Are Hamfest dying? - A hard truth many of us don't want to admit
13/06/26 18:04
By Greg Lewis – N5XO
I never considered myself a negative person.
I’ve always been the “glass half full” kind of guy. I try to look forward, stay optimistic, and focus on the good in both life and Amateur Radio.
But after today, I honestly have to ask a question that a lot of longtime operators are quietly asking themselves:
Are hamfests dying?
And if they are…what happened?
The last several hamfests we’ve attended have honestly been disappointing, but today was the one that finally hit hard enough to make me sit down and write this.
We drove almost five hours to Dallas for what historically had been considered a pretty decent hamfest.
Not a local quick drive.
Not a casual stop.
A full commitment.
Fuel.
Time.
Planning.
We originally intended to spend the ENTIRE day there.
The plan was simple:
Enjoy the hamfest, spend the evening in Dallas, get a hotel room, relax, and make the long drive home the next morning.
Instead?
We arrived around 8:15 AM.
By roughly 10:30 AM, we were already back on the highway heading home.
And by 3:00 PM…
We were already back in San Antonio.
Think about that for a moment.
A five-hour drive each direction for an event we completely finished walking through—in detail—in barely over two hours.
Not because we were rushed.
Not because we skipped sections.
But because there simply wasn’t much there.
We walked the event twice.
Saw everything.
Talked to a few people.
And realized there was absolutely no reason to stay.
That honestly hurt to admit.
Because it wasn’t always this way.
There was a time when hamfests were absolutely packed.
Parking lots overflowing.
Tailgate areas stretched forever.
Vendor buildings wall-to-wall with equipment.
You could barely walk through some events because of the crowds.
You saw old friends every ten feet.
You found equipment you didn’t even know you needed.
You spent all day digging through treasures, talking radio, learning something new, and soaking in the atmosphere.
Hamfests used to feel alive.
Now many feel like they’re quietly fading away.
And this isn’t just one event.
Over the last four years we’ve seen the same pattern again and again:
That one still had energy.
Crowds.
Real vendor turnout.
Excitement.
You could FEEL the hobby there.
But most others?
They honestly feel like they’re struggling to survive.
So what changed?
I think several things happened all at once.
The Internet Replaced the Marketplace
Years ago, hamfests WERE the marketplace.
If you needed a radio, amplifier, tube, rotor, connector, coax, hard-to-find part, or used gear, you went to hamfests.
Today?
You can buy nearly anything online in minutes.
Amazon.
eBay.
QRZ classifieds.
Facebook Marketplace.
HRO.
DX Engineering.
The entire world became one giant 24-hour online hamfest.
That changed everything.
The Hobby Changed Generations
Another reality people don’t like talking about is this:
A lot of newer operators simply are not interested in older equipment.
The days of people digging through dusty boxes of crystals, tubes, coils, and mystery parts are fading fast.
Today’s newer operators often entered the hobby through:
COVID Changed Social Habits Permanently
I also believe COVID did far more long-term damage to Amateur Radio gatherings than many people realize.
Some older operators stopped attending large gatherings and never returned.
Some became less mobile.
Some lost interest.
And sadly, many became Silent Keys.
At the same time, online communities exploded.
Zoom meetings replaced club gatherings.
Forums replaced coffee circles.
Discord replaced hangouts.
YouTube replaced Elmers.
Convenience replaced physical attendance.
Clubs Are Aging Faster Than They’re Growing
This may be the hardest truth of all.
Many clubs today are being carried by the same small group of aging volunteers trying to hold everything together.
Burnout is real.
Attendance is shrinking.
And newer operators often don’t join clubs the way earlier generations did.
They learn online.
Buy online.
Operate online.
And many simply never develop attachment to local ham communities.
But Here’s What I Do NOT Believe
I do NOT believe Amateur Radio itself is dying.
Not even remotely.
In many ways, the hobby is technologically stronger and more diverse than ever before.
Weak signal work is growing again.
SDRs are incredible.
Mesh networking is exploding.
Digital experimentation is everywhere.
Satellite operations are easier than ever.
Portable operating is booming.
The hobby itself still has enormous life left in it.
But I DO believe the traditional hamfest model is in serious trouble.
Because rows of used equipment sitting on folding tables is no longer enough.
Today’s operators need experiences.
Demonstrations.
Hands-on activity.
Satellite stations.
Weak signal demos.
Portable operating setups.
Mesh displays.
Fox hunts.
Digital workshops.
Maker projects.
Youth involvement.
Energy.
Excitement.
Something that reminds people WHY this hobby is still amazing.
Because if hamfests continue becoming little more than shrinking flea markets full of aging equipment and empty aisles…
We are going to keep watching attendance collapse.
And that would be tragic.
Because hamfests were never just about buying radios.
They were about community.
Friendships.
Mentorship.
Excitement.
Shared passion.
And for many of us…
That part of Amateur Radio was every bit as important as the radios themselves.
I never considered myself a negative person.
I’ve always been the “glass half full” kind of guy. I try to look forward, stay optimistic, and focus on the good in both life and Amateur Radio.
But after today, I honestly have to ask a question that a lot of longtime operators are quietly asking themselves:
Are hamfests dying?
And if they are…what happened?
The last several hamfests we’ve attended have honestly been disappointing, but today was the one that finally hit hard enough to make me sit down and write this.
We drove almost five hours to Dallas for what historically had been considered a pretty decent hamfest.
Not a local quick drive.
Not a casual stop.
A full commitment.
Fuel.
Time.
Planning.
We originally intended to spend the ENTIRE day there.
The plan was simple:
Enjoy the hamfest, spend the evening in Dallas, get a hotel room, relax, and make the long drive home the next morning.
Instead?
We arrived around 8:15 AM.
By roughly 10:30 AM, we were already back on the highway heading home.
And by 3:00 PM…
We were already back in San Antonio.
Think about that for a moment.
A five-hour drive each direction for an event we completely finished walking through—in detail—in barely over two hours.
Not because we were rushed.
Not because we skipped sections.
But because there simply wasn’t much there.
We walked the event twice.
Saw everything.
Talked to a few people.
And realized there was absolutely no reason to stay.
That honestly hurt to admit.
Because it wasn’t always this way.
There was a time when hamfests were absolutely packed.
Parking lots overflowing.
Tailgate areas stretched forever.
Vendor buildings wall-to-wall with equipment.
You could barely walk through some events because of the crowds.
You saw old friends every ten feet.
You found equipment you didn’t even know you needed.
You spent all day digging through treasures, talking radio, learning something new, and soaking in the atmosphere.
Hamfests used to feel alive.
Now many feel like they’re quietly fading away.
And this isn’t just one event.
Over the last four years we’ve seen the same pattern again and again:
- Fewer vendors.
- Fewer tables.
- Smaller crowds.
- Less excitement.
- Less energy.
- More empty space than activity.
That one still had energy.
Crowds.
Real vendor turnout.
Excitement.
You could FEEL the hobby there.
But most others?
They honestly feel like they’re struggling to survive.
So what changed?
I think several things happened all at once.
The Internet Replaced the Marketplace
Years ago, hamfests WERE the marketplace.
If you needed a radio, amplifier, tube, rotor, connector, coax, hard-to-find part, or used gear, you went to hamfests.
Today?
You can buy nearly anything online in minutes.
Amazon.
eBay.
QRZ classifieds.
Facebook Marketplace.
HRO.
DX Engineering.
The entire world became one giant 24-hour online hamfest.
That changed everything.
The Hobby Changed Generations
Another reality people don’t like talking about is this:
A lot of newer operators simply are not interested in older equipment.
The days of people digging through dusty boxes of crystals, tubes, coils, and mystery parts are fading fast.
Today’s newer operators often entered the hobby through:
- SDRs
- Digital modes
- Satellites
- POTA
- Mesh networking
- DMR/Fusion
- Emergency communications
- Portable operations
- YouTube creators
COVID Changed Social Habits Permanently
I also believe COVID did far more long-term damage to Amateur Radio gatherings than many people realize.
Some older operators stopped attending large gatherings and never returned.
Some became less mobile.
Some lost interest.
And sadly, many became Silent Keys.
At the same time, online communities exploded.
Zoom meetings replaced club gatherings.
Forums replaced coffee circles.
Discord replaced hangouts.
YouTube replaced Elmers.
Convenience replaced physical attendance.
Clubs Are Aging Faster Than They’re Growing
This may be the hardest truth of all.
Many clubs today are being carried by the same small group of aging volunteers trying to hold everything together.
Burnout is real.
Attendance is shrinking.
And newer operators often don’t join clubs the way earlier generations did.
They learn online.
Buy online.
Operate online.
And many simply never develop attachment to local ham communities.
But Here’s What I Do NOT Believe
I do NOT believe Amateur Radio itself is dying.
Not even remotely.
In many ways, the hobby is technologically stronger and more diverse than ever before.
Weak signal work is growing again.
SDRs are incredible.
Mesh networking is exploding.
Digital experimentation is everywhere.
Satellite operations are easier than ever.
Portable operating is booming.
The hobby itself still has enormous life left in it.
But I DO believe the traditional hamfest model is in serious trouble.
Because rows of used equipment sitting on folding tables is no longer enough.
Today’s operators need experiences.
Demonstrations.
Hands-on activity.
Satellite stations.
Weak signal demos.
Portable operating setups.
Mesh displays.
Fox hunts.
Digital workshops.
Maker projects.
Youth involvement.
Energy.
Excitement.
Something that reminds people WHY this hobby is still amazing.
Because if hamfests continue becoming little more than shrinking flea markets full of aging equipment and empty aisles…
We are going to keep watching attendance collapse.
And that would be tragic.
Because hamfests were never just about buying radios.
They were about community.
Friendships.
Mentorship.
Excitement.
Shared passion.
And for many of us…
That part of Amateur Radio was every bit as important as the radios themselves.
