The Milton Amateur Radio Club (MARC) hosted its 27th annual hamfest at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium on Friday–Saturday, July 18–19, 2025.

The two‑day event ran from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at 4530 Spikes Way, Milton, Florida.

Hamfests are part flea market, part social gathering and part learning experience, and MARC’s 2025 hamfest lived up to that tradition.

Vendors from across Florida and as far as Mississippi brought radios, antennas and vintage gear, the club organised license‑testing, and attendees enjoyed good food, fellowship and dozens of prize drawings.

Record‑setting prize pool

This year’s hamfest featured more prizes than any prior MARC event.

A total of 59 prizes were drawn over the two days; on Friday a prize was awarded every 15 minutes, while on Saturday the interval tightened to eight minutes at one point.

According to the club’s prize list, the grand prizes included a Yaesu FT‑991A all‑mode HF/VHF/UHF transceiver, a Yaesu FT‑891 HF mobile transceiver and a Yaesu FT‑70DR dual‑band digital handheld.

In addition, more than 50 hourly raffle prizes were offered, ranging from hand‑held transceivers, power supplies and multi‑function clocks to ball caps and GigaParts gift certificates, with a total retail value exceeding $3,579.

A special thanks goes to Houston K2TAP, who donated the GigaParts prize packages for the raffles.

Top‑prize winners

Testing, food and fellowship

The hamfest served more than just buying and selling gear.

On Saturday morning, a Volunteer Examiner (VE) session was held where seven candidates earned or upgraded their FCC licenses, thanks to Charley Tow, KN4VGY VEC and his VE team.

Houston – K2TAP even provided a golf‑cart shuttle so that examinees could travel from the auditorium to the testing site.

This focus on education and licensing underscores the hamfest’s commitment to growing amateur radio.

Food was another highlight. Fire Dogs, the event’s food vendor, earned rave reviews for their hot dogs and their unique brisket dog smoked on a Big Green Egg.

With delicious meals readily available, James “K9JHR”—a former MARC vice‑president and current board member—was able to take a rare break from kitchen duty and enjoy the hamfest as the club’s “social butterfly.”

The hamfest also offered services for DXers.

An ARRL DXCC card checker station was available on Saturday. DXCC card checkers are volunteers who review QSL cards to verify contacts for the ARRL’s DX Century Club (DXCC) awards program, allowing hams to confirm their contacts with different countries without sending cards directly to ARRL headquarters.

Danny Bush, NF4J, and his card checker team spent Saturday helping attendees verify cards and submit DXCC applications. We are very thankful they could make the trip over and all the time and effort they put in.

Volunteer‑driven success

Behind the scenes, about 30 volunteers each day helped set up tables, shuttle exam candidates, assist vendors, guard doors and clean up.

The giveaways were masterfully emceed by Al KQ4SNC, who provided his own audio equipment, with Mary K4AA helping to keep the prize drawings on schedule.

  Steve W4XSP and Sam WS4SW managed the front tables over both days to ensure smooth check‑in, while Hal WA5HC spent the year accepting table reservations, entries and raffle orders.

This broad volunteer effort made the hamfest run smoothly and professionally.

Conclusion

MARC’s 27th annual hamfest in July 2025 was one of the club’s most successful gatherings to date.

Strong vendor participation, a record‑setting prize pool, enthusiastic attendees and generous volunteers combined to create a vibrant two‑day celebration of amateur radio.

The hamfest not only offered gear and prizes but also fostered education, camaraderie and community service.

As the Milton Amateur Radio Club continues to grow, events like this underscore the enduring appeal of amateur radio and the dedication of the hobby’s volunteers and enthusiasts.

By Paul – K7PCS, President