Steampunk festival a science fiction fantasy in Johnstown, Ont.

Brockville resident Evan Duffy attending the Fort Town Steampunk Festival in Johnstown, Ont. June 11, 2022. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

JOHNSTOWN, ONT. — After a pandemic hiatus, the first annual Fort Town Steampunk Festival finally got underway on Saturday in Johnstown, Ont.

But some might be wondering, what exactly is steampunk?

"It's as if people went back in time for a taste of what the future might hold," explained organizer Julie Larose.

"This steampunk community looks at what the future would look like from a Victorian point of view, so it’s a lot of imagination, a lot of creativity and a lot of fun," Larose said.

"It's thinking about things like H.G. Wells and Jules Vern," she added. "If the Victorians were imagining the future, they often imagined steam powered gears and so forth in their space exploration and their technology."

Festivalgoers from across the province were keen to show off their costumes, some with technical, homemade additions like Brockville resident Evan Duffy.

"I was more going for a little bit of a masquerade look, which is why I have a little bit of a Clockwork Orange getup here," he said, showing off a piece his grandmother, Gwen, helped make from part of a yoga mat.

"I find stuff like steampunk and clockwork is more meant for those of an intellectual mind, and it can be appreciated by such people and it's just wonderful how it works especially with everything that works perfectly together," Evan said.

"I'm not really one much to socialize, so this is a very big thing for me and seeing other people dressed up like this is just wondrous!" he added.

Gwen said her costume came from a Halloween contest a few years back.

"I just wanted to do something different," she said. "(Make it) out of different things that you can put together and make happen, and yeah, it was fun a lot of fun."

"You don't need a big costume at the beginning, just join and have fun," said Gatineau resident Duminique Dufour, holding a realistic monkey saved from a mad scientist, as the story goes.

He came down with a group from Steampunk Ottawa, who also helped Larose organize the festival.

"It's so nice after so long, we have the occasion to meet again, all the community. We have a great community around the capital in Gatineau and Ottawa," he added.

Larose said they were expecting around 500 people to show up for the one-day event.

"It's great to see the enthusiasm, it's just so exciting," she added. "There’s a mix, there’s people who don't really know anything about steampunk and they are just coming and checking it out, and then there are people who really love this and you can tell they are happy to show off their costumes and meet other people with similar ideas."

Debora Fleming, also from Steampunk Ottawa, says along with their sister group in Montreal, they have nearly 3,000 members and hold events monthly in the capital. The first kicked off on the May long weekend.

She was in full costume as her persona: Lady Bertilda Morehouse.

"It's all about thinking about the historical context and getting a little bit of futuristic influence in there and being creative," she said. "Coming up with your own inventions and that sort of thing."

"I'm wearing all of my accoutrements that would be ready to undertake any form of duelling. I've already killed many people on the field this morning!" she laughed.

She hopes this festival can grow into an annual event, noting members travel all over the world to other steampunk events.

"Many of us attend Tuscon, Cincinnati and Coldwater, (north of Barrie)," she said. "The festival in Amhertsburg is becoming quite popular. It would be great to have an authentic steampunk festival in the Ottawa Valley for sure."

"Just come out and have fun and explore the genre. It's a really great family oriented creative expression that's just full of fun and enjoy," she added.

Activities throughout the day included a magic show, a steam powered storyteller and costume contest.

Parasol duelling was also being played, a form of rock paper scissors, but like a gun duel, with parasols.

A vendors’ market was also set up, and even a murder mystery took place for attendees to solve.

"We tried to make something fun and exciting and different and bring some new people into the area," said Larose, with ticket sales acting as a fundraiser for the Greater Fort Town Area Charity.

"We originally had it associated with our Fort Town Night Run, but we decided to separate it into a daytime event," Larose said. "We had a steampunk theme for our night run this year which happened last month."

Their charity helps support youth programs in the area like scouts, cadets, figure skating and the youth movement project, which promotes physical activity and mental health for teens and young people.

"It's just wonderful," said Matthew Bujaki a local blacksmith showing off his skills at the event. "The talk about having a steampunk festival in the area has been going back all the way before 2019, but to have it finally come out right after, you know, the tail end of COVID, its just wonderful to see everybody come out."

"I had so many people tell me they have come from miles around so it's really great to see people again and doing festivals again," Bujaki added.

"I've just been blown away by the costumes," Larose said, hoping for a good turnout to make this festival an annual tradition. "We would love to see it come back again so we'll see what the response its and see if people want to do it again next year."

"The Windmill Brewery has been so supportive, they are offering food here," Larose added. "We've had so much support from the Township of Edwardsburg-Cardinal and all our volunteers. Thank you so much."