CREEDE—The 16th Annual Creede Rock and Mineral Show was a hit this weekend in the small mountain town, bringing in hundreds of visitors and rock hounds of all ages. The weekend was packed full of things to do on the western end of the Valley, and Creede was only part of the fun as guests hit the road and made their way from one epic destination to another. “The show just keeps getting better and better every year,” said show creator and owner of Rare Things Gallery Jenny Inge.
With an astounding 42 vendors this year, the hallways in the Underground Community Center were packed to the hilt with sparkling booths of all kinds. Everything from homemade jewelry to pieces of intricate home decorations adorned with gems the size of softballs, the caves under the building offered a treat for guests as they wandered the many booths. Vendors were on standby to answer questions about their wares and offer advice for those seeking to identify pieces of rocks and minerals they had brought from home. Guests come from all walks of life to see the rocks and hear tales of adventure from vendors on how they came to find the treasures lining their tables and booths.
On Friday evening, local Rhonda Foale hosted a spellbinding presentation on the creation of Creede and the world-renowned caldera cliffs that surround the mountain town. Over 40 guests showed up for the presentation that took place at the community center which included spectacular pictures and slide shows that added to the fascinating account of how the mountains were created around Creede. Foale talked about the La Garita Volcano and how it was once the largest in the world. “It really was a very profound presentation and took guests through 4.6 billion years of Creede,” said Inge.
Saturday evening belonged to local geochemist Calvin Webb who featured a presentation on silver. Webb embarked on a journey with a crowd of about 20 people and discussed the many properties of the mineral and what it could be used for. Creede is known for its rich history in silver mining and Webb used this to describe how the silver mined from Creede was used after it left the small town so long ago. “Webb talked about the mineral’s electrical properties and how it was used as a super conductor, it was very fascinating,” continued Inge.
The entire show was a huge success according to Inge, who stated that she wished she could make it bigger for each year. “I wish I could fit more vendors and people, but there is only so much room in those caves.”
Inge made sure to mention a huge thank you to those who helped with the event, the Creede and Mineral County Chamber of Commerce for their help with marketing and advertisement, her vendors for their contributions to the show and her staff at Rare Things Gallery for helping when she needed to step away or run errands as well to the City of Creede for their continued support of the show and all of this year’s sponsors. Until next year, keep on rock hounds!