Thursday , March 28 2024
For anyone who enjoys fan conventions at all, AnachroCon 2016 is always a fun and stress-free three-day event.

AnachroCon 2016 Wrap-Up: Steampunk, Dr. Who, and the Weird Wild West

AnachroCon is the beginning of Atlanta’s convention season. It’s possible to go to at least one fan convention around town every month between February and September. But AnachroCon is the only one devoted primarily to history, alternate history, and steampunk. So you can expect to see beautiful Victorian costumes, and this year was no exception. This year’s theme was the Weird Wild West, so there were also lots of cowboy hats, boots, and holsters on display.

Courtesy of Ken Akamatsu
Courtesy of Ken Akamatsu

The vendor room at AnachroCon is always an amazing maze of handcrafted jewelry, weapons, bustles, corsets, and more.

But the costumes are only the beginning of the convention’s joys. There are plenty of panels on real history as well as alternative history. This year’s panels covered the Civil War, World War II, and the Cold War, plus women’s suffrage, the history of emergency medical care, and more. There is always a panel on mead making (followed by mead drinking) and there are teapot races and sword-fighting demonstrations.

There were also rooms devoted to discussions of Doctor Who, Classic Horror, Science, and “The Finer Things,” the last devoted to manners and the preparation of luxury food items (think chocolate, homemade candy and food prepared with alcohol). For attendees’ comfort, there was a tea room and a Teetotalers Saloon (with tea, chocolate and cookies) as well as the Long Branch Saloon, which provided free sandwiches and snacks.

We were so busy with the history track, science, and the Time Vortex (The Doctor Who track) and a bit of Finer Things that I am not able to give you a great deal of information about the literature and horror tracks, but everyone seemed to be enjoying those panels as well.

Courtesy of Ken Akamatsu
Courtesy of Ken Akamatsu

At night there were variety shows and musical performances as well as a nightly pajama party with movies. The Vauxhall Garden Variety Players, regulars at this convention, provided a delightful Western Revue, and there were performances by The Gin Rebellion and Jig to a Milestone, also popular returning guests.

For anyone who enjoys fan conventions at all, AnachroCon is always a fun and stress-free three-day event, and this was no exception. AnahroCons for the next few years are already being planned. Mark your calendars!

About Rhetta Akamatsu

I am an author of non-fiction books and an online journalist. My books include Haunted Marietta, The Irish Slaves, T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do: Blues Women Past and Present, Southern Crossroads: Georgia Bluesand Sex Sells: Women in Photography and Film.

Check Also

Book Review: ‘Impossible Histories’ by Hal Johnson from Odd Dot

'Impossible Histories' by Hal Johnson shows how little changes compound into big ones, resulting in history being changed.