Wyoming State Mineral and Gem Show in Powell next week

The 2024 Wyoming State Mineral and Gem Show will take place May 30-31 and June 1 at the Park County Fairgrounds in Powell. The state’s annual rock show travels to a different Wyoming community each year; this is the first time in many years that it has come to Powell.

This year’s show (https://www.BighornBasinRockShow.com/) features 16 vendors with fantastic rocks, opals, gems, crystals, minerals, fossils, jade, agates, jaspers, petrified wood, obsidian, stone jewelry, beads, wire-wrapped stones, rock and mineral specimens, T-shirts, calendars featuring photos of beautiful rocks — and the list goes on.

Kids’ activities include painting rocks, a scavenger hunt, hunting for treasures in sand and more. 

Saturday, June 1, is Pebble Pups Day, with door prizes and special activities for kids, a climbing wall and two Rock Identification workshops for children ages 8-12. Registration is required for the workshops, as space is limited. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/KidsRockID.

Silent auctions take place throughout the show, and a special silent auction for kids will run on June 1.

Educational displays at the show include:

• A UV light display of fluorescent rocks and minerals, fossils, jade and other geologic and stone-related items. (This display will run on a schedule.)

• The Wyoming State Geological Survey, with an X-ray fluorescence machine that helps identify rocks and minerals.

• A replica of a dinosaur skeleton from the Big Horn Basin Dinosaur and Geoscience Museum in Greybull.

• A rock identification table manned by geologists and experienced rockhounds. 

• Showcases featuring displays of minerals found in Wyoming, per this year’s show theme.

• A display of fossils and minerals by geologist Curt Talbot of Worland.

• A slideshow of geological formations of the Big Horn Basin by Elyse Lynn of Powell.

Three artisans will demonstrate their talent and skills working with stones: 

• Luke Rudolph of Sidney, Montana, will demonstrate how he carves and polishes gorgeous Montana-moss-agate creations.

• Dan Dalton of Powell will show how he knaps obsidian by hand to make amazing arrowheads, spearheads and knives. 

• “Lapidary Gary” Olson of Powell will demonstrate how to grind and polish semi-precious stones by hand to make beautiful cabochons for jewelry. Olson, who is blind, creates his cabochons completely by touch.

Four people will provide presentations in their fields of rock and mineral-related expertise. They are: 

• Stan Groves, PhD: “An Introduction to Wyoming Minerals”

• Ned Kelly: “Catch and Release Rockhounding in Yellowstone”

• Erik Kvale, PhD: “Hidden Secrets in the Jurassic of the Big Horn Basin”

• Christopher Doorn, PhD: “Critical Minerals in Wyoming”

In addition, author Linda Thomas of Eternal Ice Healing Center will be on hand to talk about the healing power of crystals and other stones.

Four field trips to areas of geological and rockhounding interest are planned during the show. 

The first is a family friendly field trip that takes place from 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 30. This educational tour of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area includes three stops to explore the geology of the area. 

Attendees will meet at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Lovell. There is no limit on the number of attendees, and all roads are paved. No collecting is allowed. Geologist Greg Jones of Cody is the field trip leader. 

For information about the other three field trips, which will take place on Friday, May 31, and Saturday, June 1, call or text Jones at 281-224-2694, or stop by the Cody 59ers Rock Club table at the show.

NOTE: Attendance to some field trips is limited. Each attendee must be a member the of the Powell or Cody rock club, or a member of an affiliated club within the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies, so they are covered by the federation’s insurance. Attendees can join either or both of the clubs at the show for a small fee.

The 2024 Wyoming State Gem and Mineral Show is sponsored by the Shoshone Rock Club in Powell and the Cody 59ers Rock Club in Cody. 

Powell Valley Community Education, Park County Travel Council, the Park County Library System and Park County Events and Fair are partnering with the clubs to make the show even bigger and better.

The Park County Fairgrounds is located at 655 E. 5th St. in Powell.

For more information and a full show schedule, visit https://www.BighornBasinRockShow.com/.