The Huntsville Hamfest dates back to August 1954 when the annual North Alabama Hamfest alternated between the communities of Huntsville, Decatur, and Florence. After a few years, the Hamfest was held in Decatur in the odd numbered years and in Huntsville in the even numbered years.
The Huntsville location was in the lobby of what was known as “The Mall”, located at the corner of University Drive and the Parkway, and was a one-day (Sunday) event with an outdoor flea market and a Saturday night banquet. Several ham organizations used upstairs rooms for meetings but there were no forums.
The Huntsville Hamfest has come a long way since those early events.
It moved to the just-opened Von Braun Center in 1980. The event has hosted the ARRL Alabama Section convention and in alternate years the Southeastern Division convention. Twice, in 1993 and 2007, Huntsville has hosted the ARRL National convention.
We had a chance to stop by the Huntsville Hamfest this past August. Here’s a sample of what we saw (all images/Melanie Hardman):
