Photos: Big River Steampunk Fest 2024

The Big River Steampunk Festival returned to Hannibal, Missouri over Labor Day weekend, and once again our Midwest correspondent Curt Knapp was there to take photos and file a report.

“The weather was in the mid-80’s, and cooler in the morning,” Curt reported. "It really showed with a great turnout.”

Last year’s festival drew 21,500 visitors, according to the Hannibal Convention & Visitors Bureau, which would make it the largest steampunk gathering in the U.S. Festival owner Tammy Dunbar Riley said the best estimate she’s heard for this year was around 22,000, though this hadn’t been confirmed by the Visitors Bureau.

Most activities at the festival were free, but it did include some ticketed events, many of which sold out well in advance of the weekend.

This year’s gathering featured a new Renaissance Fair area, which included demonstrations of medieval combat from the local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism. And the Wasteland section was back, inspired by the post-apocalyptic Mad Max movies.

However, Curt said his hands were full just covering the main steampunk area with its vendors, costumes, contests, and live entertainment. You can see the highlights in the gallery below.