Honesdale Partnership at visithonesdale pa.com or facebook.com/GreaterHones dalePartnership, or call 570/253-5492.

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