NEMA Events
Throughout the year we are involved in an expanding set of events to highlight the worlds of mineralogy and geology. Here are the events we currently have planned.
‘Find Some Real Gems’ at NEMA’s Annual Summer Mineral Tailgate Sale 2025
Saturday, June 7, 2025
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
(RAIN DATE: next day – Sunday, June 8, 2025)
Calling for VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS!
Join us on June 7 in 2025 at the Havey Quarry (Levine Road, Poland, Maine) for NEMA’s Annual Summer Mineral Tailgate Sale. This NEMA event will be held at the Havey Quarry property at 34 Levine Road, Poland, Maine.
Along with visiting vendors, enjoy expanded activities area for kids, take a non-collecting tour of the mine, and nosh on hot dogs at the “cafe.” You’ll be able to talk with miners, collectors, and geologists about their work and passion of minerals/geology.
IMPORTANT SCAM WARNING FOR DEALERS – scroll down to learn more!
Entry to the tailgate is free, and plenty of free parking is available on site! Stay tuned for more updates.
Beneath the photo gallery on this page – you’ll find more information regarding vendors and volunteers (and a special opportunity for volunteers who give four hours or more at an event). Scroll down!
Fallin’ For Minerals at NEMA’s Annual Fall Mineral Tailgate Sale 2025
Saturday, September 13, 2025 • 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
(RAIN DATE: next day – Sunday, June 8, 2025) Calling for VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS – scroll down for more info.
General Mineral Tailgate Information
The sale will begin at 9am and shut down by 4pm.
- Non-collecting tours of the Havey will be held at the top of the hour from 10am through 3pm. (Look for the large NEMA “MEET HERE” sign in the the cul-de-sac on site to line up for tours!)
- We’ll have a variety of foods (sure to be hot dogs) for purchase.
- Expanded kids’ area for kids to sluice and further explore minerals. At recent tailgates, generous donors have contributed mineral goodies for kids to take!
- PENDING CONFIRMATION: A piece of the moon (yes, the moon) on display for touching and selfies
- There will be free parking ON SITE. Both parking and entry to the event are always free.
- *Rain date is always the next day. Please follow us on Facebook if you can for the most up-to-date information. You can also sign up to get information via our newsletter – send your request to sign up for our newsletter to nemineralinfo@gmail.com.
VOLUNTEERS
NEMA is calling for volunteers for this event! As a benefit to those that volunteer for FOUR or more hours, we’ll invite you to the private Volunteer Dine & Dig to be held on a date to be determined. Photos from a recent ‘Dine & Dig’ can be found below. If you’d like to volunteer for this or other NEMA events, please contact Jan at nemineralinfo@gmail.com.
Future Tailgates
“But I can’t make it to this one….” “I can’t vend this one…” or “I want more mineral tailgate fun!” Send us a note at nemineralinfo@gmail.com if you would like to receive information about volunteering at future NEMA events.
DEALERS/VENDORS
If you’d like to participate as a vendor at an upcoming tailgate, please contact Jeff at NEMineralPresident@gmail.com, or by calling him at 207.232.4973 to learn more. (You must sign up with Jeff to vend at any tailgate!)
VENDOR SCAM ALERT! If a ‘Kim Allen’ (or literally anyone other than Jeff or Jan) posts ANYWHERE (but especially on Facebook, even on our own page) that “we are still accepting vendors and to send all your info to her”, know that she/he/they/it is a scammer and/or a bot. This entity will try to get you to send them a check or other form of payment. It is also likely this scammer(s) will pop up in another persona – it’s a frequent problem with mineral shows. The ONLY way to vend at NEMA events (conference, tailgates, etc) is to contact Jeff directly. Do not be fooled! Email or call Jeff or Jan ASAP, or find us at in person if you have seen this scam in action. Click here for more about this issue on the NEMA FaceBook page.
BELOW: Photos from a recent, exclusive “Dine and Dig” event only for volunteers
Save the Date for Future New England Mineral Conferences!
NEMC2025:
May 16, 17, 18, 2025
10th Annual Conference
(pre-registration will begin
January 2025!)
Click here to learn more about this year’s conference!
NEMC2026:
May 15, 16, 17, 2026
11th Annual Conference
NEMC Education Day: (Next event – TBD)
Each year in May (typically) students in grades 3-12 attend a fee-free day of fun and education. Between 50-100 volunteers help staff 20-30 different education stations where students engage in learning. Some are hands-on, such as sluicing for minerals and breaking rocks. Each year we have world class mineral specimens from the various areas of Maine and New England where most of the participants live. These specimens are on display with knowledgeable volunteers to explain what they are viewing. We have a large meteorite that is available not only to see, but to touch.
The Micromounters of New England bring their microscopes and small mineral specimens for students to look at. We have a large display case of fluorescent (rocks that glow under ultraviolet light) minerals which students love. We have had scientists showing a flame test to help identify minerals, a gem cutter teaching how “rough” is faceted into gemstones and many more stations. For more information on participating in Education Day, please click here. To add your name to our growing group of volunteers, please contact us here.
Student Poster Contest: (Next event – TBD)
Along with Education Day we hold a research poster contest with the best posters on display at the New England Mineral Conference. The highest scoring submitted posters receive prizes, such as a week at a geology camp or a day of mining with one of the local miners. For more information on the Poster Contest, please click here.
Teacher’s Workshop: (Next event – TBD)
Our second day of mineral education with teachers was held in March of 2018 and it was very successful. Contact hours are offered, along with a great meal. Teachers are provided with authentic ways to bring education about New England minerals directly into their classrooms so the information is relevant to students and applicable to their lives. We plan to have multiple opportunities in this and future years. If you are interested, please contact Roland Charles here.
Oxford Fair: (Next event – TBD)
Over 1000 students come to the Oxford, Maine Fair every year in August for an education day event, and for several years, in great part to the provision of space in a building rented by Maine Mineral Adventures, we have participated by providing an informational table. As there is ample space for others to join us, anyone that would like to obtain selling space at the Oxford Fair, please contact Jody Matolcsy at 207.890.9753. To volunteer to help NEMA at the Fairs, please contact Jan Morrison here.
Traveling Rock Show: (Next event – TBD)
At Kid’s Day in September, around 1000 students, parents, and community members come and see some of the different activities and events that are available to them both through the school and in the larger community of Farwell Elementary School in Lewiston. 2017 was our inaugural year at this fun event. We provided a sifting pool where kids could take a bag of tailing materials and look for mineral specimens, and, in conjunction with Maine Mineralogical and Gem Society filled several tables with rock, mineral and gem displays (rock properties, showcase of gems, fluorescing minerals). If your school holds such an event, please contact us here to bring the traveling rock show to your event.
Maine Earth Science Day at the Maine State Museum in Augusta: (Next event – TBD)
For several years we have been participating in the Maine Earth Science Day at the Maine State Museum in Augusta. We provide a display and staff an informational table for the day. In 2017 there were over 1300 visitors including eleven school student bodies, countless homeschooling groups, and families from all over the state.
NEMA Goes Wild: (Next event – TBD)
On a wild Friday in the summertime, NEMA volunteers pack up and head to the Maine Wildlife Park in Grey and bring a condensed version of Education Day to the park. Kids are able to wash minerals and take home their finds. Even more come and ask questions at the various exhibits and games we set up, and we see several of them at the Conference in the spring.
- We also send excited families toward membership at the various clubs throughout their states. We’ve had Californians, Virginians, Floridians, and many from across New England. We appreciate Maine Wildlife for inviting us; they are great folks, and we love working with them! If you’d like to volunteer to help with this event, please contact Jan here.
NEMA Rocks Lost Valley: (Next event – TBD)
One more time to play with rocks before the snow flies! Come to Lost Valley Ski Area in Auburn, Maine to join in the day’s worth of activities and food at Family Fun Day during Lost Valley’s Fall Festival. NEMA brings our mini education day where you can learn about geology and mineralogy, and kids 18 and under can wash local mine tailings to look for mineral specimens. All NEMA activities at Lost Valley are free of charge. Find us on Facebook or get on our mailing list to get updates.