Author: JP Dean

The Moonlit Fireplace Experience

Post author By JP Dean
Post date April 21, 2025

PRESENTED BY: Wild Snowman’s Workshop LLC

An interactive storytelling experiences in an immersive environment. Experience a fully dressed, animated set as well as a gift shop with handmade art.

The Moonlit Fireplace Experience

A one-of-a-kind fantasy/science-fiction story with a timed interactive logic puzzle
Just under 10 minutes duration at $10 per group’s attempt.
Handmade animated fireplace (contains no real fire or smoke)
Contained within a 8’x8’x12′ tent
For all ages

Located near the Main Stage in the North Exhibitors Hallway.

See the Current Program

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Exposition Updates

Six Weeks until the Exposition!

Post author By JP Dean
Post date April 19, 2025

Only SIX more weeks remain until the portals of time and space open to July 1893 and dimensions of the Chicago World’s Fair that only ever made it into a handful of history books that have long since been forgotten. Some say it never happened, some say the universe was ripped asunder; we shall find out soon enough . . .

The deadline for booking your rooms at the Exposition looms ever closer; the convention block closes at the end of April.
VIP upgrade tickets continue to sell; get yours before they are gone.
We continue the fourth chapter of “The Curse of Cthulhu” mystery game as we draw closer to being immersed in the final chapter during the actual convention.
New and exciting presentations and workshops have been added to the weekend’s program, and the first draft of the schedule is now live!
ALL THE DETAILS BELOW . . .

The Exposition VIP Experience

This week we unveiled the Exposition VIP Experience! Limited to just 24 ticket upgrades (several of which have already sold), VIP tickets include the following:

“Curse of Cthulhu” VIP Badge
Cocktail Party with our Guests of Honor (Friday)
Early entry to the Underground Market & the Palace of Fine Arts (Friday)
Banquet with with selected Guests of Honor (Saturday – see menu options below)
Exclusive “What does Steampunk Mean to You?” Panel with our Guests of Honor (Sunday).
“Curse of Cthulhu” t-shirt
“Curse of Cthulhu” pin
Front row reserved seats for presentations and events.

Click HERE to learn more about
the Exposition VIP Experience!

Hotel Rooms

We are now just SIX WEEKS away from the Exposition, which means that there is only THIS MONTH left to book rooms. Click HERE or the image below to learn more about rooms and make your booking.

“The Unknown Dreams of Ruby Carter” – Part Three

We continue the “The Unknown Dreams of Ruby Carter“ chapter of the Curse of Cthulhu storyline with investigation reports from Ruby Carter, an undercover police woman on a mission to infiltrate a criminal gang, known as the Tarts with Hearts, and see how far the corruption goes to the top!

Each year there is a mystery to be solved at the Exposition as part of our Steam & Sorcery LARP Game; this time around it began with a fire . . . from ice? Every week between now and the end of May 2025, we shall release another Clue Card to help you solve the mystery game that begins during Opening Ceremonies on Friday, May 30th, 2025.

Save these Clue Cards to a folder on your phone and prepare your investigation into our “Curse of Cthulhu” LARP Game.

Click Here to see all of the

“Curse of Cthulhu” clue cards thus far.

Program Updates

Here are some details about presentations that will be part of the program in May 2025.

Exhibitor Updates

Exhibitors at the Exposition are divided into three main locations: The Underground Market (Sienna), The Palace of Fine Arts (Slate), and The Midway Plaisance (Atrium Lobby).

This week we featured the following exhibitors:

Tickets

Click on the Box Office image below to purchase your tickets today! Please note that for 2025 we will be printing your name (in a fancy font) on the badge, so include “badge names” in the “Order Notes” section of the check out form. In addition to your name, badges will also be labeled with your order number for reference in case lost badges get turned into Registration; that said, however, please remember that lost badges that are not turned in can not be replaced and a new purchase will be required.

Get Involved!

We are looking for Presenters, Performers, Games Masters, and other people to run sessions for the 2025 Chicago Steampunk Exposition program. Applications are now live; please click on the appropriate image to access the form.

Social Media

- LIKE the Chicago Steampunk Expo page on Facebook for regular updates!
- RSVP to our Facebook event page!
- JOIN the Chicago Steampunk Exposition Adventurers’ Club group of Facebook to make plans with other steampunks!
- Yes, it’s all Facebook, but when we start posting on other platforms, we’ll be sure to add them to this list.

On the Horizon . . .

Something slightly out of focus . . .

Program

Dungeons & Dragons – “The Lair of the Iron Dragon” (18+)

Post author By JP Dean
Post date April 17, 2025

Games Master: Hoss Brock
Gaming System: Dungeons & Dragons 5e
Players: 4 – 6
Gaming Time: 3 hours
Sign Up at the main Registration Desk in the Atrium Lobby

Classic D&D with steampunk and Gothic horror twists.

Your team of adventurers has been hired to investigate reports of walking corpses plaguing a nearby hamlet. Follow the evidence of grave robbery and foul play to discover the source of the terror. Step through an eldritch portal to the realm of the powerful wizard who has harnessed the power of fire, steel, and steam to bring his unholy creations to life!

Can you stop this mysterious madman before he disrupts the fabric of life and death . . . and time itself?

Game Master Hoss Brock began GM-ing online during the pandemic, and when in-person gameplay resumed he brought his love of building and crafting to the table. He seeks to provide players an immersive experience through character voicing, visual supplements, and handcrafted props and terrain. While especially passionate about introducing new players to TTRPG’s, seasoned gamers also enjoy his detailed style.

See the Current Program

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Program

Dungeons & Dragons – “Creeping Ruin” (13+)

Post author By JP Dean
Post date April 16, 2025

Games Master: Jodie Starks
Gaming System: Dungeons & Dragons 5e
Players: 2 – 6
Gaming Time: 3 hours
Sign Up at the main Registration Desk in the Atrium Lobby

The world is being re-taken by nature called the “Creeping Ruin.” These vines choke out anything artificial…and it’s spreading. Some are fighting back, living in train-cities. The choking vines avoid these cities as long as they keep moving, however, Meltwater is dangerously close to running out of fuel. They are relying on you to search out the fuel and return before the train comes to a stop.

Meet Jodie Starks, a traveling bard with a real passion of enjoying time with friends and family (a performance really isn’t as much fun by yourself). She remembers the first time she was invited to play D&D, 2nd edition. Her entire family sat around the table and helped her role up her first character: a male, elven fighter with a wolf companion (some of you will know her inspiration for that). From there, she was hooked! After that, she ran games for family off and on for a while.

For the last seven years, she has ran D&D games weekly. In her free times, she runs one-shots for others. Although D&D is her system of choice, she is familiar with several (and have even run games in Pathfinder and 2d20). She enjoys sharing her passion with others and love to see new players get hooked. This last year she has become the GM for the YouTube stream, Dungeons & Dad Jokes.

See the Current Program

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Exhibitors

Dr. Lollipop MD

Post author By JP Dean
Post date April 15, 2025

Dr. Lollipop MD has created a series of comics that highlight social issues, everyday horror, and fantasy settings.

A husband and wife duo who work as an independent comic artist team called Dr. Lollipop MD. They have created a series of comics that highlight social issues, everyday horror, and fantasy settings. Our work focuses on the horror of social inequality and the brutality of larger institutions’ influence on communities. Dr. Lollipop MD hope to use their art to highlight issues we see throughout everyday life and bring horror based on reality to a larger audience.

Click on the banner to learn more about them . . .

To see our full lists of confirmed Exhibitors, please visit . . .

The Underground Market (Sienna) for Vendors.
The Palace of Fine Arts (Slate) for Artists, Musicians, & Writers.
The Midway Plaisance (Atrium Lobby) for Organizations and Fan Groups.

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Exposition Updates

Seven Weeks until the Exposition!

Post author By JP Dean
Post date April 12, 2025

Only SEVEN more weeks remain until the portals of time and space open to July 1893 and dimensions of the Chicago World’s Fair that only ever made it into a handful of history books that have long since been forgotten. Some say it never happened, some say the universe was ripped asunder; we shall find out soon enough . . .

The deadline for booking your rooms at the Exposition looms ever closer; the convention block closes at the end of April.
VIP upgrade tickets continue to sell; get yours before they are gone.
We continue the fourth chapter of “The Curse of Cthulhu” mystery game as we draw closer to being immersed in the final chapter during the actual convention.
New and exciting presentations and workshops have been added to the weekend’s program, and the first draft of the schedule is now live!
ALL THE DETAILS BELOW . . .