In early August I attended the Hebden Bridge Steampunk Weekend. I had considered visiting both days but in the end only visited on the Saturday. The event is organised by the same people who organise the Haworth Steampunk weekend, the latter taking place twice a year.
Hebden Bridge Vintage Weekend
This was my first time at time at this event but it seems the Steampunk weekend is closely linked the the Vintage weekend that takes place the same dates. There is an entry fee for the Vintage weekend where there are lots of classic cars on show. I got the sense though that those attending the Vintage weekend and those there for the Steampunk weekend were a completely different crowd. I suspect it’s possible to attend the Steampunk weekend without buying a ticket for the Vintage weekend but it certainly wasn’t clear. Indeed the car park you are sent to means you will most likely come to the pay gate for the Vintage weekend before you reach the town centre where the Steampunk market and characters tend to be.
Hebden Bridge Steampunk Gallery & Thoughts
Having visited the Hebden Bridge Steampunk weekend I am able to compare it to other Steampunk events I have attended. My impression was that the event seemed to be limited to a very small part of town and that it was harder to get street portraits here than at other events (particularly because it was a sunny day with very little shade). I’m a big fan of the Haworth Steampunk Weekends which I feel offer a better experience than the Hebden Bridge event. I don’t see myself attending the Hebden Bridge event next year.
