CANTON -- The St. Lawrence County Rock & Mineral Club's 50th Gem & Mineral Show & Swap will be held at a new location, the Canton Pavilion, 90 Lincoln St.

Show dates are Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 20 and 21. General admission for the public is free.

This show offers something for everyone including handcrafted jewelry made with semi-precious stones, gemstone beads, jewelry making supplies, free lessons, museum quality crystals, fossils, mineral specimens and, handcrafted gift items.

There will be free mineral kits for the kids, mineral collecting trips to some of St. Lawrence County's famous rock-hunting sites and a different type of shopping experience for the general public.

Dozens of collectors from several northeastern states and southeastern Canadian provinces will be set up for selling starting Saturday 9 a.m. They’ll offer part of their extensive collections for sale Saturday and Sunday. Attendees can purchase chances to win a large Brazilian amethyst cathedral for $1 each or six for $5. The winning ticket will be drawn on Sunday at 2 p.m.

A fluorescent, glow-in-the-dark mineral hunt for kids takes place after dark Friday evening, before the full show starts Saturday. Kids age 11 or less can borrow a portable black light to search for samples of brightly colored fluorescent minerals. They will be able to keep all of the minerals that they find. There is no charge.

A special feature this year will be free wire-wrapping lessons. Dave Millis, from Pennsylvania, has been a vendor at the show for several years. He is well known for his gem trees and wire-wrapped jewelry. He has offered free demonstrations to anyone who wants to learn his craft on both days of the show. All lessons are free, but there will be a small fee for materials.

The food concession will be open Saturday and Sunday, featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, drinks and more.

At 5 p.m. on Saturday there will be an auction of donated mineral specimens and other items of interest to rockhounds. It features action auctioneer Heather O’Hara.

For the convenience of local residents and commuting vendors, it will now be held at the conclusion of Saturday’s sales, rather than in the evening.

Anyone interested in swapping and/or selling gems, jewelry, rocks, minerals, fossils, etc., may reserve a space for a nominal fee. Application forms and fee schedule are posted on the club’s website, www.StLawrenceCountyMineralClub.org.

Guided field trips will go to Power’s farm, famous location for black tourmaline and quartz crystals on Saturday, and to the Bush farm, collecting location for brown tourmaline and tremolite on Sunday, leaving at 9 a.m. The fee is $5 per day to collect. There is no charge to attend the show; everyone is welcome.

The Canton Pavilion has an extensive parking area and is located on the banks of the Grasse River with convenient walking trails and benches, and playground for children.

Proceeds help sponsor mineralogy scholarships at SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University, and mineral kits for kids, and the kids’ fluorescent mineral hunt.

For more information visit www.StLawrenceCountyMineralClub.org or contact Bill deLorraine at 287-4652 or wdellie@gmail.com.