50th Annual Upper Peninsula Gem and Mineral Show
August 1st 2026; 9:00am – 3:30pm EDT
Ishpeming Elks Club (597 Lakeshore Drive, Ishpeming, Michigan)
Free Admission and door prizes!
Field trips Friday and Sunday!
A message from our President:
This year, our annual show marks its 50th anniversary of “Rockin and Swappin.” Begun as a small rock swap between local rockhounds working from the backs of their pickup trucks at Tourist Park (as I understand) in Marquette in 1975 (yes, that is 51 years, but no show in 2020), we have become the largest one-day show in the Midwest. Over the years, the event has grown and moved several times, from the park to the Ishpeming Armory and elsewhere to, finally, the Ishpeming Elks Lodge, which has been its home for at least 15-20 years.
This year, we welcome returning favorite speaker Paul Brandes, author of Michigan Rocks, to speak at our Crackerbarrel. For those who have ever wondered why we call our evening program the Crackerbarrel, it is an homage to when the gentlemen (and sometimes ladies) in a small, rural town would gather at the local general store to chat and share stories. Usually, they pulled up crates or chairs around the barrels containing product, such as pickles and, you guessed it, crackers. I don’t know why Ernie chose to honor that tradition when he first began the evening speaker and live auction, but it is a tradition that has stood the test of time.
Now, here we are celebrating 50 years of Rockin and Swappin’ at the “Largest one-day show in the Midwest.” Here’s to 50 more!
Kirsten Maki, Show Coordinator & President of the Ishpeming Rock & Mineral Club
- 2026 Show Flyer and Show Poster
- Show Flyer has a date error, a more final version will come in a later update.
Crackerbarrel
- 7pm the same day at Elks, in-building
- Meet fellow rock hounds, Ishpeming club members, experts & industry veterans
- A presentation by Paul Brandes
Field Trips
There are two field trips, set the day before and the day after the show. They are at different times and places so please refer to our events page. If there is any uncertainty, please reach out to the club for clarification. Please review the field trip rules! Requirements include long pants, closed-toe shoes, safety glasses, and other practices we have to remain safe. Listen to the helpers - we want to keep things smooth for everyone.
Contact and Volunteering
If you have any questions about the show, please email showinfo@ishpemingrocks.org.
If you have any general inquiries such as club membership or field trips in general, please message irmc@ishpemingrocks.org. If there are any issues with the website itself, please contact webmaster@ishpemingrocks.org. All contacts can be found on the about page.
If you are a vendor, have interest in becoming a vendor, or otherwise wish to discuss the show, we welcome you to reach out to our vendor coordinator and to review our vendors page. Please keep in mind that first dibs go to previous vendors - new applicants will be on a waiting list depending on who messages first and which previous vendors complete applications in time.
If you want to help out, awesome! Each year around June/July we set up sign up sheets for helping times at the show, generally windows of a few hours each. We have a special unlisted "grunt" field trip in September for people who helped with the show (and/or field trips) and... donuts? And appreciation! If this even remotely interests you, please get in touch.