Best known for its scenic vistas, colorful neighborhoods and high-tech businesses, the Bay Area has also played an important role in the emergence of steampunk culture. It's the headquarters of Burning Man; the unofficial capital of the Maker Movement; and birthplace of iconic projects such as the Nautilus Submarine Art Car and Neverwas Haul. The area is also home to events such as the Clockwork Alchemy convention, the Edwardian Ball, and Mad Hatter Festival and Parade.

Steampunks who visit or live here will find a wealth of attractions, which are listed in this section. It includes the entire nine-county Bay Area from Sonoma and Napa counties in the north to Santa Clara County in the south, plus the neighboring counties of Lake, Mendocino, San Benito and Santa Cruz.

Check out the "Steamiest Places" section for attractions likely to be of greatest interest to steampunks.

Amusements
Art
Books
Emporia
Food
Ghosts
Groups
Higher Education
History
Local Guides
Science
Steamiest
Stories
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Staff Report | Mar 12, 2025

The Menagerie Oddities Market celebrated International Women’s Day by presenting “Women of Oddities,” the organizer’s first event of the year. Held March 8 in downtown Oakland, it provided an opportunity for local goths, pagans, steampunks, and others to shop for handcrafted wares from a curated group of female vendors.

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Staff Report | Mar 12, 2025

The SF Bay Area steampunk convention will take place Oct. 24-26 at a new venue with “Gaslight Fantasy” as the theme. Meanwhile, Drake & McTrowell’s Duel at Dusk will happen two weeks later in San Diego.

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By Stephen Beale | Feb 4, 2025

The Edwardian Ball, held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in San Francisco, provided a cornucopia of eye-popping art and entertainment, but the attendees themselves were also part of the spectacle.

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Scenes from The Edwardian Ball, which transformed the Regency Ballroom into a neo-vintage fantasy world
By Stephen Beale | Feb 4, 2025

The darkly whimsical world of Edward Gorey came to life once again as the Edwardian Ball returned to the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco.

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Staff Report | Jan 28, 2025

Once again, San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom will be transformed into a neo-vintage wonderland as The Edwardian Ball returns on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1.

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Staff Report | Dec 18, 2024

We didn’t need a time machine to visit 19th century London, but one was readily available at the 2024 edition of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, taking place this month at Cow Palace in Daly City, California, just south of San Francisco.

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Staff Report | Dec 14, 2024

A pair of fantastical serpents joined a host of art cars, cosplayers, Alice in Wonderland characters, and community groups as the 14th annual Mad Hatter Holiday Festival took place in Vallejo, California. An estimated 10,000 people turned out.

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Staff Report | Dec 7, 2024

Episode 12 of our video series takes viewers to two events: The Key City Steampunk Convention in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Maker Faire Bay Area in Vallejo, California. We visited Key City in August and Maker Faire in October.

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By Stephen Beale | Dec 5, 2024

Thousands of fans across a wide range of genres gathered at San Francisco’s Moscone Center over Thanksgiving weekend for the third Fan Expo SF, billed as Northern California’s largest pop culture convention.

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Staff Report | Dec 4, 2024

The Mad Hatter Holiday Festival will return to Vallejo, California, on Saturday, Dec. 7 with art cars, music, costume contests, craft vendors, and more. The centerpiece is a parade through the city’s downtown.

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Steampunk fans gathered in Wild West garb and were joined by unexpected equine guests
Staff Report | Oct 30, 2024

Once a year, a small group of steampunk fans gathers in Santa Cruz County, California, for a picnic and other shenanigans, and so it happened on Saturday, Oct. 26, as they met at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton.

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“The Greatest Show and Tell on Earth” did not disappoint in its return to Vallejo
By Stephen Beale | Oct 23, 2024

Maker Faire Bay Area returned Oct. 18-20 to Mare Island in Vallejo, California, once again presenting a bounty of do-it-yourself projects and opportunities to meet their creators. We have photos and a video.

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By Stephen Beale | Oct 15, 2024

The event will offer a showcase for eye-popping do-it-yourself projects, including vehicles, kinetic art, robotics, fashion, and more. Participants include Obtainium Works, Kinetic Steam Works, and other longtime favorites.

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Staff Report | Aug 30, 2024

In Episode 11 of our video series, we visit the Obtainium Cup Contraptor’s Rally in Northern California and the Key City Steampunk Convention in Pennsylvania. Plus: A Q&A with Ofeibea Loveless of Airship Ashanti, a cosplay group from Cincinnati.

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The pop culture convention featured sci-fi luminaries along with artists, cosplayers, and more
By Stephen Beale | Aug 19, 2024

GalaxyCon came to San Jose with an impressive lineup of celebrities, including cast members from Star Trek, Psych, and Our Flag Means Death. But for me, the main attraction was the opportunity to meet artists, writers, and cosplayers.

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Art cars encountered zombies, robots, and other challenges at this wacky event in California
Staff Report | Jul 30, 2024

The 10th Annual Obtainium Cup Contraptor’s Rally took place Sunday, July 28 at the Mare Island Art Studios in Vallejo, California, drawing art cars and other “sculptural vehicles” that navigated a madcap obstacle course.

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Staff Report | Jul 12, 2024

In Episode 10 of our video series, we speak with organizers of Steampunk Adventurers Weekend in South Florida and The Edwardian Ball in San Francisco. We also take you to Clockwork Alchemy, the SF Bay Area steampunk convention.

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Cosplay, fashion, artists, and more at the huge anime convention in downtown San Jose
Staff Report | May 30, 2024

Thousands of anime enthusiasts gathered in San Jose over Memorial Day weekend for the 30th anniversary edition of this convention “by fans, for fans.” It mostly took place at the San Jose Convention Center, but also spilled over to nearby hotels.

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Scenes from the 4th annual SF Bay Area World Goth Day Festival, held aboard the USS Hornet
Staff Report | May 7, 2024

A World War II era aircraft carrier might be the last place where you’d expect to see a goth event, but that was the setting on Saturday, May 4 as The Menagerie presented San Francisco’s 4th Annual World Goth Day Festival.

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Creativity unleashed at the San Francisco area steampunk convention
By Stephen Beale | Apr 25, 2024

Steampunk, in large measure, is a community of artists, whether that takes the form of costumes, props, gadgets, or 2D wall art. All those forms were on display at Clockwork Alchemy.