Events
What is
The New England Amateur Radio Festival, Inc. (NEAR-Fest)?
The NEAR-Fest is an international event run by and for amateur radio operators and other enthusiasts held at the Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield NH, twice annually for two days in the Spring and Autumn.
Our next event is scheduled for October 10th and 11th 2014.
NEAR-Fest was chartered in the State of Vermont in 2007 as a private Not-for-Profit corporation.
NEAR-Fest typically attracts between 2,000 and 2,500 paid attendees from New England, NY, NJ, PA, MD and other east coast states as well as from Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada. Some attendees travel great distances; one gentleman from Los Angeles hasattended twelve events and in 2010 one radio amateur traveled from Greece to join us for the fun.
The program of events at NEAR-Fest is extensive; a huge outdoor electronic flea market, three buildings full of commercial vendors, forums, technical seminars, demonstrations, exhibits, displays, licensing examinations, special events radio stations, a “jam session”, good food, fellowship, fun and general mishigoss. NEAR-Fest has once been described as the “Woodstock of Amateur Radio”.
Any profits after expenses are used for benevolent projects. NEAR-Fest directs some of its resources to attracting newcomers to our hobby with a special emphasis toward young people. To that end NEAR-Fest has constructed an amateur radio station capable of communicating through satellites orbiting the Earth as a gift to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord NH and brokered a partnership with the Contoocook Valley Radio Club (CVRC) to operate and maintain the amateur station on a regular schedule. We also make regular contributions to a fund that supports preserving our radio frequency spectrum allocations.
Mister Mike, W1RC
Benevolent Dictator for Life
[email protected]