Field Day \feeld day\ noun: 1) Competitive event where Amateur Radio operators set up radio equipment in the field to compete for score; 2) An event to test the readiness of Amateur Radio Emergency Communications; 3) A chance to meet new friends and test the limits of your favorite hobby.

Field day is an annual event sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and is always held on the fourth full weekend in June.

Field day is part emergency preparedness drill, part contest, and part an outdoor party with family and friends.

Although primarily designed for club and non-club groups throughout the United States and Canada, individual operators in those countries as well as operators from all over the world get in on the fun. The general idea is for groups to set up "in the field" under less than ideal (sometimes called "simulated emergency") conditions, and compete to see how many points they can accumulate by making contacts with each other. Plenty of fun and food usually accompany Field Day operations.

While some groups take the competition very seriously, to others their score is a minor consideration in comparison to other aspects of the exercise. Field Day is an ideal time for amateur radio operators to promote their hobby by displaying their equipment to the public, and giving interested visitors the opportunity to actually operate under the watchful eye of a licensed ham.