Yuma Hamfest Returns to County Fairgrounds with Equipment Demonstrations, Licensing

Yuma Hamfest returned to the Yuma County Fairgrounds on Feb. 20, 2026, bringing together amateur radio operators, emergency-communications volunteers, hobbyists and electronics vendors for vendor swap-meet tables, equipment demonstrations and on-site licensing. The one-day gathering reestablished a long-standing local forum for exchanging gear and technical knowledge on the fairgrounds in Yuma County.

Vendors set up swap-meet tables across the fairgrounds, offering surplus and commercial electronics to attendees from Yuma and surrounding areas. Equipment demonstrations ran through the day, with hands-on displays intended for radio operators and hobbyists to test gear and observe new technologies in practice at the fairgrounds event space.

On-site licensing was available during the Feb. 20 Hamfest, allowing attendees to obtain or renew amateur radio credentials without traveling to a distant testing center. The availability of licensing at the Yuma County Fairgrounds directly supported the emergency-communications volunteers who attended by simplifying the administrative step required to operate legally on amateur bands.

Emergency-communications volunteers who participated linked the Hamfest activities to broader public safety needs in Yuma County. By combining demonstrations with licensing, the Feb. 20 event strengthened practical skills and credentialing for operators who assist in disaster and public-health responses, reinforcing local communications capacity that can be mobilized when county systems are strained.

The return of Yuma Hamfest also served as a community access point for lower-cost equipment through vendor tables, which reduced logistical barriers for aspiring operators and volunteers. Hosting demonstrations and licensing together on the fairgrounds created a single-day opportunity for people who might otherwise face transportation or scheduling hurdles to engage with radio technology and secure credentials.

With the Hamfest held at the Yuma County Fairgrounds on Feb. 20, 2026, local amateur radio networks benefited from renewed opportunities for equipment exchange, skills-building and credentialing. The combination of vendor swap-meet tables, equipment demonstrations and on-site licensing underscored the event’s role in sustaining volunteer communications capacity across Yuma County and supporting a network that local officials and community groups can draw on during emergencies.