Gem show to include kids' activities
Event runs through Sunday

The 45th annual Gem, Mineral, Lapidary and Fossil Show of the Ventura Gem and Mineral Society will be March 3 and 4 at Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura. Times are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

The show features 50 displays of gems, minerals, fossils and handcrafted jewelry from private collections in Southern California.

Ongoing artist demonstrations include wirewrapping, gemstone cutting, polishing, silversmithing and glass bead forging.

Events also include raffles, flea market, plant sale and 15 dealers selling stones, jewelry and fossils.

Children can enjoy a kid-only raffle for rock collections, sandsifting for gems, making plaster casts of fossils, kid tours of the exhibits and other children's activities.

The society is a nonprofit, education organization and welcomes new members. The show is the society's major fundraiser to help underwrite educational activities.

For more information, call Jim BraceThompson at (805) 6593577 or visit www.vgms.org.