Watch City Steampunk Festival

Waltham, MA

Centered on Waltham’s beautiful Common at the corner of Main and Moody Streets, the Watch City Steampunk Festival is the great outdoor festival of the Steampunk genre—a cultural and social movement melding elements of Victorian-era history and fashion with retro-futuristic technology.

Watch City 2015 will featuring a broad array of theatrical and musical performers as well as clothing, jewelry, art, and food vendors. The Festival is will also include kids programming, making this most definitely a family friendly event, as well.

 Frequently Asked Questions

 

  • What did people in the late 1800’s think the future would look like, and what if that’s the future that happened, where everything H.G. Wells and Jules Verne imagined came true? Mix Industrial Revolution history, science fiction, and a dose of whimsy, and you’ll be on your way. Click here for a longer description.

  • The Festival primarily takes place on Waltham Common in downtown Waltham, Massachusetts. For GPS use 610 Main Street, Waltham MA 02452; this is the street address of Waltham City Hall. Note that this address is NOT where parking is located.

  • For 2026, the Festival opens at 12:00 noon and runs until 4:00pm. Please note that this is a change from previous years.

  • The schedule will be posted on this website shortly before the event. We reserve the right to make changes before Festival day. Any differences between the official schedule and what actually happens are the fault of our local mad scientists messing with the historical timeline.

  • This is a FREE community event. (The amount of money you spend with our vendors is up to you…)

  • Vendor applications for 2026 have closed. See our Vendor FAQ at https://www.watchcityfestival.com/vendor-faq to learn more about our event.

  • No, costumes are not required. They sure are fun though!

  • All costume weapons not a part of a demonstration or official Festival showpiece must adhere to these guidelines:

    Please have your weapon peace bound.

    Please have your weapon holstered at all times.

    Please abide by all local, State and national laws. For further State information see MA General Laws, Part 4, Title 1, Chapter 269, Section 10.

    (Basically, don’t be stupid with it, OK?)

  • Vendors, entertainers, displays, people in costume, and unexpected moments. Something like this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z62dDjwS6U

  • No. The event runs rain or shine, so check the forecast and be prepared. If a hurricane or other dangerous weather is predicted, the event will be cancelled for the year.

  • A number of spaces will be reserved behind City Hall for handicapped users and are first-come first-served. Otherwise we recommend the Central Square Parking Deck, the Embassy Parking Facility, or one of the other public parking lots in Waltham. Parking can fill up so we do recommend using public transportation if possible.

    Waltham offers the “Pay by Phone” app as a way to pay for parking.

    Note for volunteers, vendors and performers: Please read the instructions provided to you on where you should park.

  • MBTA Commuter Rail: Waltham stop on the Fitchburg line

    MBTA Bus: There are several bus stops near Waltham Common. Please note that Carter Street will be closed to traffic and the buses will stop somewhere nearby, but not exactly as shown on the map.

    Alewife Station Shuttle: We are working on establishing a new schedule for the shuttle. Stay tuned.

  • We will post hotel block information closer to the event date. There are a number of hotels available in Waltham, although there are none immediately next to the festival area.

  • Yes! Look for children’s activities on the schedule.

  • Waltham Common has paved pathways, and the vendor area is on relatively level ground. There is a gentle slope from the vendor area down to Carter Street.

  • Well-behaved dogs are welcome. Please pick up after your pooch.

  • We will have food trucks at the event. Also there are many restaurants available along Main Street and Moody Street, as well as convenience stores. You may also bring your own food and have a picnic.

  • No. Only official Festival participants may have a canopy.

    If you decide to bring it anyway, you must use weights - we are not permitted to stake tents to the ground on Waltham Common. We’d rather you didn’t bring it, but we don’t want you getting electrocuted by driving a stake into the underground power cables either.

  • The Festival ends at 4:00pm this year! We are compiling a list of events known to be happening in town so that you don’t have to go home right away. There are many restaurants in the area, and we recommend the nearby Game Underground for some video game arcade entertainment.