when are you guys going to figure out that two shows on the same weekend doesn't make sense, how's a guy to choose?
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From your smiley I know you're not grousing, but it is a good question. Others have offered the same reasons I could for the dates, nothing to add to that specific topic.
I'd say it likely doesn't matter for most folks if distant shows conflict on the calendar. The only way it's a toss up is if you live in a region centered on Des Moines Iowa so it's around 700 miles to either show. I wouldn't expect many of the folks who attend or exhibit at the Black Hills show to also be at Cabin Fever. I tend to get to Cabin Fever most years, but driving 26 hours and covering 1800 miles to get the Black Hills show isn't happening for me. I don't hit the Zanesville show or NAMES either. Nothing against the shows, not a "I wouldn't go" deal, just too far. When my wife retires and we get to do long road trips I'll try to do the Black Hills show as part of seeing that part of the US. I've only been in the Dakotas for short periods back in the 1990's. Maybe on a different road trip we'll do Zanesville. We have a daughter in Michigan, so heading to see her from coastal Virginia makes a side excursion to Zanesville perfectly reasonable. I've been to NAMES once, it's a good show and I enjoyed it. Only way I'm going again though is combined with heading out to see family, too much travel and cost for a smaller show that is maybe 80 percent replicated at Cabin Fever. Still, the one time I made NAMES there were some mind blowing excellent models I had not seen before or since. For all it's problems, there is a lot of very high end talent concentrated in that part of the US.
As an aside, if you do go to NAMES, or maybe even Zanesville, try to get to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. I wasn't impressed with the Greenfield Village (neither was my wife), but the museum itself is just a joy. Give yourself most of the day, lots of nooks and crannies with interesting stuff to find. In the old days I'd have said take plenty of film for the camera
For most of us having any one show as a possible weekend or long weekend event is quite fortunate. I've no doubt there are many that will never get to any model engineering show, or may get to one once or a few times only. There are some folks who make all the shows, that's great for those who enjoy a lot of road time or find it necessary for their business. My sorry back and butt doesn't like anything where the travel time is more than twice the event time. Honestly, even the 6 to 7 hour trip to Cabin Fever feels less attractive each year, odds are at some point I'll only go every few years. There are only so many excellent models, die filers, and quorns built from the same plans or castings you can see before before you get less pleasure. The first model engineering show is a jaw dropping weekend of adrenaline and awe, the 25th one finds you looking for the unique and odd stuff and catching up with folks you may have only known online up to then or only see once or twice a year. Over the years "I can't wait!" turns into "I'm looking forward to it if the weather is OK and we don't have yet another outbreak of something unpleasant..."