CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Sat and Sun, March 7–8, 2026  VENTURA, CA
63rd Annual Gem Mineral, Fossil & Lapidary Show

Hosted by:  Ventura Gem & Mineral Society

Venue:  Ventura Fairgrounds
   10 Harbor Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001

Hours:  Sat 10am – 5pm; Sun 10am – 4pm

Admission:  FREE.

Parking:  Fee for fairground parking

Website:  vgms.org/category/gem-show

Displays of gems, minerals, meteorites, fossils and award-winning handcrafted jewelry. Includes educational exhibits of fossils collected locally in and around Ventura County, as well as a display of the California State Rock, Mineral, Fossil and Gemstone, featuring a gold nugget and Ice Age saber-tooth cat. Demonstrations include gemstone cutting, silver work and jewelry making, beading, and other arts. Raffle prizes and hourly silent auctions. Expert prospectors will guide you through the steps of gold panning, and you can purchase "pay dirt" to pan for real gold in your own backyard. You'll also see "Auggie," the California State Dinosaur.

[+] back to index

Mon, March 9, 2026  SAN DIEGO, CA – Mineral Division Meeting

Sponsor:  SDMG

Venue:  SDMG Bldg, at the back of Spanish Village in Balboa Park, San Diego

Hours:  7pm

Admission:  Free. Open to the public.

Be aware of the fee-based parking system at Balboa Park, effective January 5, 2026. City of San Diego residents can register their vehicle online to qualify for free parking. (Do it ahead of time!) Parking at the back of the SDMG bldg is by permit only. Read the latest update on paid parking in and around Balboa Park »

The guest speaker for the first meeting of the year will be Chuck Houser and his topic will be Calcite Twins. He will have slides and some specimens to show in person.  During the talk, he will discuss what is and isn’t a calcite twin, the four twin laws of calcite, and how to identify twins and their twin laws.  He will also share a few of his passions/obsessions specific to calcite twins. Attendees are encouraged to bring their specimens to the meeting for discussion. Chuck is a geologist with an environmental consulting firm and over 40 years experience in geosciences.

After the presentations we will have refreshments – so please bring something to share. The club will provide coffee, tea, and punch.

[+] back to index

Fri thru Sun, March 13–15, 2026  VICTORVILLE, CA – 50th Annual Stoddard Wells Rock Hound Tailgate

Sponsor:  Victor Valley Gem and Mineral Club

Venue:  Stoddard Wells Rd. near I15

Hours:  9am – 5pm daily

Admission & Parking:  Free. Open to the public.

Contact:  Ody Oriva, 760-243-2330 or or tailgate@vvgmc.org

Website:  vvgmc.org

Handcrafted and faceted jewelry, slabs and cabs, findings and equipment, minerals and fossils and TONS of Rough Material, dry camping, grab bags, Silent Auction. Saturday FAMILY Field Trip: Tri-Colored Marble 9am – 1pm.

[+] back to index

Sat, March 14, 2026  LAKE ELSINORE, CA – 6th Annual Lake Elsinore Rock & Craft Show

Sponsor:  Lake Elsinore Gem & Mineral Society

Venue:  32097 Corydon Road, Lake Elsinore, CA 9253

Hours:  10am – 4pm

Admission:  Free. Public welcome.

Web:  www.facebook.com/groups/530281757337262/

A wide variety of local vendors plus fossils and minerals.

[+] back to index

Sun, March 15, 2025  FALLBROOK, CA – FGMS Rough & Cut Show

Sponsor:  Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society

Venue:  123 W. Alvarado St., Fallbrook, CA 92028

Hours:  1 PM – 4 PM

Admission & Parking:  Free. Open to the public. Parking in church lot on Pico (across from Rough & Cut entrance)

Website:  fallbrookgemandmineralsociety.wildapricot.org

Miscellaneous minerals, including flats of lower-end fine minerals, lapidary rough. Rock pile for the kids – $5.00 for refills on bucket as many times as they wish.

[+] back to index

Mon, March 23, 2026  SAN DIEGO, CA – SDMG General Meeting

Sponsor:  San Diego Mineral & Gem Society

Venue:  SDMG Bldg, at the back of Spanish Village in Balboa Park, San Diego

Hours:  7pm

Admission:  Free. Open to the public.

Be aware of the fee-based parking system at Balboa Park, effective January 5, 2026. City of San Diego residents can register their vehicle online to qualify for free parking. (Do it ahead of time!) Parking at the back of the SDMG bldg is by permit only. Read the latest update on paid parking in and around Balboa Park »

Phil Stoffer will give a presentation on The Essence of Fluorescence (and things that glow, flash, or go bump in the night). Phil’s exciting presentation starts with an introduction to the visible emission of light, or fluorescence, in minerals when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. He will discuss a variety of common fluorescent minerals and some notable locations where they occur. His talk also reviews other “luminescent” properties of select rocks and minerals, atmospheric phenomena, as well as UV fluorescence and bioluminescence associated with some plants and animals. Phil’s fascination with things that glow became a hobby of hunting for fluorescent minerals at night dating back to his high school days.

Phil is from Fallbrook but grew up in farm country along the Great Miami River, west of Cincinnati and near the border of Ohio and Indiana. The abundance of fossils and archaeological sites in the region inspired him to pursue a degree in geology and a degree in library science at the University of Denver. He has had a long career as a science librarian, with positions at universities throughout the US and at the USGS. Over the past decade, he has been teaching geology and oceanography courses at MiraCosta College in Oceanside.

Please remember to bring something for dessert to share with everyone. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and other drinks are provided by SDMG. Your help afterward in cleanup is very much appreciated by me, Mike Frye and Dave Smith who set up and take down, and all those who put this program together every month. See you there!

[+] back to index

Sat & Sun, March 28–29, 2026  TORRANCE, CA – 73rd Annual Nature's Treasures

Sponsor:  South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society

Venue:  Ken Miller Recreation Center
3341 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503

Hours:  Fri & Sat 9am – 5pm; Sun 10am – 4pm

Admission & Parking:  Free. Open to the public.

Website:  southbaylapidaryandmineralsociety.com

Annual gem and mineral show featuring educational demonstrations, slabs, raffle, rough rock, silent auction, polished stones, fluorescent minerals, children’s activities, crystals, and more.

[+] back to index

Wed thru Sun, April 1–5, 2026  JOSHUA TREE, CA – Joshua Tree Gem & Mineral Show

Sponsor:  Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral Club

Venue:  Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground
2601 Sunfair Rd, Joshua Tree, CA 92252

Hours:  Wed thru Sat 9am – 5pm; Sun 9am – 4pm

Admission & Parking:  Free. Open to the public.

Website:  AVGMS on Facebook

Rocks, fossils, gemstones, slabs, equipment, cabochons crystals, spheres, jewelry, dozens of amazing booths, food vendors, and entertainment.

[+] back to index

Fri and Sat, April 25–26, 2026  ANAHEIM, CA – The Searchers 65th Annual Show

Sponsor:  Anaheim Searchers Gem & Mineral Society

Venue:  Brookhurst Community Center
   2271 W. Crescent Ave., Anaheim CA 92801

Hours:  Sat 10am – 5pm; Sun 10am – 4:30pm

Admission & Parking:  Free.  Public welcome.

Contact:  nancyjbird68@gmail.com

Website:  www.searchersrocks.org

Gems, minerals, fossils, crystals, beads, rough, slabs, vendors, gold panning, extensive silent auction every half hour, door prizes every half hour, grab bags, tools, equipment and exhibits. Lapidary supplies. Faceting, wire wrapping and cabochon making demonstrations. Snacks and drinks are available. Make a polished stone ring for free, crack a dino egg, treasure hunt activities for kids! Rain or shine, show is on. Please, no pets. Service animals only.

[+] back to index