The next best thing to digging for specimens in 90 degree heat is attending a mineral show.
Some of the most enjoyable shows are those organized by regional clubs, where you can see a wide range of specimens, view educational displays, participate in demonstrations, and meet club members who are happy to share their knowledge of mineralogy and the earth sciences. Further information (show hours, driving directions, contact information) is available on the website of the sponsoring mineral club.
Contact mineralfest@aol.com if you would like your club's show listed.
Mineral show calendar last updated: 13 May 2012
18 February 2012: Upper Marlboro, Maryland
22nd Annual Jewelry, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Organized by: Southern Maryland Rock and Mineral Club
Show Place Arena (14900 Pennsylvania Avenue)
25-26 February 2012: Albany, New York
19th Annual James Campbell Memorial Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show and Sale
Organized by: Capital District Mineral Club and the New York Academy of Mineralogy
New York State Museum (Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue)
3-4 March 2012: Newark, Delaware
49th Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show
Organized by: Delaware Mineralogical Society
Delaware Technical and Community College (Churchmans Road)
10 March 2012: Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania
Lower Bucks Micromount Show
Organized by: Rock & Mineral Club of Lower Bucks County
Northminster Presbyterian Church (140 Trenton Road)
10-11 March 2012: Clifton, New Jersey
23rd Annual North Jersey Gem & Mineral Show
Organized by: North Jersey Mineralogical Society
Pope John Paul II Center (775 Valley Road)
16-18 March 2012: Rome, Georgia
33rd Annual Valley and Ridge Gem and Mineral Show
Organized by: Rome Georgia Mineral Society
The Forum (2 Government Plaza)
17-18 March 2012: Gaithersburg, Maryland
48th Annual Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show
Organized by: Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society of Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County Fairgrounds (16 Chestnut Street)
24-25 March 2012: Sayre, Pennsylvania
43rd Annual Rock & Mineral Show
Organized by: Che-Hanna Rock and Mineral Club
Athens Township Volunteer Fire Hall (211 Herrick Avenue)
24-25 March 2012: Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
34th Annual Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show
Organized by: Franklin County Rock & Mineral Club
New location: Hamilton Heights Elementary School (1589 Johnson Road)
24-25 March 2012: Hellertown, Pennsylvania
42nd Annual Gem and Mineral Show
Organized by: Saucon Valley Lions Club
Saucon Valley High School
24-25 March 2012: Hamburg, New York
44th Annual Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Organized by: Buffalo Geological Society
Erie County Fairgrounds (Marketplace and Grange Buildings)
Show theme: Selenite: Windows into Stone
24-25 March 2012: Holyoke, Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts Mineral Jewelry & Fossil Show
Organized by: Connecticut Valley Mineral Club
Holyoke Hotel & Conference Center (245 Whiting Farms Road)
24-25 March 2012: Port Angeles, Washington
2nd Annual Vern Burton Rock, Gem and Jewelry Show
Organized by: City of Port Angeles
Vern Burton Community Center (308 East 4th Street)
31 March -1 April 2012: Plymouth Meeting, PA
Philadelphia Mineral Treasures and Fossil Fair
Organized by: Philadelphia Mineralogical Society and Delaware Valley Paleontological Society
LuLu Temple (5140 Butler Pike)
31 March - 1 April 2012: Johnson City, New York
43rd Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show
Organized by: New York Southern Tier Geology Club
Johnson City Senior Center (30 Brocton Street)
31 March - 1 April 2012: Orange, Connecticut
39th Annual Mineral, Gem, Jewelry & Fossil Show
Organized by: The New Haven Mineral Club
Amity Regional Middle School (100 Ohman Avenue
31 March - 1 April 2012: Monroe, Wisconsin
42nd Annual, Rock, Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Show
Organized by: Badger Lapidary & Geological Society
Show theme: The Agata Crystally Mystery
Monroe Senior High School (1600 26th Street)
14 April 2012: Milford, Connecticut
5th Annual Milford Earth Day Celebration
Eisenhower Park, Milford
19-22 April 2012: Rochester, New York
39th Rochester Mineralogical Symposium
Organized by: Rochester Academy of Science, Mineral Section
Radisson Hotel Rochester Airport (175 Jefferson Road)
21-22 April 2012: West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show
Organized by: The Monongahela Rockhounds
Skyview Hall, West Mifflin Volunteer Fire Company #4 (640 Noble Drive)
27-29 April 2012: Elkridge, Maryland
40th Annual Atlantic Micromount Conference
Organized by: Micromineralogists of the National Capital Area
MHA Conference Center (6820 Deerpath Road)
28-29 April 2012: Franklin, New Jersey
40th Annual New Jersey Earth Science Association Gem & Mineral Show
Organized by: Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society and the New Jersey Earth Science Association and Sterling Hill Mining Museum
Franklin Borough School (50 Washington Avenue, Franklin)
Indoor / outdoor
28-29 April 2012: Ogdensburg, New Jersey
Gem & Mineral Sale / Sterling Hill Super Dig 2012
Organized by: Sterling Hill Mining Museum
30 Plant Street, Ogdensburg
5-6 May 2012: Pittston, Pennsylvania
Treasures of the Earth: 9th Annual Show and Sale
Organized by: The Mineralogical Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania
Oblates of St. Joseph (1880 Highway 315)
5-6 May 2012: Topsfield, Massachusetts
49th Annual New England Gem & Mineral Show
Organized by: North Shore Rock & Mineral Club
Topsfield Fairgrounds (Route 1 North)
11-13 May 2012: NYC Metro Show - Secaucus, New Jersey
2012 New York City Metropolitan Area Gem Show
125 exhibitors with minerals, fossils, dinosaurs, meteorites, gems, jewelry, gold, silver, turquoise
Thursday, May 10 - wholesale buyers only
Meadowlands Exposition Center (355 Plaza Drive, Secaucus)
12 May 2012: Arendtsville, Pennsylvania
South Penn Rock Swap
Organized by: Central Pennsylvania Rock and Mineral Club and the Franklin County Rock & Mineral Club
South Mountain Fairgrounds (1.5 miles west of Arendtsville on Route 234)
19 May 2012: Towson, Maryland
23rd Annual Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Show
Organized by: Chesapeake Gem and Mineral Society
Ruhl Armory (1035 York Road)
19-20 May 2012: Leesport, Pennsylvania
44th Annual World of Gems and Minerals: Jewelry, Bead, Mineral and Fossil Show
Organized by: Berks Mineralogical Society
Leesport Farmer's Market (Route 61)
19-20 May 2012: Hamilton Township, New Jersey
51st Annual Spring Rock, Gem & Mineral Show
Organized by: Cape Atlantic Rockhounds
The Clubhouse (Cologne Avenue)
20 May 2012: Riverdale, New Jersey
2nd Annual North Jersey Outdoor Rock, Gem and Mineral Swap-n-Sell
Organized by: North Jersey Mineralogical Society
The Glenburn Estate (211 Hamburg Turnpike)
1-2 June 2012: Price, Utah
6th Annual Castle Country Rock, Fossil & Mineral Show
Carbon County Events Center (310 South Fairgrounds Road)
2 June 2012: Spring Mineralfest - Macungie, Pennsylvania
58th semi-annual Mineralfest
Organized by: Pennsylvania Earth Sciences Association
Macungie Memorial Park (Poplar Street)
Indoor / outdoor
9 June 2012: Kent, Connecticut
10th Annual Rock Swap & Sale
Organized by the Danbury Mineralogical Society and the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association
Museum grounds of the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association (1 mile north of Kent on Route 7)
9 June 2012: Chelmsford, Massachusetts
2012 Annual Micromounter's Symposium
Organized by the The Micromounters of New England
Trinity Lutheran Church
9-10 June 2012: Monroe, New York
Annual Mineral - Gem - Jewelry - Fossil Show, Sell & Swap
Organized by: Orange County Mineral Society
Museum Village (1010 Route 17M)
14-15 July 2012: Syracuse, New York
46th Annual Gem, Mineral, Fossil, and Bead Show
Organized by: Gem & Mineral Society of Syracuse
New location: SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College (4585 West Seneca Turnpike)
21-22 July 2012: Erie, Pennsylvania
43rd Annual Gem and Mineral Show
Organized by: Gem City Rock and Mineral Society
JMC Ice Arena (423 West 38th Street)
28-29 July 2012: Mattituck, Long Island, New York
31st Annual Mineral, Gem, Fossil & Jewelry Show
Organized by: Long Island Mineral and Geology Society
Mattituck High School
28-29 July 2012: South Burlington, Vermont
33rd Annual Champlain Valley Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show
Organized by: Burlington Gem & Mineral Club
Tuttle Middle School (500 Dorset Street)
Theme: The Minerals of Canada
25-26 August 2012: Madrid, New York
46th Annual Rock & Mineral Show
Organized by: St. Lawrence County Rock & Mineral Club
Madrid Community Center (1835 State Highway 345)
25-26 August 2012: Concord, New Hampshire
49th Annual Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Festival
Organized by: Capital Mineral Club
Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road)
8-16 September 2012: Denver Coliseum Gem Show - Denver, Colorado
2012 Denver Coliseum Gem Show
Minerals, fossils, dinosaurs, meteorites, gems, jewelry, gold, silver, turquoise and more
Outside tents open September 8-16. Coliseum open September 12-16.
Denver Coliseum (4600 Humboldt Street)
8-9 September 2012: North Adams, Massachusetts
49th Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show
Organized by: Northern Berkshire Mineral Club
Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #130 (515 Curran Highway, Route 8)
8-9 September 2012: Port Angeles, Washington
Earth Treasures Gem & Mineral Show
Organized by: Clallam County Gem & Mineral Association
Vern Burton Community Center (308 East 4th Street)
15-16 September 2012: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
47th Annual Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show
Organized by: Central Pennsylvania Rock and Mineral Club
Zembo Shrine Center (2801 North 3rd Street)
15-16 September 2012: Poughkeepsie, New York
43rd annual Mid-Hudson Valley Gem & Mineral Show
Organized by: Mid-Hudson Valley Gem & Mineral Society
New location: Gold's Gym Family Sports Complex (258 Titusville Road)
Show theme: Mineral Photography
22-23 September 2012: West Friendship, Maryland
48th Annual Atlantic Coast Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show
Organized by: Gem Cutters Guild of Baltimore
Howard County Fairgrounds (MD-32 at I-70)
29-30 September 2012: Franklin, New Jersey
56th Annual Franklin-Sterling Hill Mineral, Gem, and Jewelry Show
Organized by: Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society and the Franklin Mineral Museum
Franklin Borough School (50 Washington Avenue, Franklin)
Indoor / outdoor
29-30 September 2012: Wilmington, Delaware
Diamond State Fossil and Mineral Show
Doubletree Hotel (4727 Concord Pike)
3-8 October 2012: Joshua Tree, California
38th Annual Gem, Mineral, and Handicraft Jamboree
Sportsman's Club of Joshua Tree (6225 Sunburst Avenue)
5-7 October 2012: Elkridge, Maryland
56th Annual Paul Desautels Micromount Symposium
Organized by: Baltimore Mineral Society
MHA Conference Center (6820 Deerpath Road)
6 October 2012: Autumn Mineralfest - Macungie, Pennsylvania
59th semi-annual Mineralfest
Organized by: Pennsylvania Earth Sciences Association
Macungie Memorial Park (Poplar Street)
Indoor / outdoor
6-7 October 2012: Des Moines, Iowa
Annual Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
Organized by: Des Moines Lapidary Society
Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds
6-7 October 2012: Port Angeles, Washington
Nature's Treasures Rock, Gem, Jewelry Show
Organized by: Clallam County Gem & Mineral Society
Vern Burton Community Center (308 East 4th Street)
27 October 2012: Arendtsville, Pennsylvania
South Penn Rock Swap
Organized by: Central Pennsylvania Rock and Mineral Club and the Franklin County Rock & Mineral Club
South Mountain Fairgrounds (1.5 miles west of Arendtsville on Route 234)
3-4 November 2012: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Friends of Mineralogy (PA Chapter) Symposium & Field Trip
Organized by: Friends of Mineralogy (PA Chapter)
Location: Franklin & Marshall College
3-4 November 2012: Gemarama - Exton, Pennsylvania
Gemarama 2012: 43rd Annual Gem Show
Organized by: Tuscarora Lapidary Society
CFS, The School at Church Farm (north side of Business Route 30, half-mile west of Frazer)
Show theme: Patterns Galore
3-4 November 2012: Greenwich, Connecticut
25th Annual Show and Sale
Organized by: Stamford Mineralogical Society
Eastern Greenwich Civic Center (90 Harding Road)
17-18 November 2012: Fairfax, Virginia
21st Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show
Organized by: Northern Virginia Mineral Club
George Mason University, Student Union Building II (Route 123 & Braddock Road)
31 January - 17 February 2013: Tucson 22nd Street Show - Tucson, Arizona
Minerals, fossils, dinosaurs, meteorites, gems, and jewelry
60,000 square feet of exhibitor space; 180 dealers
Corner of I-10 & 22nd Street