Discover rocks, gems, fossils at upcoming show
The Kawartha Rock and Fossil Club will hold its 25th annual Peterborough Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Rd. The purpose of the show is to promote a greater appreciation of Canada’s natural resources and to promote the hobby of rock collecting and the lapidary arts, according to Mark Stanley, past president.
“At our 25th annual show, we hope to raise awareness of minerals and fossils to the general public, and put on a good, solid show,” says Stanley. “Last year we had 5,000 visitors attend the show. This year we would love to top that. It’s the first show of the season and we’re expecting attendees from all over Ontario, Quebec and even as far away as Nova Scotia.”
The show features more than 25 dealers from across Ontario and Quebec who will be displaying rock, mineral and fossil specimens, meteorites, faceted stones, gemstone jewellery, fluorescent rocks, stone carvings, equipment, mining memorabilia, books crystals, stone and glass beads and more. There will be free identification of minerals and fossils and silent auctions each day.
“With the show we want to cultivate an appreciation for our natural resources and to share the scientific knowledge behind the minerals,” he continues.
A large display area will feature mineral, mining and fossil displays from members of the Kawartha Club and prominent Ontario collectors. The Bancroft Gem & Mineral Club will also have information available about their 1,100-square-foot Mineral Museum in Bancroft.
The popular sand box mine is a free activity for children where they can dig for rocks, minerals and fossils that they can keep.
Club members will be on hand to help identify the treasures.
“The kids really enjoy digging up their own treasures,” Stanley says. “Over the last year our club members have again collected hundreds of kilograms of rocks that will be used to ‘salt the mine’ throughout the weekend. It is our hope that by getting rocks and fossils into the hands of children that we will spark an interest for them in the world around us.”
Admission is $4 per person and children under 12 accompanied by a paying adult are free, along with free parking. For more information please call 705-740-4530 or visit www.rockandfossil.com.
Lansdowne Place
Everyone is invited to a free concert sponsored by the Peterborough Folk Festival and Lansdowne Place on Saturday in the centre court at Lansdowne Place. Part of the Peterborough Winter Folk Festival series, the concert features local musicians Kate Suhr at 12:30 p.m. and Melissa Payne at 1 p.m. and folk singer and children’s performer Fred Penner at 1:30 p.m.
Other concerts in the series include the Downchild Blues Band on Friday at Market Hall, The Sheepdogs on March 6 at Showplace Performance Centre, Randy Bachman on March 7, also at Showplace, My Son the Hurricane on March 9 at the Historic Red Dog, and the Mayhemingways’ Album Release on March 10 at the Mount Community Centre.
The 28th annual free Peterborough Folk Festival runs from Aug. 16 to 19 at Nicholls Oval Park. For more information, please visit www.peterboroughfolkfest.com
Beauty of Stillness
The Beauty of Stillness show continues at the Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio, 420 O’Connell Rd. until March 4. The gallery is open Wednesdays to Sundays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please call 705-741-2817 or visit www.kawarthaartists.org. Mapleridge Recreation Centre Mapleridge Recreation Centre, 1085 Brealey Dr., offers activities for adults 50 years and over such as Zumba, line dancing, Nia, Tai Chi, and yoga, as well as games including cribbage, euchre, and bridge.
Their Tuesday lunches continue each week from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. with a home-cooked meal at a cost of $7. Wednesday lunches continue from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Their Easter Dinner and Fashion Show takes place on March 25. More information is available at www.mapleridgerecreationcentre.com