Tag: #near-fest

All

NEAR-Fest XXVIII October 16 & 17, 2020 Is Cancelled

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
NEAR-Fest logoMichael Crestohl, W1RC, writes:
 

You may have already know that the Deerfield Fair Association voted reluctantly but overwhelmingly to cancel the 2020 Fair at a special meeting on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2020. Ben, KB1NZN, and I are members.  We were at the meeting and voted for cancellation.  We both totally agree with the decision of the Deerfield Fair Association membership who voted 105 to 5 in favor of cancelling the Fair.   There was not one good reason put forth during the discussion in favor of holding thenFair this year.

Especially in these unprecedented times our first responsibility must be to the health and well-being of our volunteer staff, exhibitors, attendees, fairgrounds staff and the local area residents who graciously welcome us twice a year to their community.  We cannot betray this trust.

Furthermore there is no possible way we can realistically maintain the six foot “social distancing” separation especially in the flea market, commercial buildings, forums and VE examination rooms.  This is required whenever possible by the NH Governor’s Special Covid-19 Task Force.

Consequently, as a result, we have no option but to cancel NEAR-Fest XXVIII.   

However the good news is that NEAR-Fest XXIX is already scheduled for Friday, April 30th and Saturday, May 1st, 2021 and NEAR-Fest XXX for October 12th and 13th, 2021.

The clubs and organizations who sent in their application for early entry privileges in 2020 need not reapply.  Your passes will be issued next year and valid for both 2021 hamfests.

We will be selling advance tickets starting in the Fall.  For advance ticket buyers the cost of admission will remain at $10.00 per person.   However starting next Spring the price of admission at the gate will be $15.00. Inside parking and camping fees will remain the same.  I will send you additional information about advance ticket sales shortly.

Please disseminate this information to your members.  Since it is coming from me it is official.

73,

Michael Crestohl, aka “MisterMike”, W1RC
Benevolent Dictator,
New England Amateur Radio Festival, Inc.

All

Woodstock of Amateur Radio: NEAR-Fest XXVI, October 11-12, 2019

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

NEAR-Fest logoNEAR-Fest XXVI will be held on October 11-12, 2019. It is held twice annually, spring and fall, rain or shine, at the Deerfield Fairgrounds in Deerfield New Hampshire beginning on Friday at 0900 and ending Saturday at 1500 hours.

Admission is $10. Persons under 18 and over 80 are admitted free of charge upon presentation of government-issued ID. Inside parking is available for $10 and includes a “reasonable amount of flea market selling space” for PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS selling their own personal property. Commercial vendors must register and pay applicable fees. If you are wondering if you are a “commercial vendor” you probably are. One complimentary inside commercial space is available for clubs, estates and other “non-profit organizations” on an “as available” basis.

Overnight camping, trailer and RV hookups are available. Three food vendors provide meals and snacks at reasonable prices. The Deerfield Community Church ladies serve up a breakfast that has to be consumed to be believed. Angelino’s offers hamburgers, steak, sausage submarines and other great “fair food” specialities and Patty’s Polish Kitchen menu features wonderful “Mitteleuropa” cuisine. No one goes hungry at NEAR-Fest. We are extremely proud of the high quality of food that these vendors offer our guests while they are at the ‘Fester.

NEAR-Fest typically attracts attendees from the six New England states, NY, NJ, PA, MD and other states as well as from Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada. Some attendees travel great distances; one gentleman from Los Angeles has attended fifteen events and in 2010 one radio amateur traveled from Greece to join us for the fun.

The program of activities and events at NEAR-Fest is extensive; a huge outdoor electronic flea market, three buildings full of commercial vendors, forums, technical seminars and symposia, demonstrations, exhibits, displays, licensing examinations, special events radio stations, a “jam session”, good food, fellowship, fun and general mishigoss. NEAR-Fest is the largest event of its kind in the Northeast and has once been described as the “Woodstock of Amateur Radio”.

All

Woodstock of Amateur Radio: NEAR-Fest XXV, May 3-4, 2019

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

NEAR-Fest logoNEAR-Fest XXV will be held on May 3-4, 2019. It is held twice annually, spring and fall, rain or shine, at the Deerfield Fairgrounds in Deerfield New Hampshire beginning on Friday at 0900 and ending Saturday at 1500 hours.

Admission is $10. Persons under 18 and over 80 are admitted free of charge upon presentation of government-issued ID. Inside parking is available for $10 and includes a “reasonable amount of flea market selling space” for PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS selling their own personal property. Commercial vendors must register and pay applicable fees. If you are wondering if you are a “commercial vendor” you probably are. One complimentary inside commercial space is available for clubs, estates and other “non-profit organizations” on an “as available” basis.

Overnight camping, trailer and RV hookups are available. Three food vendors provide meals and snacks at reasonable prices. The Deerfield Community Church ladies serve up a breakfast that has to be consumed to be believed. Angelino’s offers hamburgers, steak, sausage submarines and other great “fair food” specialities and Patty’s Polish Kitchen menu features wonderful “Mitteleuropa” cuisine. No one goes hungry at NEAR-Fest. We are extremely proud of the high quality of food that these vendors offer our guests while they are at the ‘Fester.

NEAR-Fest typically attracts attendees from the six New England states, NY, NJ, PA, MD and other states as well as from Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada. Some attendees travel great distances; one gentleman from Los Angeles has attended fifteen events and in 2010 one radio amateur traveled from Greece to join us for the fun.

The program of activities and events at NEAR-Fest is extensive; a huge outdoor electronic flea market, three buildings full of commercial vendors, forums, technical seminars and symposia, demonstrations, exhibits, displays, licensing examinations, special events radio stations, a “jam session”, good food, fellowship, fun and general mishigoss. NEAR-Fest is the largest event of its kind in the Northeast and has once been described as the “Woodstock of Amateur Radio”.

All

“Woodstock of Amateur Radio”: NEAR-Fest XXIII, May 4-5, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

NEAR-Fest logoMichael Crestohl, W1RC/VE2VW writes:

NEAR-Fest XXIII will be held on May 4-5, 2018. It is held twice annually, spring and fall, rain or shine, at the Deerfield Fairgrounds in Deerfield New Hampshire beginning on Friday at 0900 and ending Saturday at 1500 hours.

Admission is $10. Persons under 18 and over 80 are admitted free of charge upon presentation of government-issued ID. Inside parking is available for $10 and includes a “reasonable amount of flea market selling space” for PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS selling their own personal property. Commercial vendors must register and pay applicable fees. If you are wondering if you are a “commercial vendor” you probably are. One complimentary inside commercial space is available for clubs, estates and other “non-profit organizations” on an “as available” basis.

Overnight camping, trailer and RV hookups are available. Three food vendors provide meals and snacks at reasonable prices. The Deerfield Community Church ladies serve up a breakfast that has to be consumed to be believed. Angelino’s offers hamburgers, steak, sausage submarines and other great “fair food” specialities and Patty’s Polish Kitchen menu features wonderful “Mitteleuropa” cuisine. No one goes hungry at NEAR-Fest. We are extremely proud of the high quality of food that these vendors offer our guests while they are at the ‘Fester.

NEAR-Fest typically attracts attendees from the six New England states, NY, NJ, PA, MD and other states as well as from Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada. Some attendees travel great distances; one gentleman from Los Angeles has attended fifteen events and in 2010 one radio amateur traveled from Greece to join us for the fun.

The program of activities and events at NEAR-Fest is extensive; a huge outdoor electronic flea market, three buildings full of commercial vendors, forums, technical seminars and symposia, demonstrations, exhibits, displays, licensing examinations, special events radio stations, a “jam session”, good food, fellowship, fun and general mishigoss. NEAR-Fest is the largest event of its kind in the Northeast and has once been described as the “Woodstock of Amateur Radio”.

Youth

New England Technology Trek at NEAR-fest, May 4-5, 2018

- by k9hi - 1 Comment

A Hudson, New Hampshire amateur is proposing a youth event at NEAR-fest on May 4-5, 2018.  Dubbed “New England Technology Trek,” the event’s focus is to expose youth to a number of exhibits and activities, including:

  • 3-D printers and CAD
  • Robotics.  Build a circuit. Build a robot
  • Drones, homemade and various applications
  • Space communications,  HAB and portable satellite station
  • Kit building
  • Software Defined Radios
  • RaspberryPi and Arduino applications
  • Fox hunting and outdoor adventures (SOTA)

Bill Barber, NE1B says a number of schools have been invited to participate. “You will see yellow buses on Friday, followed by kids and their parents on Saturday.  Stop by the Arts & Crafts Building to see what is happening. That’s the big building near the Fairgrounds entrance, the one with the VE tests downstairs.”

NE1B is looking for volunteers to help staff the eighteen- to twenty different exhibits. “Contact me if you can help for an hour or two.”  [yccc@groups.io]

All

“Goodbye, HossTraders… Hello, NEARFest!”

- by admin - Leave a Comment

An effort by a northern New England amateur to revive a Deerfield tradition has apparently succeeded. Mike Crestohl, W1RC announced yesterday on an amfone.net discussion list that a flea market–to be known as NEARFest–is a “go” for May 4-5, 2007 at the Deerfield, NH Fair Grounds. Joseph DeMaso, K1RQG and others ran the HossTraders flea market at that location for many years, before switching it to Rochester, NH and later, Hopkinton, NH.

“It’s official,” writes W1RC. “The grand tradition will continue! … But we’ve got to behave ourselves if we want to continue hosting the Near-Fest there. The Web site will be up within a day or two and will be the only official source of information about the ‘Fest.”

[See also: Hosstraders “Officially QRT”]

—Thanks N1VUX