No one in today’s club can remember as much rain as we had for the 2026 Hamfest, but hundreds of visitors still braved the forecast and the weather to enjoy a few hours of all the things that make the Berryville Hamfest so special: tailgaters, vendors, Ruritan BBQ chicken, Sugar Creek ice cream, 50/50 drawings, and lots of prizes.
Changes at the Fairgrounds
No one could miss the huge new awning/roof that has been built over the grandstand area. This required us to move the announcer’s table around to the side, which was not ideal. It also resulted in some drainage issues which we hope will be resolved by next year.
On the positive side, vendors enjoyed the recently installed air conditioning in the Horticulture Building, and the addition of an ATM machine in the Ruritan Building ensured no one ran out of spending money.
Our roving photographer does it again
John Cottrell WD4GEK took advantage of a break in the showers to get pictures of the event. Vendor buildings were bustling as hamfest visitors escaped one of the showers, but the tailgate areas throughout the fairgrounds got good traffic in the breaks between rain.
You can find the pictures by clicking the button below:
Grand prize winner
Chris Flynn from Herndon was the winner of the Yaesu FT-891. His prize was mailed on 8/5/26.
Teamwork was fantastic
The club is indebted to Tom Breed N4QLM who stepped in at the last minute to chair the Hamfest this year. Thanks to his organization and to President Bill Hyman KK8E’s promotion and leadership, club members showed up in good numbers to help set up on Saturday, work during the event on Sunday, and take things down and back to the clubhouse on Sunday afternoon. Working together always fosters respect and camaraderie.
Sunshine forecast for 2027’s Berryville Hamfest
Mark your calendar for Sunday, August 1, 2027, the 76th annual Berryville Hamfest.