Kaleidoscope Gem Shows is anticipating the next installment of their popular, thrice-annual Freeport Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show this April 13-14, with the event – celebrating its exciting 49th anniversary – promising to have its biggest showing ever as their dedicated fan base and excited new devotees converge at its long-time venue, the Freeport Recreation Center.
Catering to rock hounds, collectors, jewelry enthusiasts, and more, the Freeport Gem, Mineral, & Jewelry Show boasts just about anything you could want of a sparkly nature, offered by some of the most well-established names in the field with decades of experience. This very unique event is the perfect way for adults and families to get out and spend a few hours while perusing the many fine wares that are available for purchase.
Another fun part of the Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show are the big prize giveaways that take place throughout both days. When attendees first walk through the door, they are presented with a white slip of paper that they need to fill out; that piece of paper is then put into a bag, and every hour two lucky winners are drawn from that bag and are each presented with a $10 gift certificate for use with any of the event’s vendors.
But that’s not all- the excitement culminates with a grand prize drawing at the end of each day! Taking place on both Saturday and Sunday – one-half hour before the show ends – yet another white slip is drawn from the bag, and one very fortunate person each day is presented with a beautiful mineral from one of the event’s vendors; attendees who have won an hourly gift certificate earlier in the day are still eligible to claim the grand prize as well.
According to event promoter Evelyn Gose, the show is held three times per year; the April show has been running for 49 years, the October show 28 years, and the August show 33 years. The upcoming April event will feature its usual complement of fine gold, copper, and silver jewelry, estate pieces, minerals and fossils from around the world, as well as exciting varieties of beads and much, much more.
April 13-14 will see the return of a number of long-time dealers that regular customers should be familiar with, in addition to some relative newcomers as well, with all of them offering a diverse and fascinating array of items to choose from.
As a result of this diversity of fine goods, the show has become a destination for mineral enthusiasts of all types, not only on Long Island but from out-of-state as well.
“We draw people from all over Long Island, New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Staten Island, and many other places,” Gose said. “So, we're really starting to attract a diverse array of people with different interests who are willing to travel a significant distance to attend the show.”
In addition, another big draw of the Freeport Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show is how approachable the vendors are; many guests have noted that vendors are more than happy to speak with them at length about the ins-and-outs of their craft and answer any questions that may arise, making the experience of attending the show not only interesting in an artistic sense, but an educational one as well.
“I think a really attractive aspect of the show is that you get that one-on-one interaction with the vendors, which you don’t get with online shopping,” Gose said. “Every mineral is different, so attending and actually seeing all of these displays in person and speaking with the vendors is a good thing. It can really help somebody find the item that's exactly what they were looking for, or that they didn’t even know they wanted.”
The Freeport Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show will be held this upcoming Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, April 14, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Freeport Recreation Center at 130 East Merrick Road in Freeport, NY. Admission is $5.50 for adults and children under 12 free with an adult, and if you mention this article, you’ll get $.50 off your admission fee! All admission proceeds go to the Recreation Center to support the various programs that they offer to the community throughout the year.
“We really want to thank our customers, as well as the Recreation Center for supporting us all these years…the admissions to the show help to support the Rec Center, which is a good thing” Gose said. “It’s a wonderful feeling as people stop by when leaving and say, ‘this was great. Thank you.’ That makes all the effort put into the show more than worth it.”
To find out more, please visit http://www.kaleidoscopegemshows.com.