Getting around the Deerfield Fairgrounds:
Come in from either end of State Route 43 (Stage Rd) and you should see the fairgrounds. Look for the main entrance sign, pass through the outer gate and follow the perimeter road around the fairgrounds along the path marked by the orange and yellow arrows.
If you are arriving on Thursday, the only place you can park is in the campground area. NO VEHICLES ARE PERMITTED TO PARK IN THE OUTSIDE THE FENCE PARKING AREA ON THURSDAY. Only NEAR-Fest Setup/Operational staff are allowed inside the fence before Friday morning.
On Friday morning at 0600, vendors may enter through Gate G (Red arrow marked Vendor Entrance) and begin setting up. No sales may commence before 0900.
If are not a vendor and decide to park outside the fence, the Admission ticket is $10.00 per person. People under 18 or over 80 are admitted free. If you wish to participate in the door prize drawings, you must purchase an admission ticket and deposit your ticket stub in the prize drum on the stage in the relaxation area where closing ceremonies are held. This location is marked with a “D” on the map.
If you are not a vendor and wish to “tailgate” (sell your own personal items in typical hamfest fashion), you can purchase an “Inside Parking Pass” ($10.00). With this pass displayed in your windshield you can park anywhere you can find space in the Inside Selling Area to pass your treasures on to their next owners.
At 0900 on Friday – F gate, marked Main Entrance in the red arrow, opens for attendees and NEAR-Fest officially opens. Sales commence.
Map Location Descriptions
A = Arts & Crafts Building. License (VE) testing takes place on the bottom floor (basement, rear entrance) in this building.
The first floor of the Arts & Crafts building has been the location where the discussion forums are held at each NEAR-Fest since COVID-19. We don’t know for sure how long this will continue at this time.
B = Restroom Locations. There is a handicap-accessible portable restroom at each location.
C = The 3 Commercial buildings – where to find vendors, exhibitors and non-profit entities.
D = The Relaxation Stage – this is the location where you drop your ticket stub into the barrel to become a candidate to win door prizes. The door prizes are drawn here, and the closing ceremony is also held here.
E = The Entertainment building is the location where the discussion forums are held. This is a brown log-cabin-like building not far from the relaxation stage.
Point of Interest
The satellite image used for this map layout appears to have been taken on the Saturday of NEAR-Fest XXIII (spring, 2018). If you go to Google Maps you can zoom in and recognize vehicles and see the crowd beginning to form before closing ceremonies. Interesting timing for a satellite pass!