Press Release / Lifestyle / Annual Free Mariposa Gem and Mineral Show takes place April 13 and 14

Annual Free Mariposa Gem and Mineral Show takes place April 13 and 14

This year the Mariposa Gem and Mineral club has joined with the California State Mineral and Mining Museum to host their annual free weekend Sat and Sun at the Mariposa FairGrounds, on Hiway 49 just south of Mariposa in the Sierra Foothills. Indoor booths are sold out and this will be a fun, educational and entertaining weekend for the whole family. Access to the museum, which has recovered from its big armed robbery last year, is also free.

Mariposa, CA, April 03, 2013 - The Mariposa Gem and Mineral show is all set to be even bigger and better this year with the addition of outdoor booths and the support of the Mariposa Gem and Mineral Club. The California State Mining and Mineral Museum is back open after their big armed robbery in September. It will play its usual key role in the exhibits and activities by throwing open its doors to the public as well as hosting most of the educational talks.

Gemstones for everyone, rock cutting for dad, panning for gold for the kids, and lovely jewelry for the ladies make for this being the ideal day or weekend fun and educational outing for the whole family in lovely historic Mariposa - the gateway to Yosemite. All the action will take place at the Mariposa fairgrounds where the museum is also based. The show will be open Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 10-4, plus the parking is free and the show is free.

Beautiful crystals and gemstones will be on display in both the vendor booths as well as the museums extensive collection. Kids can go on a scavenger hunt in the museum visit the mine tunnel and explore rocks and minerals at the touch table, as well as hear talks and demonstrations about the old gold rush history, the finds, the tools and the mining methods of the 1849 gold rush days. A wide variety of gemstone jewelry and rough, breathtaking mineral and rock specimens, fossils, crystals, beads and mineral related crafts of all sorts will be available from our many vendors.

Several guest speakers and demonstrations are also on the schedule. Saturday at 11:00 Kent England will reveal the world of micro-minerals and how to start a micromount collection. Saturday at 2:00, local prospector and owner of Gold Rush Trading Post, Fred Radonovic will show us the basics of using metal detectors for gold prospecting. On Sunday at 11:00am local artist Gerry Cross will demonstrate how to create beautiful, beaded jewelry. Sunday at 2:00pm Larry Martin, from the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera Co., will tell us about the fantastic Pleistocene fossils from the Fairmead fossil excavation.

The Museum Association is sponsoring a silent auction of jewelry, rocks, and minerals. Geode cutting is back again by popular demand, and you will find many unique jewelry items handcrafted by local member artists, at the Mariposa Gem & Mineral Club booth, in addition to the vendor booths.

For pictures of some of the collections, as well as last years’ show, please visit www.CAMineralMuseum.com.

Contacts: For the State Museum: Randy Bolt (209) 742-7625 rockmuseum@sti.net, For the Mariposa Gem & Mineral Club: Nikki West mgmc@sti.net, For the CA Museum Association: Martin Foden (209)742-4036 martin@safarigold.com

Press Contact:
Martin Foden
Safari Gold
Mariposa, CA 95338
209-742-4036
martin@safarigold.com
http://www.CAmineralmuseum.com