MOUNT OLIVE TOWNSHIP, NJ (Morris County)- Vasa Park in Mount Olive Township is well known for its ties to the Scandinavian community and its many cultural events, but on Saturday, June 1 it will take a different direction when it hosts its 3rd Annual Steampunk Festival.
Steampunk Alchemy Fest, which will be held on the spacious outdoor grounds of Vasa Park, located at 1 Vasa Drive, combines the steam-powered Victorian Era energy of the classic science fiction genre with unique activities and entertainment.
The outdoor family friendly daytime event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and includes themed vendors, live music, entertainment, food, and beverages.
Then at night, starting at 7:00 p.m., all 18+ aged guests are invited to the Cabaret add-on event that features a dinner with comedy, burlesque, entertainment, and special music by A Halo Called Fred. New for 2024, is limited tent camping available on-site Saturday night, including a continental breakfast Sunday.
Scheduled entertainment includes:
- A Halo Called Fred – Your hosts for the day are A Halo Called Fred, who have spent the last two decades making the geekiest sounds ever to spring from guitar, bass, violin, and Tupperware. Featuring songs about pirates, cavemen, and any body part or flying thing you can think of. They have lent their talents to Burlesque shows, motion picture soundtracks, rock operas, and host “The Freaky Mutant Weirdo Variety Show”. Specializing in counter-cultural and geeky conventions, the Halo is proud to bring musical joy to any gathering. From Steampunks to Fairies, Bikers to Furries, our message always rings true – “We Love You All!”
- This Way to the EGRESS– Equal parts unruly vaudeville, ebullient world-beat, and three-ring circus all the while playing an amalgamation of worldly influences which defies genres. Formed in 2008, This Way to the EGRESS is a 6-piece accordion led ensemble hailing from the Tri-State area… With a wide variety of musical backgrounds and a diverse array of influences, EGRESS crafts intricately arranged audible cocktails which will be sure to make you move. Together they form a tapestry of worldly influences and an alchemy of sounds modern and past, familiar, and forgotten.
- Dust Bowl Faeries- Celebrating their ten year anniversary in 2024, Dust Bowl Faeries perform a faerie-tale medley of dark cabaret and gothic polka music, infused with a dose of witchcraft and a dusting of woodland magic. The accordion driven freak-folk ensemble hails from the New York Hudson Valley and draws inspiration from circus music, murder ballads and Eastern European folk songs.
- Lesser Séamus– Lesser Séamus was formed in 2008 in New Brunswick, NJ, and performs as a three to seven-piece band. Instrumentation includes guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, Irish bouzouki, tin whistle, Uilleann pipes, bass, and drums. Song offerings include traditional Irish folk, ballads, fiddle tunes, and plenty of Celtic punk.
- Professional Monstrosity Sideshow– Not your Victorian uncle’s sideshow, Lady Gypsy offers a fresh, funny, intimate show with all the escapes, pain tolerance and off the wall skills you could ever want! From off kilter straight jacket escapes to her signature coffin bed of nails, Lady Gypsy will keep you entertained and mildly disturbed.
- The Munchausen Society– The Munchausen Society combines interactive storytelling with charity fundraising! Join them and help them spin the most fanciful and challenging tall tales possible, all for a good cause.
- Big Whimsy – A shapeshifting duo of interactive music and dance, song and story, monster, and mirth. They met at the NY Faerie Festival when she was a fire salamander, and he was a giant goatman.
Other activities Include:
- Plant Talks- Victorian gardening techniques and carnivorous plant information with The Rooted Lion.
- Knights of Acre– Live combat demonstration on medieval fighting and combat techniques. Attend for a chance to challenge our knights!
- The Museum of Interesting Things– A traveling interactive demonstration/exhibition of antiques and inventions.
- Tea Room– A quiet area away from all the event hub-bub where you can partake in artisan teas from the Ohio Team Company.
- Vendors– Artisan vendors for your shopping pleasure.
- Cabaret Add On– Featuring music, burlesque, comedy and more. Dinner included.
- Freaky Mutant Weirdo Merch– T shirts, tote bags, shot glasses, stickers and more
Among the scheduled vendors:
- Tündérlings by Cicada– What’s a Tündér-ling? Well it’s KIND OF a Hungarian thing! 100% handmade, fae creature art dolls. All OOAK. A combination of a little Hungarian folklore and a lot of taking the monsters in the mind of Cicada- adding some magic and turning them into something lovable that can hug our inner child. Adopt a Tündérling of your own and bring some strange magic into your life.
- Into Leather– Into Leather’s proprietor, Jeff Marshall, has purveyed both time and space to bring back only the finest handmade leather accessories for the discerning steampunker.
- John Milleker Historic Photography– Historic Chemical Photography and Antique Photography Items. We use the same chemicals, recipes and cameras as the 19th century to make a truly archival photograph on metal.
- Cosmic Debris– Cosmic Debris brings the functionality of candles to the novelty world with bright colors and glow in the dark options.
- Deviant Elegance– Corsets, couture, oddities and such.
The Steampunk Fair brings a scene that you certainly wouldn’t see every day in Morris County, with attendees dressed in “steampunk clothing and gear”. But organizers make it clear that you don’t need to “dress the part” to attend. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy this family-friendly event.
Advance tickets are $25 (adults), $10 (Ages 13-18), Free for kids 12 and under. Tickets are available for purchase online. A related add-on evening Cabaret, with a separate ticket price, is scheduled from 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.. Limited camping will be available for a nominal fee.
For more information on the festival visit SteampunkAlchemyFest.com.
