Everett Arena has been a hobbyist’s dreamland of late. First it was the Concord Model Railroad Club’s annual show on Sunday, and now the Capital Mineral Club is ready to set up shop for its 55th annual Gem, Mineral, Fossil & Jewelry Festival this weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, the arena will be full of all kinds of literal gems and rare and ornate minerals. There will be jewelry, too, but folks usually come to this two-day show for all the minerals.
Much like the big train show, this mineral show serves as a fundraiser for the nonprofit, Concord-based club. Club President Steffen Michael Hermanns said this festival/show takes care of the club’s finances for the year.
The club has been around since 1966. It consists of rock hounds and mineral nuts alike, and the club meets monthly at the Salvation Army building on Clinton Street. It’s just a chance for enthusiasts to get together to show off their finds, talk about how they got them, and also to hear from guest speakers who are experts in the field.
The show is a chance for members of the community to come down and learn a thing or two about minerals, as well as buy some to take home. And if it sounds like it’s only geared toward older folks, think again.
“We’re going to have a guy outside doing things for the kids,” Hermanns said. For instance, there will be a station set up where kids can pan for various minerals to get a taste of the life of a mineral buff.
There will also be some prizes offered. Every hour there will be a raffle, with winners earning gift certificates that can be used at vendors at the show. All kids will also receive a small mineral that they can choose from a bucket. Hermanns said it’s also common for many vendors to offer little goodie bags and other small scores for the little ones.
“We’re trying to get more kids involved,” Hermanns said. “Kind of keep the sport going here, as a lot of us are getting a little older. We’re trying to get some new blood involved.”
Then, on Sunday, there will be one grand prize. One lucky winner will take home a nice mineral specimen – “usually in the one- to two-hundred-dollar range,” Hermanns said.
While this festival is mainly a sales operation meant for people to come and buy minerals, it will also be an educational and promotional one. Anyone interested in the Capital Mineral Club can pick up some information about it at the show, or just ask someone working there. There will also be magazines, books and anything else you can think of that even remotely has anything to do with gems and minerals.
The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 at the door for adults, with free admission to all kids under 15, as long as there’s an adult present. For more info on the club and the show, go to capitalmineralclub.org.
