The Dayton Hamvention is an amateur radio

Amateur radio

Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...

 convention (or hamfest

Hamfest

A Hamfest is a convention of amateur radio enthusiasts, often combining a trade show, flea market, and various other activities of interest to amateur radio operators . In the United Kingdom the term rally is more commonly used for amateur radio conventions...

), generally considered to be the largest hamfest in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. It is held each May at the Hara Arena

Hara Arena

Hara Arena is a 5,500-seat multi-purpose arena, in Trotwood, Ohio, just outside the city of Dayton.At one time, it hosted the Dayton Jets basketball team and Dayton Gems, Dayton Blue Hawks, Dayton Owls, Dayton Bombers and Dayton Ice Bandits ice hockey teams and The Marshals indoor football...

 in Trotwood, Ohio

Trotwood, Ohio

Trotwood is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 27,431 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is served by the Trotwood-Madison City School District...

 near Dayton, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

. Hara Arena has been the home of Dayton Hamvention since 1964, but has been held since 1952. The Hamvention offers forums, exhibit space and a flea market and usually claims to have over 20,000 visitors (verified by the ARRL). Many Amateur Radio enthusiasts go out of their way to attend the Hamvention, travelling from all over the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

and various parts of the world and even as far as Australia, Japan and Russia.