2023-09-09 OARC (Carp) Hamfest

Annual OARC Hamfest, September 09, 2023

Hamfest 2023 photo courtesy VE3MKX

Editor’s note: Hamfest 2023 has come and gone. The original notice/invitation to the event appears below the report and photo gallery.

2023 Hamfest chair report

Ed VE3WGO, the hamfest chair, will provide a PDF event summary in due course.

Hamfest 2023 photo gallery

Mike VE3MKX has kindly provided the OARC the photos he took at the 2023 Hamfest. Thanks Mike!


About the OARC Hamfest

The annual OARC Hamfest is the region’s largest fleamarket and hamfest. All of the big ham radio retailers are going to be there! Dozens of fellow hams will set up tables loaded with radio goodies at unbelievable prices. There will also be major doorprize draws.

To learn more about the OARC Hamfest, please see the Hamfest information page. It has links to past Hamfest descriptions and photos and gives a quick summary of OARC Hamfest history. But for the 2023 Hamfest, keep reading!

Location, times, and dates

Click on the marker to open in Google maps.

  • Venue setup date and time:
    Friday, September 08, 2023 at a 14:00. We need volunteers to help set up! NOTE that this is setup for the infrastructure, NOT for vendors.

  • Hamfest date and start times:
    Saturday, September 09, 2023
    Commercial vendor setup: 7:30 am
    Private vendor setup: 8 am
    Open to public: 9 am – noon
    Teardown after noon.
    We need volunteers to help before, during, and after the hamfest!

  • Cost:
    Parking: FREE!
    Admission: $6 per person. Children 12 and under are free.
    Vendor tables: $17 per 8-foot table (does NOT include admission fee)
    Please book tables early to reserve your preferred table location!

Facilities and services

  • Coffee and snack concession in the lobby area.

  • Volunteer organizations and displays, including RAC, ARES, QCWA, etc.

  • On-site amateur radio licence exams. Get your licence, or upgrade during the hamfest!
    NOTE: if you are upgrading, bring the 11-digit certificate number on your licence to speed processing.

  • All vendor tables are 8 feet long. That’s 33% more space than most hamfests!

  • Free parking!

Commercial vendors

As of 2023-08-26, the following commercial vendors have confirmed their attendance:

Door prizes!

In addition to several great door prizes donated by the commercial vendors (above), the following commercial vendors who cannot make it to the hamfest are also donating door prizes.

Need more info? Want to reserve a table?

Contact Ed VE3WGO via hamfest@oarc.net .

Can you volunteer to help out?

We need volunteers to help before, during, and after the hamfest!

Things to do after the Hamfest

We are located right next door to the famous Carp Farmers’ Market, and just minutes away from the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum. Come to Ottawa and enjoy your visit!

Last Updated on 2023-09-14 by AdminOARC

One thought on “2023-09-09 OARC (Carp) Hamfest

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.