The Fredericksburg Rock-hounds open their 42nd Annual Hill Country Gem and Mineral Show to the public on Saturday, January 15, at 9 AM. The show closes for the night at 6 PM and opens again on Sunday from 10 AM until 5 PM. This event will be inside the Pioneer Pavilion at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park, about two miles south of downtown Fredericksburg on Highway 16. Admission and parking are free, and every visitor is eligible for free tickets for hourly door prize drawings.

Exhibitors, demonstrators, and dealers will have gems, jewelry, exotic minerals, geodes, fossils, meteorites and more for the visitor to see or buy. The vendors include professional dealers from all over the country as well as members of the Fredericksburg Rockhounds who have parts of their collections for sale. Finished, one-of-a-kind items in all price ranges will appeal to jewelry lovers and gift buyers. Jewelry designers and artists will find materials to create their own pieces. Rock, fossil, and arrowhead collectors will find interesting objects and people. To see an unusual assortment of rocks, visitors can enter a dark room with fluorescent minerals shining in vivid and varied colors. Club geologists and some of the professional dealers will help visitors identify "mystery" rocks they bring from home.

Close to the snack bar will be tables and chairs for eating, sitting, and talking. Award-winning Buzzie’s BBQ will have breakfast tacos and a variety of sandwiches for sale. Rock hounds enjoy coming to the show to share experiences, things they have found on their hunts, and the camaraderie of an event devoted to their hobby.

Folks of all ages are welcome. The show is a good opportunity for parents or grandparents to introduce youngsters to the ideas of rock, arrowhead, or fossil collecting; tumbling rocks; geology; archaeology; jewelry-making; silver-smithing; and other pursuits that are hands-on, active, and frequently outdoors. It’s a definite change from the world of Facebook, texting, tweeting, and playing games on the computer.

To find out more about the show or the club, visit Fredericksburgrockhounds.org.