KansasFest, the annual Apple II convention that’s been held in Kansas City, Missouri, every summer since 1989, has announced that the 2024 event will be hosted July 16–21 at the University of Illinois Springfield, roughly 300 miles east-northeast of Kansas City.
In their blog post, the KansasFest committee explains that the transition from Rockhurst University to UIS was motivated by a desire to improve the convention’s accessibility, inclusiveness, comfort, food quality, and network quality.
An extensive FAQ offers more insight into what the event will look like, how attendees will get there (the nearest major airport is St. Louis / STL), whether there will be another Garage Giveaway (yes), and what KansasFest will be called (spoiler: it’s still KansasFest. “It is a name recognized in the community, and it has a valuable history. More would be lost than would be gained by changing the name.”).
This year’s COVID policy will require both testing and vaccination. Masks will not be required except under certain conditions, such as an outbreak of COVID.
As last year, an online convention consisting of Zoom presentations and Discord hangouts will be held a week later, July 27–28. Registration for both events is estimated to open to the public on April 1.
Expect full coverage of KansasFest in the September 2024 issue of Juiced.GS magazine.