The AM Forum

Was talking with our treasurer recently with respect to the attendance at NEAR-Fest VI. Last October was earlier and warmer, and a 3 day weekend for some folks. Yet this year we pulled in 300 more attendees according to Ed, cold WX and all. I could tell by the crowd that the turnout was decent, but that revelation surprised even me. Best guess is that last year some folks spent time with family on Columbus Day weekend instead of attending the 'fest.

This fall's attendance just further proves the point that most folks come to NEAR-Fest for the event and people, not for beach WX.  ;)


Burt's NEAR-Fest VI video is out, three installments this time:

Part I   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHH3JsoDcqk&feature=channel

Part II  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeffLx7uRPM&feature=channel

Part III http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz0XFptw59Y&feature=channel

Todd,
I still think having the event a week later is a bummer.

Todd

I'll take NearFEST anytime I can get it.  It's great.  Every time -- I find something good to add to my collection.

Al W1VTP

PS:  Thanks for the personal welcome :)

Todd,
Many thanks for sharing the video clips!  Hopefully next year I will be able to get up to the fester.  The last time I attended it, was under the previous Hoss Traders crew probably at least 20 years ago.  Back then it was at its current location which is just a great setting.  I remember meeting Eric, WB2CAU and Mark, WB1FAF for the first time and many other AM'ers.  I went up with Bert, WA3JYU and he drove his Ford Van.  What a great time for sure. 
Joe, W3GMS   

have good stuff in flea market and they will come.  ;D

Rob

I went up with HUZ once but I have no idea how many years ago that was. A lot.  :-\

Probably 93 or 94 at the Rochester location - the worst of the recent HossTraders locations by far.

I didnt mind Rochester, maybe being all open bothered some but I enjoyed having 120VAC available. Plus I won the grand prize once, a Kenwood FM tribander....whoopee.

This last Deerfield had me all confused, most were so bundled up I couldnt recognize them, you and Tom included. ::)

By far the worse place was Kingston.

Carl
KM1H

Maybe I disliked Rochester since it rained both times I was there. Never made it to Kingston.

You would have been better off not recognizing me.   ;)

Heh, THAT was funny.......

"So where's 'JJ, did he come up with you guys??"

"Uh, he's standing next to you, Carl"   ;D


Everyone recognizes the Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla.

I skipped Kingston, they only held it there once. Literally a gravel pit from what I heard. Rochester had to be a step up from that, but it seemed to rain there just about every time. It was a lot closer to the coast, that might've been why.

Derb, if you're up to it by spring, you should think about making the trip up. You too, Joe. Get Bert to saddle up and make the trip, you can convoy over with 'chicken neck' Karl KD3CN, 'ZRF and the gang. If I remember right, Bert was there in the last AM picture at Deerfield in October '92, maybe that was the year you went?


My pleasure, Al. After seeing you early amd finally catching up with Dave 'EAD later, I knew all was well.  ;)


Couldn't agree more, Frank - but it is what it is. By the time we opened the gate Friday morning I felt like a popsicle. Quite obvious from the little clip in Burt's video. Saturday was better. Just remember, next year will be late also. We're locked in by the Fair and other events using the grounds before us. Sprng is actually going to straddle April and May (30th and 1st).

Frank .

We have no choice in the matter. When Mike gave me a call an we decided to continue the Hosstraders tradition we wanted to have it at Deerfield. If we couldn't do it there we didn't want to be involved.

When we approached the Deerfield committee they agreed to let us have the event there. The calendar was booked out for years. Technically there were no available dates. They decided to add two more dates to the schedule for us.

So the Nearfest event is the first and last event held at the Deerfield Fair grounds. Yep we open it and close it.

I am sure over time if we can move the dates we will try but at this point in time - - it is what it is.


http://www.near-fest.com/ (http://www.near-fest.com/)


G

Got to agree with Al, W1VTP, I had a great time Friday but I'm glad that I brought my mittens.  :)  A very sincere thanks to all you folks involved in organizing and running Nearfest!

Yes, agreed.

It's really a very smooth operation. Mr. Mike and the boys have some very good organizational skills. Everyone seems enthusiastic about their duties and EXPECTS things to go well. That's important. Loads of planning behind the scenes.

AFAIK, there hasn't been a complaint about AMers, as a group, since the new mgt took over the reins. (That I've heard of)   Considering the constant "problems" in the distant past, this tells a story in itself.  Of course we're all older and a little calmer these days... ;D

I'll bet Deerfield officials are glad to have the NEAR-Fest. It was not always that way in the past with Hoss.

Good job as usual, guys!

T

Well, as Tim observed, now the inmates are are in charge of the asylum.  :)

I asked one of the locals why all the P&Ming about the cold. I've been lead to understand that New Englanders are a hardy bunch that laugh at the cold. I was told that's only in books.    ;D


Mr. Mike and his bunch do a wonderful job. I'm sure if they could organize the WX too, they would. Outside of that variable, the fest is a pleasure to attend and has the highest percentage of "good stuff" of any fests I've attending in years.

We realize that future 'fests depend on things going well and the Fairground committee being pleased with us. Those mof mus who enjoyed Deerfield in the past remember what it was like to no longer be there. We also give ownership to those attending, where it belongs. Without them, there's no reason to bother. The problems we've had since the first NEAR-Fest might total the number of problems seen at a single Hosstraders event. Norm and the boys had an awfully lot to keep track of.

It doesn't hurt that 1/3 of the NEAR-Fest team are solid AMers. As Paul pointed out referencing Tim's quote, the lunatics are invested now.  ;D


As a 15th generation native to the area, I enjoyed winter and cold the best when I was inside with the radios and woodfire crackling, storm windows in place, basically hibernating for the duration. I do laugh down here when people say that 60 degrees is cold and 40 is frigid, or when there's a run on the stores if an inch of snow is predicted. But I really don't care for the cold. What makes New Englanders hardy is all the work we did to get ready for winter every year, and surviving it. And being down south just one year sure has made me soft.