OARC Carp Hamfest 2025

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

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! Below, your will find more information as follows:

• Reserve your vendor or exhibitor table,
• What to expect at OARC Carp Hamfest 2025,
• Key dates and times,
• Other details (admission, parking, etc.), and
• Volunteer to help out at OARC Carp Hamfest 2025.

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!

 Online table reservations are now closed.  You can get more tables when you show up at the door.  We will do our best to accommodate your request.

What to expect at OARC Carp Hamfest 2025 

The OARC Carp Hamfest features great door prizes donated by the all our confirmed 2025 commercial vendors:

• Icom Canada
• Gerald Lemay Books
• Harold Macfarlane
• Retevis Canada
• Radio Communication Alexandria
• Reliable Radio
• Netty Electronics

And door prizes from a couple of vendors that could not attend (but still love us!):

• Radioworld
• Art by Selina LED Signs

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.

** New this year **

Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) Annual General Meeting (AGM)

This year’s RAC AGM will be held in conjunction with Hamfest, starting at 1:00pm in the sports club diner at the arena upstairs. The meeting will be attended by the members of the RAC Board of Directors and Executive and is open to all RAC members. The AGM will also be available online by YouTube livestream. Click here for more info about the RAC AGM.

Winlink demonstration

This year’s OARC Carp Hamfest will feature a demonstration of Winlink. The demonstration will display a functioning:

• Winlink 2m/70cm Gateway
• Typical ‘shelter’ station set-up with HF, 2m and 70 cm capabilities
• APRS display
• Local AREDN network

If you are a prospective OARC AUXCOMM team member, then this demo is for you!

We’re very grateful to Ian Snow VA3QT (Team Lead) and Marcel  Eschenmoser VE3UKW, both from the Emergency Management Simcoe County – Auxiliary Communications Team, for setting this up.