Steampunk Road Trip – Clockwork Alchemy

 

We’re back in sunny California for our next stop, chatting with Charlie, who is the head of Marketing for the Clockwork Alchemy convention.

 

Hello Charlie! When is the convention being held this year?

Charlie : This year it will be held March 23-25, 2018,at the Hyatt Regency SFO in Burlingame, California, USA.

 

I’ve been following the convention for years and sadly have never been able to attend when it was during the Memorial Day weekend. How did the convention get started?

Charlie : Clockwork Alchemy was started by the Bay Area steampunk community to fill a void for steampunk conventions. During the exploration phase, we found unexpected support to make it happen. The local community supplied talent, staff, and creativity, and the group ARG and its event FanimeCon provided resources and a location to hold the event. After six years with FanimeCon, Clockwork Alchemy outgrew our hotel, so we decided it was time to split off with a new date and location.

 

Growing larger is a good problem to have. What are some items in your programming schedule?

Charlie : We have many live shows and concerts throughout the weekend such as rock bands, belly dancing, comedy, and arts performances. We have workshops for crafting, making, and writing, as well as educational sessions on all things related to steampunk and the 19^th  century. We have a gaming area, a steampunk tearoom, a war room where guests can sample lessons of martial arts from around the world, and classic steampunk activities such as teapot racing, and waltz classes.

Such a great variety! There’s something for everyone. What have been some notable people or activities over the years?

Charlie : We’ve had wonderful concert guests such as Steam Powered Giraffe and Professor Elemental, author Harry Turtledove as a Guest of Honor, and at least two proposals during the con’s big dance night. We’ve hosted airship racing and makers such as Jake Von Slatt, JW Kinsey, Tony Hicks, and Scott Brodeen. We’ve had a musical that was a collaboration between several of the bands who had previously played Clockwork Alchemy, and each year we have a full-blown fashion show. In our War Room, we had two famous naginata instructors, affectionately called “The Naginata Sisters” teach classes that caused a bit of a stir.

 

With that lineup in previous conventions, it sounds like there’s still much more to come. What can a first time attendee expect when they arrive?

Charlie : An open and loving crowd that would welcome them with earnest. I live 3000 miles from the con in Massachusetts, and my first year I got seven invites from con members saying I shouldn’t wait a year to see them again and that I should come back to California soon! I’ve been invited to parties and wedding celebrations as if I were just a town over. It’s a wonderful group.

 

Now, THAT is a road trip, and some serious commitment! For those in the community interested in attending, what are all the ways to follow convention news?

Charlie : News and announcements are published on  clockworkalchemy.com. We also have a facebok page, a facebook group where fans stay in touch with each other, Instagram, twitter, and google+.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ClockworkAlchemy/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Clockworkalchemy/
Twitter: @ClockwrkAlchemy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clockworkalchemy/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFfOLld0HtNAl1QOcyMJT-A

 

Thanks, Charlie! The convention weekend is coming up fast, so everyone better make plans quickly!

Until our next stop, follow the whole steampunk road trip on the Master Link List