Steampunk visits Lafayette

      The Steampunk and Maker's Fair, a joint adventure between Cité des Arts and the Lafayette Science Museum, will be 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, at both attractions and the Lafayette Public Library in downtown Lafayette. 

      The Steampunk movement started as a literary genre that is associated with the industrialization of the late 1800s and the futuristic writings of Jules Verne. It has expanded into music, costuming, accessories and invention. Enter the “Maker's,” who are both inventors and producers that bring their unique ideas to life. The “marriage” of these two unique groups will showcase Lafayette as an incubator for creative people and inventors, including existing businesses.  

     The Festival will feature live performance, including music, contests of all kinds (fashion, literary, beards, etc.) demonstrations, food and vendors. (The Louisiana Beard and Facial Hair Association will be organizing the Fair Beard and Mustache Competition.) Special performances for "Steampunk after Dark" will be an original musical by Travis Guillory titled “The Undertaker and His Wife” and a performance of "Boom Boom Burlesque" at Cité Des Arts.

     InventureWorks will be organizing "The Vault" pitch event for University of Louisiana-Lafayette and South Louisiana Community College students of Industrial Design, Architecture and Engineering. Up to 10 students will be invited to participate with winners receiving valuable prizes as well as mentorship from the UL College of Business Administration and incubation at Louisiana Economic Development Authority’s Opportunity Machine. Ideas should be submitted electronically by Oct. 25 to the InventureWorks website at www.inventureworks.com/submit/. Visit www.inventureworks.com/vault for more information.