Wow! Now that's something that everyone involved with the events of late April and late September in Franklin, NJ should think about.
They are huge events to us rockhounds, you know... I love the Franklin Mineral Shows and all the associated events each year. The problem is that these events are under advertised, under utilized, and under attended.
Just think, if someone saw an advertisement with that title in a paper or magazine, or even online... It just might re-kindle their childhood love of rocks & minerals, or re-start their interest in the hobby that they lost years ago, or start up a new interest in the hobby or bring attention to an AWESOME weekend that is right here, every year, staring them right in the face, but they don't know about it because it is never really advertised.... Do you know there are people who LIVE in Franklin who don't even know about the mineral show? hmmmmm....
Just imagine if all the powers-to-be would just join forces and make it one enormous annual event.... Maybe double the attendance? Maybe double the interest? Maybe bringing some well-deserved tourist dollars into Franklin, Ogdensburg, Sussex County and the rest of Upstate New Jersey?
Here's a sample of how my "ad" would look for the Franklin, NJ weekends.
(Everything listed is already here and available to do. I just made the "connection")
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The New Jersey State Rock, Gem and Mineral Exposition
***A Bi-Annual Event***
Franklin - Ogdensburg, NJ
April 24-25, 2010 and Sept. 25-26, 2010
Visit historic Franklin and Ogdensburg, in beautiful Sussex County, New Jersey for this world-class event of geological exploration and learning. Events taking place throughout the weekend to fulfill every rockhound's geologic needs!
-NJESA Franklin Gem and Mineral Show and Sale & Swap-n-Sell - Sat and Sun - Franklin School, Buckwheat Rd and Washington Ave. Franklin (Admission charged) A huge indoor-outdoor show featuring gems, minerals, fossils, jewelry and geologic tools.
-Sterling Hill Mining Museum "Garage Sale" - Sat and Sun 10-3 - Sterling Hill Mining Museum, Passaic Street, Ogdensburg (Phenomenal deals on rock and mineral specimens) Free Admission
-Visit the Franklin Mineral Museum - See their world-class mineral display and mine replica.(admission charged)
-Visit the Sterling Hill Mining Museum - Go on a tour of a real mine and see the huge mining, mineral and flourescent displays. (Admission charged)
-Collect your own minerals at the Buckwheat Dump at the Franklin Mineral Museum Sat & Sun (admission fee and per-pound charge on collected materials)
-Collect your own minerals at Sterling Hill Mining Museum. Dig in the mine run dump, the Passaic Pit, The Saddle area, and the Noble Pit. Sat & Sun ($5 admission + $1.50 per pound collected)
-Super Digg at Sterling Hill (April Only) Enjoy a one-day (Saturday) Super Digg organized by the Delaware Valley Earth Sciences Society, which includes full access to the Sterling Hill pits for daytime collecting($1.50/lb collected), collect from minerals from other areas trucked in just for this event, take the mine tour, get a tour of the UPPER mine workings and conveyor (normally closed to the public), get a piece of history - a sample of ore left on the conveyor the last day the mine was in operation, get a special blackout tour of the mine (UV lights only), see the rockface lit up w/ UV light at night (spectacular), collect at night by UV light in the pits, and, weather permitting, access to the observatory on site to see the stars! Door prizes given away for all attendees. This is a wonderful and well-organized event. More info at www.uvworld.org
Food and Beverages available at the show and at Sterling Hill.
SO MUCH TO DO IN SO LITTLE TIME !!! Let's Get Rockin' !!!
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(The only things missing that would make this weekend even more stellar would be organized field trips to other collecting sites in the area, and some lectures about local geologic interests that could be worked into the show weekend. Who knows... maybe future possibilities?)
I know these events have been around a long time, but putting it together in this way could make the weekend something people would actually come out of their way to see each year! Especially in these economic times, people are looking to find events close to home that are family-friendly and fun. As far as I'm concerned, New Jersey should be proud of this weekend of geologic fun. Heck, we are the "Mineral Capital of the World" !!!