PORT TOWNSEND — In preparation for next weekend’s second annual Brass Screw Confederacy, a celebration of the emerging steampunk trend, Lorilee Houston got herself a tattoo.
“I visited [tattoo artist] Gary [Laxon] and told him that I would get a tattoo if he’d become a sponsor, thinking that he would never do it,” Houston said.
“When he agreed, I said, ‘What do I do now?’”
Houston last month got the tattoo: a copy of the festival’s official logo of the nymph on the Galatea Fountain decked out in steampunk garb.
The “60-something” Houston doesn’t have any other tattoos, but she identifies enough with the Victorian-meets-sci-fi aesthetic of steampunk enough to dedicate a section of her arm to the idea.
The festival, which is intended to build upon the success of last year’s inaugural event, takes place Friday through Sunday, June 9, in various locations around Port Townsend.
Steampunk is a nebulously defined activity that is intended to combine beautiful 19th-century architecture and eccentricity with a healthy splash of whimsy.
Organizer Nathan Barnett said the event is a part of a national movement that celebrates the ingenuity and inventiveness of the Victorian era and combines that with elements of science fiction and fantasy to create a perception of those times.
The first festival was billed as the other side of Victorian from what is usually presented in Port Townsend.
Since that time, steampunk has taken over and rewritten the rules.
After last year’s event, organizers formed a nonprofit called Olympic Peninsula Steam, which took over the management of the annual Victorian Festival, held in March.
And while last year’s event had a seat-of-the-jodhpurs character, the sequel is more robust and varied.
“We have a lot more outreach this year,” said Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce President Dominick Svornich, who has a substantial interest in all things steampunk.
“And after the success of last year’s festival, there are a whole lot more people who are anxious to participate.”
Svornich said the event has an important advantage over other similar gatherings.
“Most of the steampunk festivals take place in a single hotel in places like Bellevue,” he said.
“We are a Victorian port city, so we have an authenticity that doesn’t exist in these other places: The events we are celebrating could actually take place here.”
One of the more eccentric events is a “Zombie Hunt” that will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday in the downtown area.
Here, a group of zombies will threaten the “good guy” steampunks by asking a trivia question. A steampunk answering correctly will get a “brain card.”
Svornich did not say what will happen if the correct answer is not offered.
There are a few returning events such as a saloon, a fashion show, a flea circus and a burlesque show, but organizers made a great effort to not repeat themselves.
One addition is keeping the Brass Screw Confederacy High Command, which is otherwise known as the Cotton Building at 607 Water St., open throughout the festival as a place to meet and drink. It is a 21-or-older venue.
The command center is open from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Other events include:
■ The Bazaar of the Bizarre fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the American Legion Hall, 209 Monroe St., which features steampunk-flavored artists, vendors and demonstrations.
Admission is free to all. An event ticket is not required.
■ The Brass Screw Chautauqua on Saturday at the Pope Marine Building, 603 Water St.
This includes readings, exhibits and the opportunity to purchase souvenirs.
Included is a reading by author Neal Stephenson, plus lectures on topics such as submersibles and airships.
Admission for non-ticket-holders is $5.
■ Fashion Show beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Uptown Theatre, 1120 Lawrence St.
According to the program, “chrononauts, time travelers and modern steamers strut their fantastical, contraptional styles.”
Admission for non-ticket-holders is $5.
Svornich said about 180 tickets, which cost $45 each, have been sold so far.
Last year’s festival drew 290 people, and a sellout for this year would be 350 or 400, he said.
For more information, including a complete schedule, visit www.brass-screw.org.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
