10 Things to Know About Gem Shows in Tucson

Large mineral at the UArizona Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum. — Mineral on display at the Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum.

1. The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® (TGMS) is the original.

When the Tucson Gem + Mineral Society held their inaugural show in the 1970s, it was the first of its kind, welcoming both professionals and the public. It continues to be the largest gem and mineral show in the world!

2. TGMS takes place annually in mid-February.

The 2024 show is scheduled for February 8-11.
Show hours are typically 10am-6pm, except for the final day (Sunday), when it closes at 4pm.
It takes place at the Tucson Convention Center in Downtown Tucson.

Ticket sales for the 2024 show will start January 11, 2024. Purchase through the TCC Box Office (520-791-4101) or Ticketmaster.

3. Regular TGMS admission is $13, but there are discounts!

Single-Day Admission Prices

$13 for adults and teens (ages 15+).
Free entry for youth (ages 14 and under) with a paid adult admission.

Where to find TGMS Discounts…

Coupon: Your best bet is to watch the TGMS page closer to the event date for a flyer that includes a $3 off coupon.
2-day pass: If you’ll be spending a couple days at the show, buying a 2-day pass ($22) will save you $4.
Military + Senior Citizens: There’s a discount day during the show when anyone who is over 62 years old and/or active or retired military receives $3 off admission. (In 2023, it was the Friday of the show.)

These discounts are an either/or situation. They can’t be combined.

On a tight budget? Don’t forget to factor in parking costs! See #9 below to learn about the lowest-cost options and transit alternatives.

4. A single show has sprouted several weeks of shows!

The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show may be the original, but it’s far from the only show in town! Over the years, more and more shows have sprung up around it, creating an entire gem and mineral show season. In fact, there are dozens that take place from about late January to mid February.

Some shows might specialize in a specific type of gem or minerals imported from a certain part of the world.

Booths in the African Village marketplace at the Tucson Gem Show — Phillip walks through the African Art Village.

To avoid confusion with the original Tucson Gem & Mineral Show [registered trademark], these other shows are collectively known as the Tucson Gem, Mineral + Fossil Showcase or simply the “Gem Show.” Most of them are free, open to the public, and take place about late January to mid February.

5. An entire African art marketplace pops up during the Gem Show!

One very special show is the African Art Village, which happens on the Mercado District Festival Grounds.

Jewelry designer Aissatou Bamba Kemoko — Jewelry designer Aïssatou Bamba Kemoko.

It’s an outdoor marketplace with many different vendors selling artisan products imported from Nigeria, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Morocco, and across the African continent.

Abstract artwork. — Abstract paintings by artist Harouna Ouédraogo.

While some of the items would fit under the “gem and mineral” heading, there is much more variety than that.

Abstract artist Caszi B. with his paintings. — Abstract artist Casimir Bationo (“Caszi”) and some of his work.

You can find beautifully carved wooden furniture and figurines, jars of shea butter and black soap, baskets, bags, traditional masks, textiles, oversized necklaces, djembe drums, and even contemporary art!

6. There’s a lot to see in the Mineral District, where it tends to be less hectic.

As you head north of Speedway on Granada/Main/Oracle, you’ll start to see some gem shops and warehouses. This is where you’ll find the 1801 Oracle / Mineral Village Show, Rock Yard Show, and Mineral City Show, which boasts over 100 mineral vendors in one location. Even with all that, these shows tend to be a bit less crowded and easier for more casual shoppers to just pop in and out of.

7. Gem Shows set up in some unusual locations around Tucson.

You can find them outside warehouses, taking over hotel parking lots, crammed into a jewelry store or lobby, on festival grounds, and inside ginormous tent-like structures that are assembled solely for this purpose.

Visit Tucson creates a full list each year of show dates and locations and which ones are wholesalers-only.

8. Hotel rooms fill up fast.

If you’re coming in from out of town, make sure you have a place to stay well in advance. Hotel rooms, Airbnbs, and all types of lodging get more difficult to find and more expensive as you approach the gem show dates.

In fact, February is the most expensive month to stay in Tucson, according to Google Hotels “When to Visit!”

Apparently, you can call Visit Tucson Visitor Information Services at 1-800-638-8350, if you have trouble finding accommodations.

9. You’ve got a wide range of options for getting around.

Sun Link Street Car:

Currently free to ride – and will be through at least June 30, 2023.
Easily get to the 22nd Street Shows and African Art Village by riding to the western end of the line in the Mercado District.
Also convenient gem show stops at the Tucson Convention Center (where TGMS happens), 4th Avenue, and Main Gate Square.

GemRide Shuttle:

The free shuttles that traveled between gem show locations in past years were discontinued during COVID. I’m not sure if/when this will resume.

Driving:

If you do drive, take it slow! Streets near shows can get congested with sudden stops due to bottlenecks at entrances or trucks loading/unloading. In addition, there are more people walking around and wandering across the street where you wouldn’t expect them to.

metal figurines — Metalwork at the African Village in Tucson.

Where to Park…

Gem Show parking isn’t super expensive, but it is something to factor in if you’re on a tight budget. Or if you just don’t like unexpected costs popping up.

TGMS: Parking at the Tucson Convention Center is $10/day. Other parking options in the area will be around $3-10.
22nd Street Mineral, Fossil, Gem + Jewelry Show makes a big deal about their free admission. But it costs $10 to park there. Which is kind of like charging admission for your car.
Parking for the Mercado District (including the African Village) is $5 during the Gem Show.
Shows in the Mineral City area typically have free street parking.
Park Tucson has more information on downtown Gem Show Parking.

empty tent structure — A gem show exhibition space in the process of post-show disassembly – with Downtown Tucson buildings in the background.

10. You can see gems and minerals in Tucson year round!

After Gem Show season, once all the crystals have been crated up and tents taken down, rockhounds can still find some hidden gems!

mineral museum display — Minerals on display at Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum.

Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum

This University of Arizona museum features illuminating displays and hands-on exhibits. The collection began in 1892!

Located: 115 N. Church Ave. in the Old Pima County Courthouse
Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-4pm
Admission: $15/adults, $5/children

crystal — Crystal display at the Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum.

Tucson Fine Mineral Gallery

I haven’t been inside yet, but the newly-opened space has 5 different dealer showrooms, a cafe and bar on site, and promises to be a “perfect setting in which to relax and enjoy a stunning selection of the world’s finest mineral specimens.”

Located: 465 W. Saint Mary’s Rd.
Open: Monday – Friday, 10am-4pm and select weekends (next up: May 12-14, 10am-6pm)

Tucson Geodes + Gems

Large gemstone art wall hangings, floor lamps, and sculptures and other home decor items. We happened to walk by just after they’d moved into La Encantada – even before it was on the mall’s directory!

Located: 2905 E. Skyline Dr., Level 1 of La Encantada Shopping Center (just a couple doors down from Creative Kind)
Mall hours: Monday – Wednesday, 10am-7pm / Thursday – Saturday, 10am-8pm / Sunday 11am-6pm (Store hours may vary.)

Drutopia

A curated selection of crystals, plants, and handmade plant hangers at the Dunbar Pavilion by the sweet and knowledgeable Drew Berryhill. His shop is outdoors year-round, centered under a large ramada.

Located: 325 W. 2nd St. is the Dunbar’s address. However, you’ll find Drutopia closer to the northwest corner of University and 11th Ave.
Open: Thursday – Sunday, 10am-5:30pm

Mineral Artisan

Home goods made from polished stones and geodes. Their display is the first thing you see as you walk into the merchant collective Proper Shops, which just opened at the end of 2022.

Located: 300 E. Congress St., inside Proper Shops, across from Hotel Congress
Open: Thursday – Friday, 3-8pm / Saturday 11am-9pm / Sunday 11am-5pm

Earrings by Little Toro Designs, who made This Is Tucson’s list.

Check out #ThisIsTucson’s list of 9 places to get gems, jewelry, minerals, and meteorites year-round for more recommendations!

Fall Show

Finally, if you just can’t wait a whole year to get your Gem Show on, there is a smaller fall gem show that happens in time for holiday shopping.

The next one is August 31 – September 3, 2023. It’ll include JOGS Gem + Jewelry Show at the Tucson Expo Center (tickets $15 general public, free for wholesalers) and Colors of the Stone with To Bead True Blue + Artisan Workshops at Casino Del Sol (free).

April 7, 2018May 21, 2021

The Ultimate Date Night

Phillip and I arrive at the date garden just as the sun has dipped low enough to begin turning green farm fields gold.

The weather is perfect, a string quartet is playing, and long tables set with fresh flowers have been placed underneath the palm trees.

Date Night

This is Yuma’s Date Night. Held a few times a year, the evening includes a gourmet dinner by Chef Alex Trujillo with dates in every course, a drink ticket, live music, and a walking tour of Imperial Date Gardens, which hosts the event in conjunction with the Yuma Visitors Bureau (YVB).

Imperial Date Gardens is technically located in California. But it’s just 25 minutes from Downtown Yuma and part of the same agricultural region. As I’ve mentioned before, Yuma is so close to the California border, you can cross it by accident.

Mark Briones from the YVB welcomes everyone as they arrive, letting us know how the evening will go – and that there are date beer (!) samples at the bar.

Of course, we have to try that. Then we find seats, while servers make the rounds with appetizers.

Between bites of bruschetta, bacon-wrapped dates, and corn fritters, Phillip chats with the people sitting next to us. I watch the sky through the dark silhouettes of palm fronds, as it turns more intensely pink by the moment.

Tour

Before dinner is the tour, and it, fittingly, begins next to a date palm.

Imperial Date Gardens expert Raul Peraza shares the history of their acres and acres of trees, which are all descended from 9 that came from Morocco and were planted here in 1935.

He explains how they are hand pollinated and de-thorned by skilled workers on specialized cranes with a platform that wraps around the tree trunks, allowing them to access every side. The fruit is thinned and covered with bags to protect it without pesticides.

We move inside the warehouse where the dates are sorted, packed, and frozen. Since freezing doesn’t negatively affect the flavor or texture, any date you purchase has probably been previously frozen.

When we walk back outside, the sunset has given way to blue twilight. Our path is lit by string lights and our table by candlelight. The Silver Strings Quartet resumes playing a mix of classics and show tunes and pop songs.

Drinks

Phillip goes to get us drinks. He brings me something pink he says is a margarita, but actually tastes like lemonade. (Did he pick up the wrong glass?)

We both prefer the date beer we had sampled earlier, Brother Dewey’s by College Street Brewhouse in Lake Havasu City, which is kinda crazy since I’m not usually even a beer drinker.

Dinner

Each night has a fixed menu that typically remains the same all season. While they can accommodate for food allergies with advanced notice, the nature of eating a catered meal in the middle of a date grove means no one’s going to ask you how done you like your meat, for example.

The deal is basically that they just keep bringing you awesome food from a highly regarded chef. Besides the key ingredient of the dates, we had no idea what we’d be eating until after the tour when Chef Lucy Sedano came out to announce the menu.

First was an elegantly presented cucumber-spinach salad with dates, tomatoes, feta, and housemade vinaigrette.

For the entree, we’re served a full plate with both a pancetta-wrapped filet mignon in wine sauce and a marinated chicken breast, along with asparagus atop bleu cheese mashed potatoes.

It was followed by a delightful date bread pudding. The meal finished with a Kahlua date shake, served in a champagne flute.

Every bite was delicious. It got a little sweet (even for my sweet tooth), but definitely melt-in-your mouth good.

As people filter out, we were each given a small box of dates, so we could savor the tastes of the region a bit longer.

It was a gorgeous evening with amazing food and definitely worth the trip.

– More Date Info –

Imperial Date Gardens

Store sells bulk dates and other local products, as well as date shakes.
Open Monday to Friday, 8am – 5pm.
Free tours may be offered seasonally (not during summer).
Address sometimes listed as Winterhaven, sometimes Bard or Imperial Valley.

Date Night Tickets

Yuma Date Nights will resume this fall.
Tickets for Date Night and other Visit Yuma tours are scheduled to go on sale November 1.
Date Night tickets tend to go fast, so plan to purchase them in advance.
Watch for updates on visityuma.com or sign up for their newsletter.

Edited to remove Bard Valley Date Growers Association, who is no longer part of the event.

We were guests of Yuma Visitors Bureau. Thank you to Linda Morgan, Steven Hennig, and the Visit Yuma team!

September 29, 2016June 22, 2021

Chile Pepper Festival in Phoenix

As far as I’m concerned, the annual Roosevelt Row Chile Pepper Festival is mostly an excuse to sample really delicious food from a bunch of Phoenix restaurants. The spicy selection includes items like tacos, stuffed chiles, donuts, desserts, and even beverages.

The next festival is this weekend, so here’s the scoop!

How it Works

You buy the number of tasting tickets and/or beer tokens you want at a table near the entrance – there’s no admission cost. Then you wander around the different booths and trade tastings for one or two tickets each. There’s also live music and market areas.

Proceeds raised help support the Growhouse Community Garden’s urban agriculture and education programs.

Last year, we went early, so we could go to Ballet Under the Stars afterwards. We bought our tasting tickets right as the festival opened, and there was practically no line. By the time we left, however, an hour or two in, a lot of people were waiting. Of course, it’s cooler later on. So…pick your battles, I guess.

Food + Drink

If you can’t eat spicy food, this is probably not the festival for you. I mean, you could just go and enjoy the live music. But all the tastings range from mildly to make-you-cry hot.

A few of our favorites:

Welcome Chicken and Donuts – Thai chili donut.
Paz Cantina – Blue corn taco with pork and green chiles.
Otro Café – Phillip liked the Mexico-style “street corn” with chili powder, cheese, and mayo on it.

At one point, I was ready to douse the fire in my mouth, so I got a smoothie, which was deceptively sweet at first – then the sweet disappeared and the crazy burn kicked in. It was unexpected. Like the photobomb from the smoothie guy.

Although beverage-wise we stuck with water and a bottle of Mexican Coke (and that one mouth-searing smoothie), there’s also a beer garden and margarita station.

Art, Craft + Community

On the market side of the festival, there were a handful of community and artist booths.

I dug the collage work of the multitalented Keisha J. Jones, who also models and makes delicious baked goods!

At the Valley Permaculture Alliance (Trees Matter) booth, you could make newspaper seed-starter pots, which inspired a CraftHack project.

Entertainment

When the music started, we watched Flamenco por la Vida. They perform flamenco music and dance superbly.

Some of their adorable pint-sized students danced, as well.

This Saturday, Flamenco por la Vida will be on stage at 9pm. I’m not sure if students will be joining them or if that’s past their bedtime.

A video posted by stephanieliebold (@stephanieliebold) on Sep 26, 2015 at 10:22pm PDT

There are several other performances during the festival, as well as cooking demonstrations and pepper-eating contests.

The band Mariachi Luna de Mexico played after we’d left. In fact, they strode in like some kind of guitar-wielding posse, just as we were headed to the parking lot.

– Festival Info –

The 2016 Chile Pepper Festival will be Saturday, October 1 from 5-10pm.
New location: 128 E Roosevelt St, Phoenix (Roosevelt/2nd St.)
Limited street parking will be available.
Light rail: Central Ave & Roosevelt St. stop is only about a block away (0.1 mile)!
All-ages event. If you plan to drink alcohol, be ready to show your ID and get a wristband at the entry.
There is no admission fee. Food, beverages, and handcrafted items will be for sale.
Details at chilepepperfest.com.

June 1, 2016June 1, 2016

Phoenix Comicon 2016 Picks #phxcc

Wading through the Phoenix Comicon schedule can be a bit daunting, so I wanted to highlight some panels and events I thought you lovely maker geeks might be interested in.

I’ve asterisked the items that don’t require a Phoenix Comicon membership pass for anyone who can’t make it to the whole Con but still wants to be a part of the action.

For more recommendations on what to eat/drink/see around the Convention Center, check out our last post.

Thursday, June 2

3pm Cosplay 101 – From Closet to Convention Floor – I love that this panel is about making your own costumes with what you already have!

*6:30pm Comi-PAWn Pet Parade – Probably the cutest event of the Con, pet lovers can bring their dogs in costume to the Herberger Theater patio to be part of a show and parade.

7:30pm The Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown (PUGS) – preliminary round of the annual, hilarious geek debate tournament

*8pm Star Wars vs Star Trek – The Music of Deep Space – The Phoenix Symphony will be playing music from Star Wars and Star Trek films, and the audience will vote for their favorite franchise! (Event tickets required.)

Friday, June 3

1:30pm Making the Game: The Art, Design, and Imagination of Iconica – how to design your own tabletop game. (More info on Facebook.)

*4:30pm Geek Girl Brunch Phoenix: Comicon Meetup – cocktail hour with a group of geek girls who usually meet for brunch. (h/t friends Anne and Eileen)

7:30pm The Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown (PUGS) – geek debate tournament finals

8pm Star Party with the Phoenix Astronomical Society – telescopes will be set up for star/planet-gazing

Saturday, June 4

1:30pm Cosplay for All Sizes – modify costumes and patterns to work for your body

7:30pm Dancing for Everyone! – introductory-level English and Irish community set dances

Sunday, June 5

10:30am Confessions of a Cosplay Boyfriend – trials and tribulations of being in a relationship with a female cosplayer

4:30pm Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest Preview – apparently, this year’s Fan Fest will be at a new venue and in October (instead of December). Hopefully, they’ll let us know what’s up. (And hopefully I’ll make it to Sunday afternoon.)

While the car show will stay on Third Street (full schedule under Phoenix Comicon “outdoor events.”), there will be a lot happening on Adams Street, as well.

Fri-Sun: Con on Adams

This year, Phoenix Comicon is taking over Adams Street, where there will be live music, a party pavilion, San Tan Brewery beer garden, and food trucks.

Bands:

Cockswain – 7-piece Celtic folk punk
Dratini on the Rocks – video game cover band
Luminatus – Otaku symphonic metal
Open Beta – Geek-folk
People Who Could Fly – indie-pop

Food truck line-up:

Queso Good – quesadillas. Fri: 11am-10pm, Sat: 11am–10pm, Sun: 11am–5pm
Pho King – pho, stir fry, fusion burritos
Gelato Spot – pizza, paninis, salad, gelato
Cactus Corn – flavored kettle corn
Cheese Love & Happiness Food Truck – grilled cheese

What are you looking forward to?

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PS Travelcraft Journal turns 3 today! I’ll probably raise a celebratory glass – or spoon – at Comicon. Cheers to all of you for being a part of this community!

May 2, 2016April 27, 2019

Free Outdoor Movies

I love the feel of free community events where anyone can be in the audience, like outdoor concerts or Ballet Under the Stars.

Outdoor movies are particularly interesting because they turn the whole movie viewing experience on its head. In the theater, it’s all about blocking out the surrounding environment – controlling light and sound so that nothing distracts from what’s on screen. Outdoors, the environment becomes part of the experience.

As a teenager, I saw the movie Twister at a drive-in while a monsoon storm was moving in, the wind gusting hard and the sky turning a surreal shade of orange. I’m pretty sure I thought it was a better movie than it actually was because of the natural drama around me. On the other hand, sometimes the sound isn’t good or something blocks your view or the people from the Portlandia sketch show up.

Do you ever go to free or outdoor movie events?

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Some places for free movies (inside or outside) here in Arizona…

May 2016:

Tempe Kiwanis Park
Sun City West Beardsley Park
Chandler CinePark

Summer:

Tucson Movies in the Park

Ongoing:

2nd Friday Nights Out – monthly in Downtown Mesa
Phoenix libraries – Weekly Wednesday Afternoon Movies at Burton Barr and Classic Movie Thursdays at Agave.
City Lights Movie Night – monthly at Cityscape (Double feature of Back to the Future I & II May 13)

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