RALEIGH, NC, March 18, 2025 – The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society is pleased to announce the 51st Annual RARSfest hamfest, to be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in the Jim Graham Building on the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Amateur radio was the first ‘social network,’ and a hamfest is like a festival or state fair for radio enthusiasts, electronics hobbyists, and makers,” explained Nancy Torborg, the RARSfest Chair. “RARSfest, in the 100,000 square-foot Jim Graham Building, is the largest all-indoor hamfest on the East Coast,” she said.

“Our forums are great places for beginners to learn more about the magic of amateur radio, and you can even take the test for your first amateur radio license or to upgrade your existing license,” said Denny Oestreich, Education Director for the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society. Topics include how to choose your own adventure in amateur radio and how to communicate through amateur radio satellites. Even if you are not an amateur radio operator, you can take the class to become a National Weather Service SKYWARN® storm spotter.

There is plenty for experienced amateur radio operators to do, too. “We have over a dozen national and local dealers selling new amateur radio and related equipment and services, and over 230 flea market tables where people sell previously-owned equipment and classic ‘boat anchors,’” Ms. Torborg explained. You can even buy flea market table space to sell your own amateur radio-related equipment.

Experienced operators will also find forums on advanced topics, such as bouncing radio signals off the Moon and how to turn a smartphone into an amateur radio walkie-talkie.

“We are offering some significant door prizes this year, including a powerful base station radio, mobile radios for your car, and a special prize drawing for people who buy their tickets before March 29,” Ms. Torborg went on. “Attendees can also check out our static display of emergency and communications vehicles inside the building,” she said.

What is Amateur Radio

Amateur radio is a broad hobby encompassing a wide and diverse range of interests and activities, including public service, emergency communications, experimentation, kit-building, and conversing with radio amateurs in other countries. Amateur radio operators were chatting with each other over long distances well before the invention of the Internet.

The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, Inc.

The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, Inc. (RARS) has sponsored RARSfest every year since 1973, except in 2020 and 2021 when it was canceled due to COVID-19. RARS is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity whose primary objectives are to provide education in the field of radio communication techniques and public service in the form of radio communications in times of disaster, emergency, and civic need. Currently at over 500 members, RARS has been providing education and public service in the Greater Triangle Area and surrounding communities since 1969. RARS meets in-person on the second, third, and fourth Tuesdays of each month in Raleigh. Guests are welcome. You may find more information, including meeting times and locations, on the RARS website at https://www.rars.org.

Event Details

• What: The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society’s RARSfest Hamfest
• When: Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• Where: The Jim Graham Building on the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC
• Cost:
• $10 through March 29 online at www.rarsfest.org/general_admission.php
• $12 after March 29. You can buy tickets in person at the Jim Graham Building on Friday, April 4, between noon and 6:00 PM, and on Saturday, the day of the event, starting at 7:30 AM
• Admission for attendees ages 16 and under is free when accompanied by a paying adult
• Flea Market Tables (to sell used amateur radio-related equipment) are $23 each online before March 29, and $27 each “at the door” (subject to availability)
• For more information (including buying tickets and tables online and registering for licensing exams): https://www.rarsfest.org


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