At AnachroCon 2013 last weekend, my husband and I experienced time travel. Well, we came as close as anyone living today can, anyway, as far as I know.
We listened to a Civics lesson from Thomas Jefferson. Ben Franklin was there. We received art instruction from Leonardo da Vinci. We observed lessons in 1920's dance with the Vauxhall Garden Players.
We heard Celtic music about science fiction and cats from our old friend Marc Gunn, European folk punk from Frenchy and the Punk, vaudeville influenced music from The Gin Rebellion, and 80's covers from Denim Arcade, plus the steampunk splendor or Extraordinary Contraptions. I plan a whole article on the music of AnachroCon soon.
Vendors displayed marvelous wares. There were authors and books everywhere. Amazing gadgets and elaborate costumes filled the rooms and halls. It was another world and many other times, all in one place.
We learned about Vikings in the New World (Antarctica, Vinland, and Newfoundland), the paranormal under scientific scrutiny ( I even pinch-hit as a panelist on that one and one other paranormal panel in the history room) and comets in the science room.
We could have learned, had we been able to clones ourselves, how to make corsets and work in metal and how to make mead or mix a cocktail.
We saw a lot of old friends, made some new ones, had great free food and snacks in the Con Suite, and generally did every single thing that makes fan conventions so much fun.
I can truly say that AnachroCon is consistently one of the friendliest, most well-run conventions we attend. Cindy and William MacLeod and all their directors and staff deserve a huge hats off, whether that hat be feathery, flowered or of the top hat variety, for giving all of us who love history, alternate history, and steampunk such an amazing event!
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