I’m thrilled to share some information about two new retro/vintage computing organizations and events for those of you in the northern New England area.
New England RetroFest
Being in New England has some really great advantages, but one of the disadvantages is that we can be further away from some northeast events than I might like. The Vintage Computer Festival East takes place every April in New Jersey, and although I’d love to go, it is a 6 to 8 hour drive for me from Maine. I’m just not sure I’m up for that.
There has been an occasional meetup in Maynard, Massachusetts but even that has been 2+ hours away.
Recently Derek Lemay announced that he is hosting the New England RetroFest in Concord, New Hampshire on October 24th, 2026 from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM. That is about 1h45m from me, so although it is not super-close it is the closest yet. Plus, driving in NH is far less stressful than driving just about anywhere in Massachusetts!
Tickets are a mere $10 for general admission. If you want to exhibit some of your retro gear, that costs just $25. And if you’d like to sell items, it is $40.
I’ll be at the show with a Goto 10 exhibit, showing off some Atari stuff. I’m thinking I’ll bring an Atari 800 and an Atari 1040ST at the very least, probably with some other goodies and giveaways. There’s also a good chance I’ll have lots of magazines, of course!
Check out the RetroFest site and FAQ for more information.
If you’re in New England, you should strongly consider attending. I’d love to meet more readers and talk retro computing!
Maine Vintage Computer Society
Mark Leaman has started the Maine Vintage Computer Society and last week held a virtual meeting on Zoom. It was at this meeting where I got to hear Derek talk about the RetroFest. There were about a dozen or so other retro/vintage enthusiasts on the call. We each shared something about our collections and backgrounds.
The agenda also had a FujiNet presentation from creator Thomas Cherryhomes, but he was traveling to Vintage Computer Festival Midwest and ended up not being able to attend. I have a FujiNet for my Atari 8-bit, but haven’t used it nearly as often as I should. And I bet it could use a firmware update!
Mark said the Zoom meeting was just a kick-off and that he hopes to also have some in-person meetings, but not until after the RetroFest. These meetings will likely be in the Brunswick area, which is only about 30 minutes away, so I’m excited for that!
Join the Maine Vintage Computer Society Facebook group for more information and to learn about upcoming meetups.
Overall, this is an exciting time for retro computing enthusiasts up here in the (real) northeast!