It's October, and as every Long Islander knows, that means two things: the countdown to Halloween is on, and – perhaps an even scarier prospect – the holiday shopping season is looming menacingly in the months ahead. And while All Hallows Eve is one of the most popular holidays around, sometimes non-stop frightful fun can be a bit much for some people; likewise, when shopping for the holidays, it can be stressful to find unique and interesting gifts for friends and loved ones.
But never fear: both of these maladies can be addressed by attending the upcoming Freeport Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show – presented by Kaleidoscope Gem Shows – which is triumphantly returning on Saturday, October 26, and Sunday, October 27, with the event being held at its long-time venue, the Freeport Recreation Center. There, you’ll be able to take a short respite from the spookiness of the Halloween season, while perusing the fine and fascinating wares on offer from their many vendors in order to get some advance holiday shopping done.
After all, in an age dominated by online shopping via Amazon – where presents can be found, ordered and delivered with the mere push of a button, stripping the act of giving down to a deed arguably devoid of any intimacy or thoughtfulness – wouldn’t it be nice to instead do your gift shopping in a physical location where the items available are not manufactured cheaply in foreign countries, but instead crafted with care by knowledgeable, passionate artisans, making each one beautiful and distinct?
The Freeport Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show – held three times annually, in October, April and August –features a plethora of lovely items, ranging from fine gold and silver jewelry, to estate pieces, minerals and fossils from around the world, as well as exciting varieties of beads and much, much more.
The October show will see the return of a number of long-time dealers that regular customers should be well familiar with, in addition to some relative newcomers as well, with all of them offering a diverse and fascinating array of items to choose from. As a result of this diversity of fine wares, the show has become a destination for rock hounds and gem buffs of all types, not only on Long Island but from out-of-state as well, according to event promoter Evelyn Gose.
“People are now coming to the show from a wider area,” Gose said. “We draw people from all over Long Island, New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Staten Island, and many other places. So we're really starting to attract a diverse array of people with different interests who are willing to travel a significant distance to attend the show.”
In addition, another big draw of the Freeport Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show is how approachable the vendors are; many guests have noted that vendors are more than happy to speak with them at length about the ins-and-outs of their craft and answer any questions that may arise, making the experience of attending the show not only interesting in an artistic sense, but an educational one as well.
Another fun part of the Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show are the big prize giveaways that take place throughout both days. When attendees first walk in through the door, they are presented with a white slip of paper that they need to fill out; that piece of paper is then put into a bag, and every hour two lucky winners are drawn from that bag and are each presented with a $10 gift certificate for use with any of the event’s vendors.
But that’s not all- the excitement culminates with a grand prize drawing at the end of each day! Taking place on both Saturday and Sunday – one-half hour before the show ends – yet another white slip is drawn from the bag, and one very fortunate person each day is presented with a beautiful mineral from one of the event’s vendors; attendees who have won an hourly gift certificate earlier in the day are still eligible to claim the grand prize as well.
And in addition to being an exciting alternative shopping venue for those looking to pick up meaningful and unique gifts for the upcoming holidays, the Gem and Mineral Show is also a fine refuge for those who find themselves slightly adverse to the spookiness of the Halloween season, providing a great, inviting and family-friendly alternative that is nonetheless just as fun and engaging as trick-or-treating or an all-night horror movie marathon…but just not nearly as scary!
The Freeport Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show will be held this upcoming Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, October 27, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Freeport Recreation Center at 130 East Merrick Road in Freeport, NY. Admission is $6.00 for adults; children under 12 with an adult get in free. In addition, if you mention this article, you’ll get $1.00 off your admission fee! All admission proceeds go to the Recreation Center to support the various programs that they offer to the community throughout the year.
To find out more, please visit http://www.kaleidoscopegemshows.com.