Conferences & Conventions

Every week on The Kershner Files show, I run through a brief list of gun shows for several states. It only makes sense to also start including conferences, conventions, and various gatherings that might interest you, your family, or your group. These gatherings and meet-ups are excellent forums to continually learn more about preparedness and homesteading. I’ve also included rendezvous events as well.

What is a rendezvous? In North American history, a rendezvous was a larger meeting usually held once a year in the wilderness. Regardless of the meeting type, it included a major transfer of furs and goods to be traded for furs. Variations included a mix of other types of trading, business transactions, business meetings, and revelry. The last original Rocky Mountain Rendezvous of the mountain men era was held in 1840. These annual gatherings, which served as trade hubs and social events for trappers and traders, took place from 1825 to 1840.

Rendezvous Events

1812 Grand Tactical – May 23-24, 2026: Fort Meigs, 29100 W. River Road, Perrysburg, OH
Cedar Mountain Rendezvous - June 12-14, 2026: Cedar Mountain B&B, 25249 N Hatch Rd, Athol, ID
Pacific Primitive Rendezvous - June 19-26, 2026: outside of Seneca, OR off of Highway 395
1838 Mountain Man Rendezvous - June 24-28, 2026: East Monroe Ave, Riverton, WY 82501
2026 Old Northwest Territories Primitive Rendezvous (ONWTPR) – June 26 - July 3, 2026: 7436 South Co Road 575 East Versailles, IN, 47042
Rocky Mountain National Rendezvous - July 10-18, 2026: Creede, CO at the Soward Rover
Northeastern Primitive Rendezvous - July 24 - August 1, 2026: 2911 Stoney Run Road, Sugar Grove, PA 16350
Dog Hollow Rendezvous - August 5, 2026: Nelson Pioneer Farm - 2211 Nelson Lane, Oskaloosa, IA
Eastern Primitive Rendezvous - September 25 - October 3, 2026: 2787 Lakes Corner-Rose Valley Road, Clyde, NY 14433
Fort Atkinson Rendezvous - September 26-27, 2026: 303 2nd Street NW, Fort Atkinson, IA
Feast of the Hunters’ Moon – October 11-12, 2026: 3129 S. River Road, West Lafayette, IN 47906; 18th-century French & Native American rendezvous festival (annual)
Pathways Women’s Gathering – November 5-8, 2026: Fort La Buse, Bellville, OH – Women-only rendezvous, 1640–1840 period
Christmas at the Old Fort – December 5, 2026: The Old Fort, 1201 Spy Run Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805
A Frontier Christmas – December 12, 2026: Wilderness Road State Park, 8051 Wilderness Road, Ewing, VA 24248

Homesteading Events

Country Living & Modern Homesteading Expo (PNW) - January 31, 2026: Stanwood High School - 7400 272nd Street Northwest, Standwood, WA 98292
Okie Homesteading Expo - March 20-21, 2026: 2200 NE 1st Street, Pryor, OK 74361
West Coast Homesteading Expo - March 14-15, 2026: Washington State Fair Event Center - Agriplex & Arena 1404 5th Street SW, Puyallup, WA 98371
Homesteading Life Conference - May 15-16, 2026: Vandalia Fairgrounds - 1501 S Main St, Vandalia, MO 63382
Prairie Roots Homesteading Summit May 15-16, 2026: McKenzie County Ag Expo, 12880 25th Street NW, Watford City, ND 58854
Homestead Festival - June 5-6, 2026: 4765 Hardison Mill Road, Columbia, TN 38401
Modern Homesteading Conference - June 26-27, 2026: 4056 North Government Way, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815
Ozarks Homesteading Expo - September 4-, 2026: Webster County Fairgrounds - Ellis O Jackson Park 120 Garst Dr Marshfield, Missouri 65706
Homestead Festival - September 10-13, 2026: Owen Lovejoy Homestead, Rural Route 3, E Peru St, Princeton, IL 61356
Panhandle Preparedness Expo - September 26-27, 2026: Bonner County Fairgrounds 4203 N Boyer Rd, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864
Homesteaders of America Conference - October 9-10, 2026: Warren County Fairgrounds, 26 Fairgrounds Road, Front Royal, VA 22630

Prepper Gatherings

Southeast Overland Camping Event - March 27-29, 2026: The Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary - 9182 TN-116 Petros, Tennessee 37845
Preparedness Summit - Protecting Our Communities: State and Local Preparedness in Action - April 13-16, 2026 (in-person and virtual attendance): Baltimore Convention Center - 1 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Homesteading & Prepping Summit - April 25-26, 2026: Address for the St Johns County Fairgrounds, 5840 State Road 207, Elkton, FL 32033
Mountain Readiness Expo - May 1-3, 2026: Vanhoy Campground, 742 Jericho Road, Harmony, NC 28634
Midwest Preparedness Spring Festival - May 5-10, 2026: Bloomington West Campground - 1299 E 600 Rd, Lawrence, Kansas 66047
The Bushcraft Show - May 22-25, 2026: Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, LE17 6DH (10miles east of Birmingham and south of Leicester)
3rd Annual Minnesota Prepper Expo - June 20-22, 2026: 15575 Hawthorn Road, Little Falls, MN
Kentucky Sustainable Living: Homesteading & Preparedness Festival - July 17-19, 2026: 406 Elrod Rd., Bowling Green, KY 42104
Prepper Camp - August 14-16, 2026: At Tryon International - 25 International Boulevard, Mill Spring, NC 28756
West Virginia Off-Grid Living Expo - October 2-3, 2026: WV State Fair Grounds, 947 Maplewood Ave, Lewisburg WV 24901
Self-Reliance Festival - October 3-4, 2026: Birdsong Resort and Marina - 255 Marina Road – 9 Miles North of Exit 133 on I-40 – Camden Kentucky Lake, Tennessee 38320-9699
1st Annual Colorado Prepper Expo - October 10-12, 2026: Colorado State Fairgrounds (Livestock Pavilion) - 1001 Beulah Ave, Pueblo, CO 81004

HAM Conventions

To find events in your state/region, go to the ARRL Hamfests and Conventions Calendar and search for your AO. The events and dates noted below are some of the bigger events in the HAM Radio arena.

D-Star QSO Party 2025, December 27, 2025 (00:00 UTC) - January 5, 2026 (23:59 UTC)
44th Annual SELARC Hamfest, Southeast Louisiana Amateur Radio Club, Inc. - January 16-17, 2026: Ponchatoula Community Center, 300 N. 5th St., Ponchatoula, LA 70454
WinterFest 2026, Whitman Amateur Radio Club - January 17, 2026: Knights of Columbus, 1195 Bedford St., Whitman, MA 02382
Winter Field Day 2026, sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association - January 24-25, 2026: World wide participation
Hendricks County Hamfest, ARRL Indiana Section Convention - February 7, 2026: Hendricks Co. 4H Fairgrounds and Conference Center, 1900 E. Main St., Danville, IN 46122

Orlando HamCation, ARRL Southeastern Division Convention - February 13-15, 2026: Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park, 4603 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32801
Yuma Hamfest, ARRL Southwestern Division Convention - February 26-28, 2026: Yuma County Fairgrounds, 2520 E. 32nd St.
Yuma, AZ 85364
HAM-CON, ARRL Vermont State Convention - February 28, 2026: Hampton Inn Convention Center, 42 Lower Mountain Rd., Colchester, VT 05446
Honolulu HamFest, Emergency Amateur Radio Club of Hawai`i - March 7, 2026: National Guard Association Center, 891 Valkenburgh Street, Honolulu, HI 96801
Central Dakota Amateur Radio Club 36th Hamfest, ARRL North Dakota State Convention - March 28, 2026: Bismarck Public School, Career Academy, 1221 College Dr., Bisamrck, ND
RARSfest, ARRL Roanoke Division Convention - April 4, 2026: North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Jim Graham Building, 4285 Trinity Rd., Raleigh, NC 27601
Dayton HAMvention 2026 - May 15-17, 2026: Greene County Fair and Expo Center, 210 Fairground Road, Xenia, OH 45385
SEA-PAC, ARRL Northwestern Division Convention - June 5-7, 2026: Seaside Convention Center, 415 First Ave., Seaside, OR 97138
Knoxville Hamfest, ARRL Tennessee State Convention - June 13, 2026: Wallace Memorial Baptist Church, 701 Merchant Dr., Knoxville, TN 37901
Shreveport-Bossier Hamfest, ARRL Delta Division Convention - August 7-8, 2026: State Fairgrounds of Louisiana Agricultural Building, 3206 Pershing Blvd., Shreveport, LA 71101
Northeast HamXposition, ARRL New England Division - August 13-16, 2026: Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Road W, Marlborough, Massachusetts
Cincinnati Hamfest℠ , ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention - August 15, 2026: Clermont County Fairgrounds, 1000 Locust St., Owensville, OH 45160
KCARC HAMFest, Kitsap County Amateur Radio Club - October 10, 2026: Bremerton Westside Improvement Club, 4109 West E Street, Bremerton, WA 98310