General Information
2023 Hamfest
This year’s Tampa Bay Hamfest will again be held at the Strawberry Festival facilities in Plant City, Florida. The Hamfest will open to the public at 1 PM on Friday, December 8th, 2023, and run through Saturday, December 9th, 2023, closing at 4 PM. Please see the event details under the ‘Venues and Hours’ and the ‘Testing, Forums, etc.’ pages under the menu.
Again, the Tampa Bay Hamfest will be the West Central Florida Section Convention of the ARRL, American Radio Relay League. ARRL will have a location and will have representatives available to answer any questions you may have.
This year we are again planning on a Hamfest similar to Tampa Bay Hamfests in years prior to 2020. Exhibits and commercial vendors will be located in the Expo Hall. The general public parking and the only entrance is at the intersection of Lemon Street (now BerryFest St.) and West Palmetto Avenue. The Tailgate area (see below) will be the large grassy field adjacent to the Carriage House.
Set your GPS to N28.01563 and -82.14407 to locate the entrance to the facility on Lemon St. and W. Palmetto Ave. in Plant City. Please note that Lemon St. has been renamed Berryfest St. The ticket booth is just past the public parking.
All testing and related functions will be in the Armory building
Tickets:
Everyone (over 12 years old) inside the hamfest area must have a ticket.
All selling vehicles inside the tailgate area must display a dashboard Tailgate Placard.
Food Sales:
Again, this year, we will have the UMAMI SMOKE food truck outside the main doors of the Expo Hall.
UMAMI SMOKE provided us some very fine food during the 2021 Hamfest and we are pleased to have them again with an even broader menu this year.
Animals:
Pets are not allowed inside any building on the Strawberry Festival grounds with the exception of Service Animals.
All exhibits and SkyWarn classes. FGCARC service desk.
License testing; forums.
Free parking in this area.
Free parking in this area
All tailgate in this area between fence and Carriage House
All tailgate in this area between fence and Carriage House
Covered tailgate spaces.
Ticket sales and pickup.
Main Entrance from BerryFest St.
(was Lemon St.)
In front of Armory
Food Truck - grill, coffee, sodas, etc.
Generators permitted.
No generators allowed
Flammable Material:
No flammable material is allowed inside any building and no fires are allowed anywhere on the Strawberry Festival grounds. No gas containers, propane, natural or other, are allowed inside any building.
Parking:
All visitor parking is in the main parking lot (see above). Parking is free.
Visitors who block traffic, park in loading areas, park in the vendor parking, or park in handicap areas without displaying a handicap license plate or hangtag may be towed at the owner’s expense.