EVENTS AND FESTIVALS
Vintage Computer Festival: A Nostalgic Tech Trip Roswell is home to the Computer Museum of America and is host to the 2016 Vintage Computer Festival.
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ACCORDING TO REAL ESTATE WEB SITE, Movoto, Atlanta ranks No. 1 nerdiest major U.S. city. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Vintage Computer Festival (VCF) chose Atlanta-metro as the Southeast location of their annual event. This exciting and interactive festival, held in only four U.S. cities each year, returns to Roswell on Saturday April 2, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday April 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and Commodore PET – intertwined with the stories and exhibits of the big names such as IBM, Microsoft and Gates.
In addition to approximately 30 exhibitors from around the country displaying collections such as early Radio Shack equipment, half-century old minicomputers and early handheld video games, the VCF also offers an amazing line-up of speakers and workshops for computer history enthusiasts.
This public celebration of computer history and nostalgia is located conveniently off Georgia 400’s exit 7 in Kings Market Center, 1425 Market Blvd., Suite 200, with ample free parking. Admission for adults is $10 for one day and $15 for two days. Children ages 17 and younger are admitted free with an adult. College students also gain free entry with a valid student ID.
During the VCF, most computers and devices will be hands-on and interactive for attendees. In addition, during the Festival, The Computer Museum of America (CMOA) Pop Up, which is hosting the event and rarely open to the public, will be accessible for touring. Two Pop Up exhibits – on loan from the CMOA, which owns one of the largest vintage computer collections in the world -- feature rarities like an Apple I, the first disk II and controller card, an original Lisa, and so much more. A 6,000-square-foot Apple display covers the rich history of the company from its inception to “what’s next” as well as the history of Steve Jobs. The 7,600-square-foot Link exhibit features the three crowns of personal computing – Apple II, TRS-80
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It’s also a time to play. A vintage game station and wall will be available for children and adults to play vintage games on classic computers and game consoles. Play Pac-Man, Super Pong and Mario on restored Atari, Sega and Nintendo machines.
The VCF event is hosted by the Atlanta Historical Computing Society and Roswell’s Computer Museum of America. The CMOA Pop Up exhibits’ artifacts are from one of the largest vintage computer collections in the world, owned by local resident Lonnie Mimms. To learn more about the Vintage Computer Festival, please visit their web site vcfed.org/wp. And, to rent the Computer Museum of America’s exclusive Apple and PC Pop Up events venue, learn more at computerpopupvenue.com or call 770.855.4182.
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