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It's mid-June, 2024 right now, and we have two hamfests close enough to be called "nearby" on the near calendar. Cullman, AL, July 13   Cullman is a solid three hour drive from Starkville, but it's a fun, low-key hamfest that is sort of reminiscent of hamfests from the days of yore.  It's held in an un-airconditioned building at the fairgrounds in Cullman, but do not let that dull your interest in going.  The building is alwasy confortable inside (even in July) thanks to large fans spaced throughout moving air in an really effective manner.  The building is split into two...

The Corinth Hamfest (previously called the April Fool's Hamfest) is usually held on the first weekend of April, to coincide with April Fool's Day.  This year (2024) there was a major conflict due to the ripple effect of a scheduling mistake at the Bartlett Municipal Center. How does an error in Bartlett, TN effect a hamfest way over in Corinth?  Turns out, it's pretty easy to do. The Memphis Freefest is held each year in the Bartlett Municipal Center in Bartlett, TN, in May.  This is a huge, well-attended hamfest.  When the Bartlett government person in charge of scheduling the...

April 6 was the 2024 edition of the Memphis Freefest. held at the Municipal Building in Bartlett, TN.  This hamfest is usually in March, but due to a scheduling error on the part of the building manager, it had to be April 6. The Southeast is blessed with some really good hamfests, but the Memphis Freefest is one of our favorites.  Vendor tables are free, and participant entry is free.  All the money they raise comes from the sale of door prize tickets, and any money left over after expenses goes to LeBonheur Hospital for Children. A one day hamfest,...

Over the winter we learned that the Black Warrior Hamfest (i.e., Tuscaloosa) will no longer happen.   This is a real loss to the ham radio community in the Alabama/Mississippi area.  Their venue was a really well maintained school gym, with good lighting and great air conditioning.  The host club provided a crew to help vendors unload and reload their vehicles, and one couldn't ask for a nicer bunch of folks.  They had a good Mexican food truck (Al Pastor's) for lunch the last time we were there, and the lunch was memorable. Fat Cat always enjoyed going to this hamfest,...

Hamfest naming conventions are funny things.  The Memphis Freefest is actually in Bartlett, TN, and the Birminghamfest is actually in Trussville, AL.   Trussville is a really good town for a hamfest.  The Trussville Civic Center is well located, and comfortable roomy for a hamfest.   The March 15/16 event opened to vendors (all vendors this year were of the flea market variety) around noon Friday, and the doors opened to the public at 4:00, and closed at 7:00.  Saturday was 8:30 until 3:00.  There was an average crowd Friday night, a good crowd Saturday morning, which (as is the custom) petered...