Club Activities Hamfests

2026-09-12 RESERVE A TABLE AT OARC CARP HAMFEST 2026

2026-04-08
AdminOARC

September 12 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, at the W. Erskine Johnston Arena, 3832 Carp Road, Carp, Ontario K0A 1L0, + Google Map 

OARC Carp Hamfest is the region’s largest Amateur Radio flea market and trade show!

Let’s break another attendance record in a this Carp Hamfest 2026!

Carp Hamfest is on September 12 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at the W. Erskine Johnston Arena, 3832 Carp Road. This event features most of the big ham radio retailers, fellow hams selling radio goodies at unbelievable prices, and major door prizes. This is the OARC’s annual flagship event!

Reserve your vendor or exhibitor table

If you are commercial or private vendor, don’t miss out on the opportunity to showcase your products and connect with amateur radio customers from across the National Capital Region. If you are an exhibitor (e.g., local amateur radio club or service organization), book a table to engage with potential new members and other audiences. Fee: Tables: $17 per 8-foot table (does NOT include admission fee) All tables are 8 feet long. That’s 33% more space than most hamfests!

 CLICK THIS LINK TO RESERVE YOUR TABLE

Who will be there?

Here is the list of our confirmed 2026 vendors. All of these commercial vendors generously donate our many fantastic door prizes!

A couple have yet to confirm:

Exhibitors and organizations include: Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®), West Carleton Disaster Relief, Diefenbunker, Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA), several regional Amateur Radio clubs, and more.

Hamfest Schedule – Saturday, September 12, 2026

  • Commercial vendor setup: 7:30 am
  • Private vendor and exhibitor setup: 8:00 am 
  • Open to public: 9:00 am – 12 noon
  • Teardown after 12 noon.

Other details (admission, parking, etc.)

Admission: $6 per person. Children 12 and under are free. Parking: FREE! Coffee and snack concession in the lobby area.

Write your Amateur Radio exam on-site

Write your Amateur Radio Operator Certificate exam at Hamfest under the supervision of an examiner accredited by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). You don’t need to book ahead – you can just show up! You can also upgrade. If you are upgrading, bring the 11-digit certificate number on your current Certificate to speed processing.

Need more info?

For INFO ONLY contact Ed VE3WGO via hamfest@oarc.net

Volunteer at Hamfest (all 2026 positions filled)

Ed, VE3WGO, has been delivering Hamfest since 2007 and we’re all so grateful to Ed for his organization skills and boundless energy. We are also fortunate to have a small army of volunteers that help make Hamfest to run smoothly. Some volunteer roles include:

  • Venue set-up – Friday, September 11, 2026 at a 2:00 pm – NOTE: This is setup for the infrastructure, NOT for vendors.
  • Road sign set-up and take-down
  • Parking lot and tailgate relations
  • Vendor registration
  • Front-door ticket seller
  • Inside vendor relations
  • Photographer
  • Talk-in (on-air notice on local repeaters)
  • Announcer
  • OARC membership and extras table
  • Venue tear down and clean up

 CLICK THIS LINK TO VOLUNTEER (link will be active again next year)

Last Updated on 2026-09-07 by Joannadanna