The Trenton Computer Festival (also called TCF), founded in 1976, is the oldest

personal computer A personal computer, commonly referred to as PC or computer, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as Word processor, word processing, web browser, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and PC ...

show in the world. It is considered to be the first major fair for personal computer hobbyists. It was founded 1976 at

Trenton State College The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a public university in Ewing Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Established in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, TCNJ was the first normal school, ...

(now The College of New Jersey) by Sol Libes and Allen Katz with the assistance of the Amateur Computer Group of New Jersey (ACGNJ). The initial event drew a crowd of approximately 1,500, and featured lectures, vendor tables, and an outdoor computer market, all aimed at the amateur computer hobbyist. By 1992, it had moved to the

Mercer County Community College Mercer County Community College (MCCC) is a Public university, public, community college in Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. More than 7,000 students enroll in one or more credit courses each year. Esta ...

, and by 1999 it had moved to the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in

Edison, New Jersey Edison is a Township (New Jersey), township located in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated in Central Jersey, Central New Jersey within the core of the state's Raritan River, Raritan Valley r ...

. Attendance peaked at approximately 30,000 attendees per weekend around 1988, but by 2003, was down to approximately 10,000 attendees across the entire weekend. In 2005, TCF returned to The College of New Jersey to celebrate its 30th anniversary. In 2015, the event marked its 40th anniversary. In 2020, the festival was cancelled as a result of restrictions related to the

COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey The COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S. state of New Jersey with the first confirmed case occurring in Bergen County on March 2, 2020, and testing positive on March 4. , 1.63 million cases were confirmed in the state, incurring 26,795 deaths. On ...

. The 2021 and 2022 events were held virtually.

References

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External links

Official website
Computer-related events Recurring events established in 1976 The College of New Jersey