Festival uncovers steampunk culture in Springfield

It's not every day that someone walks through the Great Hall in Springfield with a top hat, homemade jetpack and wooden mechanical arm without anyone batting an eye.
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Festival uncovers steampunk culture in Springfield Proceeds go to Springfield Community Center By CAMERON PAQUETTE | Sep 14, 2015 0 Photo by: Cameron Paquette (From left to right) Monica Lamoureux, of Cornish, Elizabeth Rodriguez, of Windsor, Matilda Von Roth of Claremont and Michelle Rice, of Windsor show off their steampunk attire at the Great Hall in Springfield during the inaugural Springfield Steampunk Festival. SPRINGFIELD — It's not every day that someone walks through the Great Hall in Springfield with a top hat, homemade jetpack and wooden mechanical arm without anyone batting an eye. However, that was the norm this past weekend as Springfield hosted the inaugural Steampunk Festival at the Great Hall and Hartness House Inn. The three-day festival kicked off at the Hartness House Inn on Friday, Sept. 11 with the grand opening celebration and a few words from Springfield resident Sabrina Smith, festival coordinator. "Springfield and the Precision Valley have a rich history of industry and innovation," said Smith. "That's why we are turning Springfield into the steampunk capital of Vermont." According to the Oxford Dictionary, steampunk is "a genre of science fiction that has a historical setting and typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology," as well as "a style of design and fashion that combines historical elements with anachronistic technological features inspired by science fiction." With such a definition, festival goers were given a wide scope of options with their costumes. Corsets, pirate wear, and Victorian-era hats and dresses were the order of the day, with many of the vendors in the Great Hall featuring popular add-ons such as goggles and jewelry. One such vendor, Steve Parenteau, of Sunapee, brought his workshop with him to modify and create goggles, top hats, vintage keys and badges. "I'm a leather fanatic," said Parenteau as he punched another size-adjustment hole in the strap of a pair of goggles. Parenteau, like many vendors, was attracted to the "mechanical" aspects of steampunk, and got involved with the culture after someone bet him that he couldn't make a hat. Parenteau made that hat — and made the man buy it. "Once the design is there, it takes about eight hours to make," he said, pointing to his own head. While the Great Hall featured the steampunk bazaar and live music, the Hartness House was home to a variety of events, including an absinthe tasting and the Stargazer's Ball. "The hope is we'll have an ongoing event," said Hartness House Innkeeper Zach Jones. "It's been positive." Smith approached the Hartness House in January with her proposal for the festival — a proposal which was readily accepted. "James Hartness was an esteemed [event organizer] himself," said Jones. "As soon as I heard [about the festival] I thought it was a perfect fit." The festival's marketing manager, Lynn Barrett — who donned her father Russell's World War II pilot's uniform for the occasion — is optimistic that the event can be more than a one-off. "I've done a lot of events, and this has been positive," said Barrett. All proceeds from the event went toward the Springfield Community Center.