With Illinois slogging through a record-breaking run of tornado reports this spring, a group of local radio diehards is getting ready to show what happens when the power goes out and the cell towers go dark. Volunteers from the DuPage Amateur Radio Club are turning Elmhurst's Wilder Park into a 24-hour emergency-communications hub during ARRL Field Day, a national event where hams rehearse for real-world disasters. The free gathering is open to the public and will feature hands-on "get on the air" stations for beginners along with on-site opportunities to earn a first license.
Field Day setup at Wilder Park
According to the DuPage Amateur Radio Club, operators will be on the air from 1 p.m. Saturday, June 27 through 1 p.m. Sunday, June 28 at Wilder Park, 175 S. Prospect Ave. in Elmhurst. The overnight operation is part of the national ARRL Field Day exercise, which is built to mimic emergency conditions and test how well radio teams can keep stations running without commercial power.
Why it matters now
Illinois has already logged an unusually high number of tornado reports this year, topping previous annual totals and putting fresh attention on backup communication plans, as reported by CBS News Chicago. Local meteorologists say the spike tracks with shifting severe-weather patterns across the Midwest. That is exactly the kind of scenario the club wants to rehearse during Field Day: how to keep information flowing when the usual systems go down.
What club members say
Club president John McCarty, who has headed the group for roughly 15 years, told the Chicago Tribune that "we're competing against other clubs and organizations doing the same thing, in a good-natured way." The Tribune notes the DuPage club dates back to 1948 and has about 80 members, ranging from teenagers to operators in their 90s. Many have completed storm-spotter training and have stepped in to help during local emergencies over the years.
How to get licensed and what to bring
The club hosts ARRL-certified exam sessions and will offer testing during Field Day. It also runs monthly VE sessions at the Church of the Holy Nativity in Clarendon Hills, according to its testing information. The ARRL VEC exam fee for 2026 is $15 for adults, with youth candidates paying $5, and the FCC adds a separate $35 application fee, per the ARRL.
Stop by and learn
Visitors are invited during daylight hours to walk through the site, check out antennas and generators, listen in on live radio contacts, and talk with volunteers about surge planning and neighborhood communications. Wilder Park, which sits next to Elmhurst University, is managed by the Elmhurst Park District and is listed among its visitor facilities.
