Van Buren prepares to host Steampunk Festival

VAN BUREN — Historic Main Street is blending Victorian aesthetics with steam-powered machinery in the 46th annual Old Timers Day Steampunk Festival next weekend.

Over 120 vendors and 10 food trucks are expected to line the six blocks of downtown with steampunk gadgets, modern boutique clothing, arts and crafts, home decor, antiques and tasty treats on from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The festival also will feature live music and entertainment, including street performers, stilt walkers and mechanical marvels. Old Town Merchants and the Main Street Entertainment District are organizing the event.

The Oxford Dictionary defines steampunk as a genre of science fiction that has an historical setting and typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology, and a fashion style that combines historical elements with differing technological features inspired by science fiction.

The theme change from just the Old Timers Day Festival is credited to steampunk enthusiast Kathy Lumpkins in 2018. Lumpkins, the event coordinator and owner of retro boutique Key Lime Crush at the time, suggested the theme when the committee was looking to liven up the event.

Lumpkins sold the business and moved to Georgia later that year.

Lindsay Dodson, a coordinator for the event, said Van Buren usually sees between 12,000 and 15,000 people participating in the event. She said the festival helps promote the local businesses and preserve the historic downtown.

Alison Goodwin, owner of Chapters on Main Bookstore & Coffee Shop, said the festival was one of the biggest weekends for her store last year. Chapters has a special coffee menu planned that will be announced Friday, she said.

“We have a ton of people down here in Van Buren for the event,” Goodwin said.

“And I love that everyone dresses up. It just builds camaraderie and pride of our township.”

Other upcoming events in downtown Van Buren include the third annual Summer

Street Eats Food Truck Festival on June 18 and the Downtown Junk Fest on Sept. 14 and 15.

(File Photo/ NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton) Attendees walk under a hanging piece of steampunk-inspired artwork on May 15, 2022, at the festival.

(File Photo/ NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton) Attendees walk under a banner on May 15, 2022, at the 44th annual Old Timers Day Steampunk Festival along historic Main Street in downtown Van Buren. The two-day free event organized by the Old Town Merchants Association featured costumed characters and six blocks’ worth of retrofuturistic-themed entertainment and vendors offering arts, crafts, jewelry and clothing, as well as food.

(File Photo/ NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton) Laurie Craven of Fort Smith uses her phone on May 15, 2022, while people play chess at a booth for the Main Place Emporium and Chess Club at the festival.