Been going to Dayton since 1956 and remember our first year at Hara. Always a GREAT show and a FANTASTIC flea market. Hate to see the place in such a mess. Maybe with the insurance thet will rebuild it and the show can come back. The new place is ok, and some improvements were at the flea market, but they will need to go a long way to match the arena. K8BBE
Wonder if the family will finally get their greed rewarded via insurance? They sure never put profits back into Hara/grounds other than to add buildings to their maze. I always found the cheese was always on the opposite end of the complex that required me to wade-thru passageway sewer back-ups near the food court! The new location is just another county fairground HAM swap-meet (with many more vendors) and plenrty of mud to go around; no AC and little covered seating/eating/resting area. Went to the first mud-wade and won't be back - and I live 50mi away. Rather got to Ft Wayne Colosseum HAMcon 90mi away.
I was at the last hamvention held at Hara in 2016. I didn't find it all that bad and it was better that some I've been too. All I ever hear about is the legendary sewage story. All those years and all those hamventions and sewage is remembered? Seems if you look up sewage in the dictionary people believe there should have the Hara photo. Family greed? Maybe they just decided that it was time to play the last act and bow out while they could. Now it's the legendary mud at the new location. That and no AC and its used as a venue for horse shows and live stock. How can people notice sewage or smells of a live stock show when they are sitting in a scooter, sweating like a fat man in a sauna, and personal hygiene is not as important as a set of finals? What happened to my hobby?
The bigger issue isn’t the loss of the arena but the lives that were touched by the tornadoes. I live about 20 miles from Dayton, my sons home was damaged by the tornado that ripped through the Trotwood area. The area is pretty much destroyed. Homes are lost, people have lost their places of employment, people are injured. One disabled man lost his life. The arena can be rebuilt. Homes will be rebuilt and new businesses will come back to the area eventually. But things will never be normal for those affected ever again. I was tuned in to NOAA weather out of Wilmington, Ohio that night. We learned that my son in Dayton was in the path of a tornado, and my daughter in Centerville was in the path of another. Fortunately we were able to warn them early and have them get to shelter - because of ham radio. We heard the warnings on the 2 meter at least 1 minute before it was announced. I read complaints about much to do about very little in the grand scheme of things. I was at Xenia for the Ham Fest this year. I’m thankful I could go. I am saddened by what is going on in Dayton and the surrounding areas right now because of the tornadoes.
I went to many in the 90's and finally the last one in 2016. was always a good time for me. I'm sorry for the lives touched by the tornadoes and hope for a full recovery, or much as possible. The complaints about a year of sewage at Hara, or mud at the flea market at Xenia are something else. I thoroughly agree with K4PIH. I went this year and thought it was good. the weather pretty nice for the couple days I was there. Clean, plenty of food to choose from, and not having to walk a mile from parking that was free. Maybe Hara will get fixed up and Hamvention will go back there someday. Maybe not. I'm thankful they found a place to go the very next year and kept the tradition alive. While some of my local friends didn't attend this year, I finally got to meet a few I've been talking to for some years now. And had a good time talking to some of the vendors and manufacturers there. Like the guys from TX/RX Systems whom I received a new set of duplexers from that following Monday. To those complaining, hopefully you'll never have to leave the comfort of your shack when needed in an emergency like that which moved through the area a week later. Just my two cents.
The best source for Hara is to look here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/google-search/?q=hara arena
