CALENDAR OF EVENTS
December 2024
I. SDMG – Meetings, Announcements & Events
Fri & Sat, December 6–7, 2024 – December Nights in Balboa Park, Fri 3–11pm, Sat 1–11pm, SDMG Open House
Mon, December 9, 2024 – Mineral Division Meeting CANCELED
Mon, December 16, 2024 – SDMG Board Meeting (Virtual), CANCELED
Mon, December 23, 2024 – SDMG General Meeting, CANCELED
Mon, December 23, 2023 – SDMG Christmas Potluck, 5–10pm (bring a side dish or dessert; beat the traffic and come help set up starting at 3pm), Casa del Prado, Room 101 (across from the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park)
Detailed listings for Shows and Events appear in The Pegmatite
Join the SDMG mailing list to receive regular e-Newsletters with a link to the bulletin
II. On the Go… To a Show & Other Events
Sat & Sun, December 7–8, 2024 Barstow, CA – Mojave Desert Gem and Mineral Show
Fri & Sat, January 26–27, 2025 Fallbrook, CA – Pacific Micromount Conference
SPOTLIGHT ON Quartzsite 2024
January 1 – February 28, 2025 Quartzsite, AZ – Desert Gardens Gems, Rocks and Minerals Show
January 2 – February 28, 2025 Quartzsite, AZ – Prospector's Panorama
January 3–12, 2025 Quartzsite, AZ – Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show
January 15–19, 2025 Quartzsite, AZ – QIA Annual POWWOW Rock & Gem Show
January 17–26, 2025 Quartzsite, AZ – Tyson Wells Annual Sell-A-Rama
TBD Quartzsite, CA – ALAA Annual Cleanup
January 31 – February 9, 2025 Quartzsite, AZ – Tyson Wells Annual Arts & Crafts Fair
February 7–9, 2025 Quartzsite, AZ – Gold, Treasure and Craft Show
I. and II. All Meetings, Events & Shows
Sat & Sun, December 7–8, 2024 BARSTOW, CA – Mojave Desert Gem & Mineral Show
Sponsor: Mojave Desert Gem and Mineral Society
Venue: Historic Harvey House Train Station
681 N. 1st Avenue Barstow CA 92311
Hours: Daily 10am – 5pm
Web: mdgms.net
Displays, education exhibits, gem and mienral dealers, gifts for all ages, jewelry galore, kids’ activities icluding grab bags and spin the wheel, lapidary arts and crafts, silent auction, raffles, and great food.
Mon, December 9, 2024 SAN DIEGO, CA – Mineral Division Meeting CANCELED
Sponsor: SDMG, Jim Parrish, Chair
I had planned on having a meeting on December 9th, but it comes just two days after SDMG’s Open House at December Nights in Balboa Park. Together with all the other holiday festivities this month, it seems better to omit it from an already full calendar.
Mon, December 23, 2024 SAN DIEGO, CA – SDMG General Meeting CANCELED
Sponsor: San Diego Mineral & Gem Society
No General Meeting in December. Bring a dish to share and attend the Christmas Potluck instead.
Fri– Sun, January 31 – February 1 & 2, 2025 FALLBROOK, CA – 58th Pacific Micromount Conference
Presented by: Mineralogical Society of Southern California
Venue: Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Museum
123 W. Alvarado St.
Fallbrook, CA 92028
Conference Chairs: Al Wilkins and Bob Housley, rhousley@its.caltech.edu
Registration: $20.00/person by mail in advance; $25.00 at the door. (Download the registration form, send a completed form with check »)
Lectures by Herwig Pelckmans, “A World-Famous Phosphate Locality, ”Sitio do Castelo Mine in Portugal; Paul Adams, “The Reward Mine, Inyo County, CA”; Bruce Kelley, “Art in Minerals.” Plenty of microscope time, lots of $1 table micro items, Silent Auction and Oral Auctions and free specimen tables. Field Trip, to be announced. Meals on your own. Arrange your accommodations early as hotels/motels tend to book quickly.
Website: mineralsocal.org
Program: Download a print-friendly program »
January 1 – February 28, 2025 QUARTZSITE, AZ – Desert Gardens Gems, Rocks and Minerals Show
Desert Gardens RV, ATV and Mobile Home Park
From I-10, take Exit 17, go south to 4-way intersection with stop sign, turn left on W. Kuehn Street, go about 1/4 mile, show is on right (south) side of road.
Hours: 9am – 5pm daily.
Admission and Parking: Free.
Contact: 623-606-0053 or dgshowgrounds@gmail.com
Website: desertgardensrockgemandmineralshow.com
Desert Gardens has hosted The Show more than 20 years. Bringing over 150 vendors from 15 countries and throughout the United States together to sell their products. Based on Xpo Press statistics, Desert Gardens is the 5th largest show in the world and the longest running.
January 2 – February 28, 2025 QUARTZSITE, AZ – Prospector's Panorama
Tyson Wells Show Grounds
35 W. Kuehn Street, Quartzsite, AZ 85346
Hours: 9:00AM – 5:00PM daily.
Admission: Free.
Website: prospectorspanorama.com
Prospectors Panorama is our longest lasting annual show. In addition, we have four annual shows located throughout Arizona, with a showroom in Tucson, Arizona, open year-round (by appointment). We look forward to seeing you soon.
January 3–12, 2025 QUARTZSITE, AZ – Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show
January 17–26, 2025 QUARTZSITE, AZ – Tyson Wells Annual Sell-A-Rama
January 31 – February 9, 2025 QUARTZSITE, AZ – Tyson Wells Arts & Crafts Fair
121 W. Kuehn St., Quartzsite, AZ 85346; S.W. corner Hwy 95 (Central Blvd.) & I-10 Fwy
Hours: 9am – 5pm daily.
Admission and Parking: Free.
Contact: Tyson Wells PO Box 60, Quartzsite, AZ 85346, 928-927-6364, tysonwells@tds.net
Website: www.TysonWells.com
Gems, Rocks, Minerals, Silver and Goldsmithing, Precious Metals, Lapidary Tools, Equipment and Supplies.
January 15–19, 2025 QUARTZSITE, AZ – QIA Annual POWWOW Rock & Gem Show
235 E. Ironwood Street; north of I-10, between Exit 19 and Hwy. 95.
Hours: 7am – 5pm daily.
Admission and Parking: Free.
Contact: 928-927-6325, POWWOW@QIAArizona.org
Website: www.qiaarizona.org
QIA PowWow is the oldest gem and mineral show in Arizona, featuring over 600 booth spaces. More than 250 Vendors will bring gems and mineral specimens from all over the world, which, in many cases, have been self-collected. Many of the vendors have attended this show for over 40 consecutive years.
February 7–9, 2025 QUARTZSITE, AZ – Gold,Treasure and Craft Show
QIA bldg at 235 E. Ironwood Street; north of I-10, between Exit 19 and Hwy. 95.
Hours: Fri & Sat 9am – 4pm; Sun 9am – 3pm.
Admission: $5 all three days OR $10 entrance fee includes 12 raffle tickets.
Website: quartzsitegoldshow.com
Displays with gold nuggets, prospecting, panning, detectors, jewelry, daily drawings, metal detectors, speakers, equipment, and demonstrations.