Minot Amateur Radio Club Hamfest

Souris Valley Amateur Radio Club will host its 2026 hamfest in Minot on Saturday, July 11, according to the club’s event materials and the American Radio Relay League. The one-day gathering is scheduled at Minot City Auditorium, 420 3rd Ave. SW, and is also listed as the 2026 ARRL North Dakota Section Convention. Event materials say doors open at 8 a.m. and the program runs until 1 p.m. Admission is $15 and includes lunch and hourly prize drawings. The event has been promoted locally as an annual hamfest for amateur radio operators and people interested in the hobby. KFYR-TV reported this week that the Minot club plans activities for radio enthusiasts and said organizers have eight gear sets to give away. The station’s report identified the host as the Minot Amateur Radio Club; club and ARRL listings identify the organizer as the Souris Valley Amateur Radio Club in Minot. (k0ajw.com) ### Where and when is the hamfest taking place? July 11 is the event date listed by the club, ARRL and regional amateur-radio calendars. The club’s brochure gives the location as Minot City Auditorium, while a regional listing refers to Minot Municipal Auditorium; both point to the Minot venue in the city’s downtown area. The club’s own page gives the street address as 420 3rd Ave. SW. (msn.com) Saturday hours are listed as 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the club brochure and on the club website. A regional calendar entry lists the start time as 9 a.m. Central Daylight Time, but the club’s own materials provide the fuller schedule and place the grand prize drawing at 1 p.m. ### What will people find once they get there? The ARRL describes hamfests as gatherings that offer exhibits, forums and flea markets for amateur radio operators. (k0ajw.com) The Minot event brochure says attendees will have access to lunch, hourly prize drawings and a grand prize drawing at 1 p.m. The same materials list multiple major prizes, including a Xiegu G90 HF QRP radio, a RigExpert antenna analyzer, a solar controller and a portable solar panel system. KFYR-TV said the club has eight gear sets to give out and framed the event as a chance for enthusiasts to gather in the Magic City. That local report did not detail the full schedule, but it matched the club’s description of the event as a community gathering around amateur radio equipment and demonstrations. (k0ajw.com) ### Who is organizing it? Souris Valley Amateur Radio Club is the organizer named in the club brochure, on the club website and in the ARRL hamfest database. The club’s website uses the callsign K0AJW and says the group is based south of Minot. A Red River Radio Amateurs calendar entry also lists Souris Valley ARC as the sponsor and names Lynn, callsign W0ND, as the contact. (msn.com) The event’s designation as the ARRL North Dakota Section Convention gives it a broader role than a local swap meet. ARRL’s event database lists the Minot gathering among sanctioned hamfests and conventions in the Dakota Division region. ### How do operators stay connected during the event? (k0ajw.com) The club brochure lists a talk-in frequency of 146.97 MHz with a 77 Hz tone for visitors who need directions or help finding the site. The same document also lists Winlink Packet and VARA FM frequencies of 439.100 MHz and 439.400 MHz. Those details are standard operating information for radio gatherings where participants may arrive using on-air coordination rather than phone or web navigation. (arrl.org) The contact information matters because many hamfest visitors travel in from outside the city. Regional listings in Minnesota and North Dakota calendars have circulated the Minot date as part of the summer convention schedule. ### What happens next on Saturday? The grand prize drawing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on July 11, according to the event brochure. (k0ajw.com) The club says admission and registration cost $15, and its website directs visitors to the hamfest brochure for additional details before Saturday’s opening in Minot. (rrra.org)