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The Foundation sponsors the annual Flagg Gem and Mineral Show.
This show is usually scheduled for the first weekend in January and is our largest fundraising event. However, please note that for 2011 the show has been moved to the following weekend to avoid conflicts with New Year's Day celebrations.
Its informal tailgate format offers a low cost venue for field collectors and local mineral/lapidary clubs to share their latest finds with children, teachers, rockhounds, and the general public.
2011 Flagg Gem and Mineral Show
The 39th Annual Flagg Gem and Mineral Show will be held Friday, January 7, 2011 to Sunday, January 9, 2011 from 9 am to 5 pm.
The show will be located at Mesa Community College in the West parking lot which is on Dobson Road between Southern Avenue and the Superstition Freeway (Route 60).
A number of exhibits will be set up including the Peralta Stone maps and a special fluorescent display.
Parking and admission is free, and there will be free activities for children along with free samples for children and teachers.
The following organizations will have booths at the show:
- Apache Junction Gem and Mineral Club
- Arizona Leaverites
- Arizona Mineral and Mining Museum Foundation
- Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
- Maricopa Lapidary Society
- Mineralogical Society of Arizona
- Superstition Mountain Lost Dutchman Museum
One goal of this show is to increase the interest of children in rocks, minerals, geology, and science.
Children can become interested in science through minerals, crystals, and fossils, and our hope is to encourage their interest.
Several groups will have free samples for children and for teachers.
There will be free activities for children, such as "Dig for Fossils".
The Arizona Leaverites have a large collection of labeled rock and mineral samples, and 12 samples can be purchased for one dollar.
History of the Flagg Show
By Ray Grant (From AMMMF Newsletter, Summer 2001, Vol. 10, No. 3)
Marc Watson gave me some information about past Flagg shows, and so for the record, here is a brief history of the show.
The first show was on Sunday, Juanuary 18, 1970.
It was a one day show, the dealer cost was $5.00, and admission was $0.50/car for the public.
The show was called the Superstition Mountain Mineral Festival, and was held at the Don's Base Camp on Peralta Road.
There was a mineral auction, door prizes and entertainment. The Mineralogical Society of Arizona had a food booth.
The show chairman was Floyd Getsinger.
The second and third years (1971-1972), the name was changed to Superstition Mineral Festival, and the show was held at the Pioneer Living History Museum off Black Canyon Highway North of Phoenix.
The second year it was two days, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 30 and 31.
Dealers paid $10 per day, and public admission was $0.50 per person.
Barclay Bitner was the show chairman.
The fourth year (1973) the show was moved to the State Fairgrounds, next to the Arizona Mineral Museum.
It was still called the Superstition Mineral Festival. It continued to be at the State Fairgrounds for the next five years (fifth through ninth annual show, 1974-1978).
The name was changed to the Flagg Mineral Festival, and the cost to dealers remained $10 per day.
The cost of admission stayed at $0.50 per person.
For this time the show was Saturday and Sunday and usually the last weekend in January.
The Tenth and Eleventh shows (1979-1980) were held at the Western Saddle Club on Seventh St. South of Thunderbird Rd.
The dealer spaces were $12.50, and the admission was 75 cents per person.
From the data that Marc sent it appears there were no shows for the years 1981, 1982, 1983.
The twelfth annual Flagg Mineral Festival was January 7 and 8, 1984.
This show and the thirteenth and fourteenth (1985 and 1986) were held at a State Fairground parking lot on the Northwest corner of 19th Ave. and Encanto Blvd.
Dealer spaces were $25 for the weekend, and admission was 75 cents for the 12th, $1 per car for the 13th, and $1 per person for the 14th.
In 1987 the fifteenth show was held at Mesa Community College.
A dealer space was $35 for the weekend, and admission and parking were free for the public.
Between 1987 and 2000 the cost of a dealer space rose from $35 to $45 and then to $55, and admission has been free.
This year (2001) is the Thirtieth Annual Flagg Show if the shows were not held for those three years in the early 1980's.
(In the past Newsletters I said this would be the 33rd show because I did not know about the three years with no show.)
In 2001, the show was extended to three days for the first time, and the cost was $75 per dealer space for all three days if paid in advance.
Admission and parking were still free for the public.
(Note: Dealer fees and rules were changed starting
with the 2010 show. Please read the dealer information
page and plan accordingly. Thank you.)
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