Picture, in your mind, a group of people—some 36,000 individuals—all with a specific goal in mind. Thirty-six thousand people descending on a quiet corner of western Ohio this weekend. A modest bedroom community called Xenia—population 28,000—tucked in the shadow of Dayton, where nothing particularly extraordinary ever seems to happen. Until the second weekend in May each year.
It’s then that this sleepy town is overwhelmed—its population more than doubled in a matter of hours—by a flood of pilgrims arriving not just from across the country, but from every corner of the globe.
Where are all these people going? They’re headed for the Greene County Fairgrounds, in Xenia, which since 2017 has been the home of Hamvention. They are there to celebrate all things amateur radio. And it’s happening right now, as this story is posted.
The Greene County Fairgrounds rises to the occasion beautifully, with sprawling buildings that welcome and shelter all these travelers. And those travelers with the walkie-talkies and antennas all over their vehicles? They pour an estimated $35 million into the local economy — covering hotels, food, and fuel, plus everything they snap up from vendors inside hawking shiny new gear, and the legendary flea markets spilling around the buildings and along the site’s race track across nearly 40 acres. Add in packed conferences, buzzing award ceremonies, and lively group dinners every night, and you’ve got a full-on festival atmosphere.
These photos are from 2024 — the last time I made the trip. I’ve now been to Xenia twice, and I can tell you: everything about this event delivers. The programming, the vendors, the sheer spectacle of it all — fantastic. But I’ll let you in on a little secret about what really gets me. It’s the people. Specifically, the friends I’ve spent years talking to on the radio — voices I know like family — who I finally get to shake hands with and look in the eye for the very first time. That moment? Nothing tops it.
Most of the time, you’ve never laid eyes on these people before — but you know that call sign. And let me tell you, that moment of recognition hits like a bolt out of the blue. It happened to me constantly — spotting someone, then turning around and hearing someone shout my call sign as I walked past. Inside the buildings, outside by the flea markets, around every corner — you never knew who was about to walk into your life. I genuinely started feeling a little less far from home when I kept bumping into folks from Western New York. Turns out, we travel well!
And yes — the giants of Ham Radio show up here too. During my 2022 trip, I got to meet the one and only Dave Casler, KE0OG — and I’ve got the selfie to prove it. That’s Dave on the left. If you’ve spent any time on YouTube learning about Ham Radio, you already know Dave.
He's been putting out fantastic instructional videos for years, and meeting him in person was a genuine thrill. Keep in mind, as someone used to being in the public eye—or, more accurately, the public ear during my time as a radio DJ—I’m not one to get starstruck. Still, I’ll admit I got a bit of a charge out of it. That kind of thing happens all the time at Hamvention.
Everywhere you look, gear surrounds you — new and old, shiny and vintage, from full rigs down to every last knob, cable, and connector a successful station could ever need. That includes stuff you simply won’t find anywhere else. It’s as if someone took the entire world of ham radio technology—and, for that matter, technology in general—and scattered it gloriously across that field and through every building. And honestly? It works. You could spend hours out there and still miss half of it.
And when hunger strikes — and it will, with all that walking — the outdoor food court calls your name. The world-famous pork chop sandwiches draw a crowd every single year, and for good reason. That line, though! I took one look and pivoted hard to a cheesesteak instead. Zero regrets. Sometimes the shorter line is the right call, especially when you’ve only worked a portion of the flea market so far.
Since the event is still happening, there’s not too much video online as yet. But here’s a taste of it from 2019, from my good friend Don, KD2REU:If there’s interest, I can post some media from this year once it starts showing up.
And speaking of Don — oh, boy, do I have a story for you.
Back in 2022, I pulled off what I still consider a logistical masterpiece. I drove my 18-wheeler to Dayton. No hotel needed — I was living in that truck at the time anyway. No food budget to worry about. And my company, bless them, generously arranged loads both in and out of the area, so my transportation essentially took care of itself. They made money, I made money, and I didn’t have to take paid time off to make the trip happen. Pretty slick, right?
The catch? The nearest truck stop that could handle a rig my size sat a good ways outside of town. That’s where Don rode to the rescue — literally. He shuttled me to the fairgrounds and back to my truck, and I will never forget that kindness.
But here’s where the story takes a turn.
They say Hamvention has a long and storied relationship with bad weather, and the 2022 edition decided to make its mark. The skies opened up and things got interesting fast. I ended up riding out the tornado right there in my truck, hunkered down and waiting it out. As you're about to see. Again, here's Don, KD2REU:
On the plus side, I didn't need to wash the truck, that weekend. I've always treated travel as an adventure — work trip or not — and this one delivered in spades.
Ham radio itself carries the label of “hobby,” but it punches way above that weight. Groups like REACT, SKYWARN, and RACES make ham radio an essential resource for communities all across the country — a genuine lifeline when it matters most. When cell phones won’t work because the towers are out, ham radio gets the message through. And beyond the public service side, ham radio is a community — a warm, welcoming, endlessly fascinating one. Hamvention stands as the biggest gathering of that community anywhere on earth, but smaller events called hamfests pop up all over the country on summer weekends, and they carry that same great energy. I'm planning to hit several of them around Western New York this year — come find me!
If any of this sparks your curiosity — and I hope it does — head straight to the ARRL website. The ARRL is the largest national organization of Ham Radio operators in the country, and they pack their site with information, resources, and real people ready to help you take your first steps into the hobby. If Ham Radio looks like your kind of thing, you won't find a friendlier place to start.
73, DE: Eric K2ENF
