Steampunk Insect

In 2006, SalonCon, the first ever Neo-Victorian/Steampunk convention, was held. It ran for three consecutive years and featured artists, musicians (Voltaire and Abney Park), authors (Catherynne M. Valente, Ekaterina Sedia, and G. D. Falksen), salons led by people prominent in their respective fields, workshops and panels on Steampunk as well as a seance, ballroom dance instruction, and the Chrononauts' Parade. The event was covered by MTV and The New York Times
Since 1997, an annual two-day masquerade ball called the Labyrinth of Jareth has been held in Hollywood, CA, where revelers come dressed in costumes inspired by the film Labyrinth, Venetian masquerades, and steampunk. It has become a major Southern California event, and regularly attended by many steampunk notables.
Steampunk has also become a regular feature at San Diego Comic-Con International in recent years, with the Saturday of the four-day event being generally known among steampunks as "Steampunk Day", and culminating with a photoshoot for the local press. The Saturday steampunk "after-party" has also become a major event on the steampunk social calendar; in 2010 the headliners included The Slow Poisoner, Unextraordinary Gentlemen and Voltaire, with Veronique Chevalier as Mistress of Ceremonies and special appearance by the League of STEAM.
Steampunk has begun to attract notice from more "mainstream" sources, as well: The episode of the TV series Castle entitled "Punked", which aired on October 11, 2010, prominently featured the steampunk subculture and used a number of Los Angeles-area steampunks as extras; The comic strip Luann showed the title character dressed in steampunk fashion for Halloween on October 31, 2010;; and in February 2011, the band Panic! at the Disco released a music video for their new single, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa," depicting a steampunk wake. The video included appearances by the League of STEAM, who also served as consultants and provided costume pieces for the band.