It was like a time travel experience. On Friday night, January 17, the night of Edwardian Ball 2014 World’s Faire, I saw all these ladies and gentlemen dressed up to the nines in a myriad of costumes that range from Edwardian, Victorian, Steampunk, Edward Gorey-inspired, Gothic mix, 20s Flapper, to everything in between and beyond. I saw a mermaid costume (or two, or three?) that night. It was a little bit dizzying at first; all these merry people crowding about, sometimes bumping into each other followed by politely saying “Pardon” complete with a curtsy or a bow; some of them talking in accents one may only hear in period drama TV shows or movies.

The Regency Ballroom Hotel proved to be the perfect venue for this first night of Edwardian Ball 2014. It supported the whole atmosphere of an enchanting and whimsical evening of gorgeous people, great Cyclecide ride at the ballroom, fairground-like side shows, EXCELLENT live entertainment ranging from circus acts, can can dance, live bands (hello again, John Brothers Piano Company!) pole dancing, cowboy girl, and Unwoman (her cello playing, combined with her vocal was so enchanting). As this is my first time, I was somewhat unprepared to see all the fabulousness of these adults, unafraid and glorious to show their more eccentric sides in this one of two nights of celebration in the Edwardian Ball caliber. I was also unprepared, yet pleasantly surprised when I got to try the spinning ride in the middle of the room, thanks to a beautiful stranger Angelica who was looking for a partner to ride with.

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Both of us roamed inside the big ballroom for a littl bit more before going down to the basement to see the vendor bazaar briefly. Soon enough, the side shows and main acts are performed to an increasingly dense crowd on the ballroom floor, so shortly after Le Can Can Bijou, Vau de Vire circus acrobatic act, and Valentine performed, we started making our way to the 3rd floor, which ended up to be our favorite floor.

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The 3rd floor was dubbed the Museum of Wonder. A prelude of a rather narrow hallways full of a puppet show, a Clue-like setup of Vivien Blackwell mystery exhibition, and a peek show from a few gorgeous models slightly delayed us to arrive at the main hall of the 3rd floor. Here, the Steampunk lads seemed to rule the night (costume-wise); there’s some quirky exhibition with dead animals, a moving wooden doll(?), a flying ship, planets and constellation exhibition, an artist drawing, a fortune teller, and so much more I couldn’t keep up. Moreover, the 3rd floor’s main stage decoration was gorgeous and the set-up more intimate, allowing the audience to be closer to the performers in enjoying the entertainment they’re showing. We stayed on Museum of Wonder until we realized how tired our bones were and called it a night.

I truly admire the dedication and spirit of the Edwardian Ball 2014 crew and the participants. The craftsmanship displayed in some of the costume constructions are divine, as are the styling choices these men and women made. Next year, if we come back, I’d make a more appropriate outfit for the occasion. I have to refashion something out of what I already have, but I have just the perfect materials for it. I’m ready :)

Below are some more highlight pictures Chris took that night. If you want to see the whole album, just skip to the bottom of this post.

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If you want to see more pictures, feel free to browse through this album below, which contains 50+ pictures.

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So, what do you think about Edwardian Ball 2014? Were you there? And even if you weren’t, would you consider coming next year? I think if you never go, you have to go at least once to see what the commotion is all about. I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading, until next time!
Musank