Jump on your airship and cast away to Oxnard CA for this weekend’s Steampunk Festival as Heritage Square celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Heritage Square with all that’s whimsical: music, costume contests, workshops, vendors, and more PLUS beer and wine tasting!

The Oxnard Steampunk Fest Crew, the Friends of Heritage Square, and the Oxnard Heritage Foundation  invite you to historic Heritage Square, downtown Oxnard, on Saturday, October 15 from 10-6PM ($12 per person/$5 per child) and Sunday from 10-4PM ($12; kids FREE).

Heritage Square Oxnard is located at 715 S A St, Oxnard, California 93030; park in area lots. Click pic to embiggen.

Steampunk Fest is a fundraiser for the Oxnard Heritage Foundation and the Friends of Heritage Square to benefit their educational programming. Pictured above is my mom, Suzanne Lawrence, who was a docent at Heritage Square and gave frequent living history performances and trainings there. Her research library is also housed there. And that’s us below with Dagon, an amazing robot!

We attended last year as Time Travelers where participated in the costume contest as a family, enjoyed perusing all of the vendors wares, danced to the Velveteen Band, explored Heritage Square all decked out in all things Steampunk, and definitely stopped to smell the roses –and the beer from Anchor Steam   and the wine at Rancho Ventavo in their tasting room in a historic house in Heritage Square!

This year the Oxnard Heritage Square Steampunk Fest is back bigger and grander than ever with two full days of activities hosted by Dr. Phineas T. Kastle, Guest Professor Emeritus of Esoterica at the University of Nevada. Author of five books, eminent world traveler in 92 countries, balloonist, Time traveler, and voted by the Las Vegas Weekly as “Best Dressed Male”. Member of the Las Vegas Steampunk Tea Society, Founder the League of Extraordinary Professors, and the Steampunk Guild.

And it’s just as kid-friendly! Kids of all ages will enjoy the creativity of the various contests including the Costume Contest, Gadget Contest, Tea Dueling, and Parasol Dueling. There’s a number of food vendors but we loved the pulled pork and the beet salad at La Dolce Vita where we also tasted a line-up of Anchor Steam beer.

And parents will enjoy — oh I already mentioned the beer and wine tasting! Plus there’s an adults only bar…

CIRQUE DES BETES: Fetes of Fantasy! Saturday, Oct 15th, 12PM, 2PM & at the after party in the LDV Lounge (21+ please)

So..

• Think Jules Verne science fiction.
• Think Victorian-inspired like corsets and hoop skirts with a punk twist.
• Think gears, goggles, and wrenches, watches and horns.
• Think vintage, and otherwise wacky, fun, ornate clothing in natural fibers and colors as well as jewel tones.
• And we’ll see you there!