Fall is a season designed for surprises, so we shouldn’t have been amazed or taken aback or gobsmacked when we received an email announcing that the Sept. 20 Farmers Market at Petaluma’s Walnut Park would include, for one day only, a steampunk arts, food and crafts festival. After all, even goggled and top-hatted time travelers bearing wacky inventions and an innate ability to rock little round sunglasses while wearing leather overcoats and heavy boots with clock parts on them need to eat now and then.

SteamPtopia — a steampunk themed crafts fair officially launched at Lucchesi Park in 2024 — has been invited by the folks who operate Petaluma’s Farmers Markets to bring their delightfully retro-futuristic Jules Verne vibe to the Saturday market on this one day, and the public is invited to play along by showing up in appropriate garb to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables. A number of local crafters and makers, plus at least two steampunk authors — BJ Sikes and AJ Sikes — will be on hand as well.

“Come dressed in your amazing steampunk outfit,” states the invitation of the Steamptopia website. “Delight in the combination of steampunk meets farmers market. SteampTopia is a celebration of the artistry and whimsy of Steampunk, featuring a carefully curated lineup of handmade craftisans, authors, exhibits and food.”

The Petaluma-based Time Traveler Universe, known for its exceptional carpetbags and other accoutrements annually peddled at the Dickens Fair, will be on hand to showcase a number of impressively detailed works of art. Also schedules are the Bay Area soapmaking company The Body Grim, JHJ Hats, the hair-braiding magicians known as 5 Stranded Fairy Tails, Goth-forward crafts from The Crimson Parlour, fantasy jewelry from Stone Goblin Studios, the mystical, cat-friendly artist known as The Feline Oracle, Goblin Bros Games & Gear, Any Witch Way Herbals and more.

All of this kicks off at 10 a.m. with the Steampunk market, and at 2 p.m. will include the Farmers Market, taking place right there alongside the rest with its regular lineup of fresh food growers, candy-makers, kettle corn poppers, treat bakers and cheesemongers.

You can catch a glimpse of the various steampunk wares being offered by scanning the gallery of photos at Steamptopia.com, and get all the details on the Saturday Farmers Market — plus the Tuesday Farmers Market on the East Side — and several others around the area.