General News
17 April, 2023
Thousands on a festive frolic
What began as a "social experiment" in the mind of one man has evolved into the region's biggest celebration of escapism - and an institution for the town of Dimboola. Attendance at the 2023 Wimmera Steampunk Festival is expected to double to 5000...
What began as a "social experiment" in the mind of one man has evolved into the region's biggest celebration of escapism - and an institution for the town of Dimboola.
Attendance at the 2023 Wimmera Steampunk Festival is expected to double to 5000 from the 2500 who attended last year's inaugural event.
And with an expanded program this year, there is even more emphasis on the weird and the whimsical where festival goers revel in the opportunity to wear their imagination on their sleeve.
It's a a world of time-travellers from a bygone age; of madcap fantasy, costumes, performance and art.
The four-day celebration of the bizarre and the bold morphs from drama to dance, talking heads to mad hatters, and a spectacular street party of the most peculiar proportions.
“People bond together and connect,” festival ringmaster Chan Uoy said.
“Their love of the Steampunk scene draws them together.”
Artisits and entertainment are this week continuing to be added to the already packed program.
"One of the new performances will be Filipino dance" said Mr Uoy.
"In the coming days, I'll be meeting with the volunteers again to see if something new will come up or if another group will contribute something.
"Everything's going according to the plan."
The festival features music, art and street and stage performance from Thursday April 20 to Sunday April 23, providing entertainment and inspiration for those already at home in the booming sub-genre, as well as for the adventurous newcomers who are dipping an experimental toe into Steampunk for the first time.
With trees bedecked with lights and images projected onto buildings, after-dark Dimboola will be an illuminating experience for those attending the Saturday night street party.
Add in a locally produced stage play based on the writing of Edgar Allan Poe and crafted specifically for Steampunk, a gin degustation, Devonshire teas, live music, museum tours, roving entertainers, market stalls, a vintage car display and talks by Steampunk authors, and the 2023 festival is set to challenge all five senses with an abundance of sights, smells, tastes, sounds and touch.
Full details are in the official souvenir program - free inside today's copy of The Horsham Times, and available throughout the event.