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In addition to that significant change, the 2015 Festival calendar was scaled back slightly to evening events on Friday and the full outdoor festival occurring only on
Saturday (previous years had the Festival continuing through until Sunday), allowing for a Sunday rain date in the event of inclement
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and
Innovation, which suffered significant flood damage in March 2010. The original event pioneered a new model of science fiction convention in which the broader, non-fandom public community was deliberately engaged by presenting events and programming in city spaces and local businesses often free
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The
Festival continued in 2016, with a Friday evening gala on May 6 and the main festival on Saturday, May 7. In 2017, with the Friday, May 12 evening event included a free, outdoor circus-style fire performance preceding the kickoff gala, and the main event held on the Common on Saturday, May 13.
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While the programming is typical of a steampunk festival, including art exhibitions, panel discussions on a variety of topics, steampunk music, crafts workshops, vendors, and performances, the Watch City
Steampunk Festival uniquely makes extensive use of its host city's public spaces and Waltham's
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The
Festival date for 2018 was May 12 with a day-long circus theme. This year was the first without a Friday night event. There was rain throughout the day. As a result, attendance was slightly down from prior years. Still, the 2018 Festival was a success, with the steampunk attendees and public
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In July 2021, Saturday, May 7, 2022 was announced as the date for the first in-person festival in almost three years. The event, with finale performer highlight
Celtica Nova, was held successfully and was extremely well-attended and received.
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According to then CRMII Executive
Director and first Festival Director Elln Hagny, the event was inspired by the success of two events in 2010: the New England Steampunk Festival and a steampunk exhibit, organized by
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says Hagney. "At last year's museum event, I watched each person walk through the door, and it looked like they had finally found a place where they could be themselves. It was pretty remarkable.
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unique place in the history of
American industry. It fosters interaction with both local businesses and organizations, making it truly a Waltham community event.
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The 2021 Festival was present as an online-only event on May 8, 2021. The festival theme was a historical/literary pastiche pitting puppet versions of
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The 2019 Watch City
Steampunk Festival was held Saturday, May 11, with a Friday evening kickoff dinner featuring featured festival performer
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Through May 10, CRMII is hosting "Steampunk: Form & Function," the first exhibit of its kind to be featured in a major
American museum.
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previously known as "International Steampunk City" and the "Watch City Festival," is the oldest annual open-air, indoor/outdoor
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The Charles River Museum ceased its direct involvement in organizing the Festival after 2013. There was no festival in 2014.
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583:"Steampunk Meets the Big Top: The Watch City Steampunk Festival returns to Waltham, Mass., this time with a circus theme"
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Proceeds from the event will go to help the museum, which was flooded last year when the Charles overflowed its banks.
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weather. 2015 was the first year that the full schedule of daytime festival events was entirely free to the public.
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Muther, Christopher (May 5, 2011). "Steampunks have a city to call home: Waltham gears up for weekend festival".
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169:, called "Steampunk: Form & Function," the first steampunk exhibit featured in a major American museum.
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183:, a Waltham-based nonprofit supporting the city's community, it became a more city-centric event.
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The Festival brought in an estimated Saturday attendance of over 10,000 at the 2015 event.
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Waltham's downtown will be transformed into a Victorian-era, science-fiction fantasyland.
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The Festival's website has announced that the next event will be Saturday, May 13, 2023.
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620:"Q&A with Professor Elemental, special guest of Watch City Steampunk Festival"
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Downtown Waltham Partnership (2015-current) Charles River Museum (2010-2013)
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737:"Letter To The Editor: Watch City Steampunk Festival Returns To Waltham"
803:"2013 Steampunk fest in Waltham slated to draw thousands this weekend"
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2017 - May 12 (Friday evening concert gala) and May 13 (Main festival)
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to the public. This is still a primary feature of the Festival today.
777:"Steampunk festival in Waltham brings thousands to the city's center"
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2015 - May 8 (Friday evening concert gala) and May 9 (Main festival)
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710:"Dust off your top hat: Watch City Steampunk Festival returns May 7"
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2016 - May 6 (Friday evening concert gala) and May 7 (Main festival)
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152:. It began in 2011 as a fundraiser by and for the benefit of the
641:"Watch City Steampunk Festival Canceled Because Of Coronavirus"
430:"Citywide steampunk festival pays homage to Waltham's history"
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defying the weather to enjoy the activities and attractions.
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The 2020 Watch City Steampunk Festival was cancelled due to
669:"Watch City Steampunk Festival 2021 Free ·Online Event"
602:"Waltham steampunk festival draws crowds, despite rain"
526:"Waltham Voices: Thankful for many Steampunk partners"
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2018 - May 12 (Main Festival, no Friday Evening event)
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against one another in a fictional race to the moon.
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822:"Steampunk to take over Waltham Common this weekend"
689:"Facebook Event: Watch City Steampunk Festival 2022"
485:"The steampunks clearly needed a place to call home,
859:"Watch City Steampunk Festival 2018: What To Know"
507:"Watch City Steampunk Festival returns to Waltham"
295:2022 - May 7 (First in-person Festival since 2019)
179:the event returned. Now under the auspices of the
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148:festival in the United States, and is held in
840:"PHOTOS: Watch City Steampunk Festival 2017"
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320:"Steam Punked Waltham goes full-steam ahead"
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564:"Steampunk Festival returns this weekend"
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404:"Waltham museum director vows to reopen"
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279:2019 - May 10 (Friday "An Evening with
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428:Anderson, Leslie (February 16, 2011).
378:"Waltham, Mass becomes Steampunkville"
283:") and May 11 (Main festival): Titled
807:Boston Herald=accessdate=May 15, 2013
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600:Russell, Melissa (May 14, 2018).
562:Laguarda, Ignacio (May 5, 2017).
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450:Fenton, Cheryl (March 21, 2011).
289:2020 - Cancelled due to COVID-19
245:"New England Steampunk Festival"
154:Charles River Museum of Industry
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402:Burge, Kathy (March 16, 2010).
349:"Welcome to Steampunk City, MA"
318:Woodman, Tenley (May 6, 2011).
285:"Watch City Steampunk Festival"
857:Fisher, Jenna (May 11, 2018).
801:Reiss, Jaclyn (May 11, 2013).
775:Reiss, Jaclyn (May 12, 2012).
618:Feltner, Kerey (May 7, 2019).
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251:"International Steampunk City"
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177:Watch City Steampunk Festival,
142:Watch City Steampunk Festival,
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48:Watch City Steampunk Festival
820:Whelan, Bill (May 5, 2016).
347:Hecht, James (May 2, 2011).
181:Downtown Waltham Partnership
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762:"www.watchcityfestival.com"
524:Perry, Bob (May 19, 2015).
292:2021 - May 8 (Online only)
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261:2013 - May 10–12: Titled
255:2012 - May 11–13: Titled
134:www.watchcityfestival.com
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581:Staff (April 21, 2018).
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568:waltham.wickedlocal.com
549:www.harvardmagazine.com
249:2011 - May 7–8: Titled
34:Infobox recurring event
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899:Waltham, Massachusetts
828:. Waltham New Tribune.
587:steampunk-explorer.com
150:Waltham, Massachusetts
39:considered for merging
894:Steampunk conventions
452:"Steampunk hits home"
263:"Watch City Festival"
257:"Watch City Festival"
175:In 2015, renamed the
624:Wicked Local Waltham
545:"Industrial Origins"
543:Porter Brown, Nell.
530:Wicked Local Waltham
511:Wicked Local Waltham
281:Professor Elemental
207:Professor Elemental
18:Watch City Festival
741:Waltham, MA Patch
708:Collings, Jesse.
645:Waltham, MA Patch
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16:(Redirected from
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784:. Retrieved
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714:Wicked Local
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98:Years active
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413:January 11,
387:January 11,
358:January 11,
329:January 11,
238:Past events
225:H.G. Welles
221:Jules Verne
106:Inaugurated
92:Waltham, MA
88:Location(s)
28:‹ The
888:Categories
747:2022-05-10
719:2022-05-10
651:2021-01-08
382:BoingBoing
303:References
117:Est. 5000+
114:Attendance
461:March 20,
435:March 20,
146:steampunk
122:Patron(s)
80:Frequency
74:Steampunk
37:is being
694:Facebook
674:Facebook
214:COVID-19
83:Annually
41:. ›
30:template
786:June 1,
243:2010 -
130:Website
167:ModVic
65:active
62:Status
70:Genre
788:2012
463:2012
437:2012
415:2012
389:2012
360:2012
331:2012
223:and
109:2010
165:of
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
