News and Events Around Colorado

Events and dates may change, check with Event planners before attending.

NOTE:  Please check with event planners before trying to attend.
Coming Earth Science Events in Colorado – updated Sept. 3, 2026; Pete Modreski, [email protected]

Thurs.-Sun., Sept. 10-13, Denver Gem & Mineral Show + Hardrock Summit, The main “Hardrock Summit” gem and mineral show takes place indoors in the Westin Hotel Westminster, 10600 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CO.
It includes the Denver Gem and Mineral Show, sponsored by the metro area gem and mineral clubs. Accompanying it are outdoor tents and pavilions with additional dealers, some retail and some wholesale, open from Sept. 10-18. Daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., closes at 3 p.m. on the last day of both the inside and outside shows. Free admission and parking. Note, all attendees must register for admission and will receive an entry badge; registration is free, and you can do it at the door or register online in advance to save time. See hardrocksummit.com .

Mon. Sept. 7 – Sat. Sept. 12, “Just Minerals and Crystals Show”, DoubleTree Hotel Castle Event Center, 83 East 120th Ave. (I-25 at 120th Ave.), Thornton CO. This show is focused on natural mineral specimens, crystals, and gems (as opposed to jewelry, fossils, and “trinkets”. All welcome, free parking & admission.

Wed. Sept. 9 – Tues. Sept.14, Colorado Mineral and Fossil Fall Show, Delta Hotel, 10 E. 120th Ave., Northglenn, CO. Hours daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closes 5 p.m. on the final day. Free admission and parking. 

Fri. Sept. 11 – Sun. Sept. 20, Colorado Minerals, Fossils & Gems Show at the Denver Coliseum, 4600 N Humboldt St, Denver. Free parking and admission.

Sat.-Sun., Sept 19-20, Grand Junction Gem & Mineral Club 80th Annual Gem & Mineral Show, (Sat. 9-5; Sun. 10-4), at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, 2785 US-50, Grand Junction, CO 81503. 40+ vendors, indoors and outdoors. Rocks, minerals, gems, fossils, geodes, jewelry, kids activities, grab bags, mineral identification, free parking, food trucks. Admission: $5 adults, $4 Seniors and Military, Kids < 12 Free. Show theme is "Celebrating the Dinosaur Diamond". More info: https://www.grandjunctionrockclub.org/shows-fall-rock-show/ 

The Colorado Scientific Society meets monthly, normally on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at Calvary Golden Church, entrance on 14th St between Miners Alley and Illinois St in Golden. All are always
welcome to attend the meetings, or to view the lectures via Zoom. The full schedule and a Zoom link (posted shortly before each meeting) are on their website, www.coloscisoc.org . The meeting schedule this year:
     Thurs., Sept. 10, CSS Past Presidents’ Dinner, Reconstructing a Cretaceous Arctic marine ecosystem and tackling a fossil “who-dung-it mystery”, by Dr. Karen Chin; at Mount Vernon Canyon Club
(reservations required)
     Thurs., Oct. 15, Turtles and Mosasaurs, by Dr. Josh Lively 
     Thurs., Nov. 19, Poster Night, presentation by students & early career Earth Scientists
     December (date TBD), Potluck dinner & President’s Address, Dr. Amy Atwater, at New Terrain Brewing Co.

Sat., Oct. 3, Littleton Gem and Mineral Club annual silent auction. See the club web or facebook site for details.

Sep. 24, Friends of Mineralogy Colorado Chapter, semi-monthly meeting, 6-9 p.m., Room 106, Berthoud Hall, Colorado School of Mines, Golden. Program: The Djurkovo Complex, Laki, Bulgaria; by Jeff Kuhn.
Djurkovo is a lead-zinc mining district in the Rhodope Mountains, noted for calcite and amethyst crystals and pseudomorphs. All are welcome.

Fri. evening, Oct. 9, Denver Gem and Mineral Guild annual silent auction. Held at Wheat Ridge United Methodist Church, 7530 W 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge. See the club website for details.

Nov. 13-15, New Mexico Mineral Symposium, held at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources, Socorro, NM. Lectures, silent auction, optional banquet, mineral dealers in a nearby motel. Advance registration is required; see geoinfo.nmt.edu/museum .
Other Area Geology Club's Meetings

Lake George Gem and Mineral Club - The Club meets on the second Saturday of each month at the Lake George Community Center, located on the north side of US Highway 24 on the east edge of town, sharing a building with the county highway shops. In the winter, meeting is at 10:00AM. From April through October, meeting is at 9:00AM, to allow more time for field trips.  http://www.lggmclub.org/www.lggmclub.org/

Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society, meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Mt. Carmel Veteran’s Service Center, 530 Communication Circle, Colorado Springs. http://www.csms1936.com

Columbine Gem & Mineral Society, meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 6:30PM in the meeting room, Mt. Shavano Manor, 525 W. 16 th (at J St.), Salida. https://rockaholics.org/

Pueblo Rockhounds, meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:30PM in the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 10 University Circle, Pueblo. http://www.pueblorockhounds.org/

Colorado Mineral Society - General membership meetings start at 7:30 PM on the first Friday of each month, October through May, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, at 10th and Garrison in Lakewood. http://www.coloradomineralsociety.org/
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
2025 Hike and Program Schedule
(Bob Hickey)
 
Hike Program Schedule and Updates

Information will be posted for the current year when available

Colorado School of Mines
​Geology Museum
Golden, Colorado

Come visit our Museum during normal hours: Monday – Saturday 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. or Sundays 1 P.M. – 4 P.M., except for certain legal and school holidays and see why we are ranked the #4 tourist attraction of 52 sites in Golden, by Tripadvisor.com. (Yes, there is a major brewery in town that is currently ranked #7). Admission to our Museum is free (donations are truly appreciated), but parking fees are required in our lots and on campus streets Mondays through Fridays. Over the summer, free parking is permitted in the residential area north and east of campus.  See campus map at this link:  http://inside.mines.edu/UserFiles/File/facilities/MinesCampusMap.pdf  

The exploration starts with the Colorado "Gold Rush" of 1859, then travels through famous localities including Aspen, Boulder County, Central City, Creede, Cripple Creek, Leadville, Silverton, and Telluride. (Please see the attached "Museum qr - Table of Contents" for a list of Colorado areas and/or subjects you can view.)

Educational content for the Museum displays, including text, maps, and photos, can be viewed by visitors to the Museum through "qr" or quick response codes on their smart phones.These QR codes and their linked content (referred to as "chapters") can provide visitors in-depth information about the displays. (See the attached qr code example in "Museum qr - QR" that when scanned by a qr code reader on a smart phone will show history and images for  "Leadville Silver".)

The content for these informative chapters and photo albums was written by Ed Raines, Collection's Manager at the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum, and noted expert on Colorado mining history and minerals.

Other Lecture Series around Colorado

​
For more lecture series during the year see:

Golden Beer Talks (2nd Tuesday, 6-8 p.m.), at the Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Ave., Golden. Doors open at 6; Talk begins at 6:35; Intermission – 7-7:15; Q&A/clean up 7:15-8. “Golden’s grassroots version of TED talks, Expand your mind with a beer in your hand”, http://goldenbeertalks.org/ ​

Colorado Café Scientifique in Denver, monthly lectures on science topics held either at Blake Street Station or Brooklyn’s, Denver; open to the public, no charge other than refreshments you may choose to purchase; see http://cafescicolorado.org/ .

Colorado Scientific Society (3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.), see http://coloscisoc.org/ .

CU Geological Science Colloquium (Wednesdays, 4 p.m.) see http://www.colorado.edu/geologicalsciences/colloquium

CSU Dept. of Geoscience Seminars (Fridays, 4 p.m.), see https://warnercnr.colostate.edu/geosciences/geosciences-seminar-series/

Van Tuyl Lecture Series, Colorado School of Mines, (Thursdays, 4 p.m.):  https://geology.mines.edu/events-calendar/lectures/

Denver Mining Club (Mondays, 11:30), see http://www.denverminingclub.org/ .

Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Earth Science Colloquium series, 2:00-3:00 p.m., VIP Room unless noted, day of the week varies. Museum admission is not required; to see the schedule click here.

Denver Region Exploration Geologists Society (DREGS); 1st Monday, 7 p.m.), http://www.dregs.org/index.html

Florissant Scientific Society (FSS); meets monthly in various Front Range locations for a lecture or field trip; meeting locations vary, normally on Sundays at noon; all interested persons are welcome to attend the meetings and trips; see http://www.fss-co.org/ for details and schedules.

Friends of Mineralogy, Colorado Chapter, usually meets on the 2nd Thursday of odd-numbered months, 7:30 p.m., Berthoud Hall Room 241, CSM campus, Golden; see https://friendsofmineralogycolorado.org/.

Nerd Night Denver is a theater-style evening featuring usually 3 short (20-minute) TED-style talks on science or related topics; held more-or-less monthly at the Oriental Theater, 4335 W. 44th Ave., Denver; drinks are available; for ages 18+.  Admission is $6 online in advance, $10 at the door. See https://www.nerdnitedenver.com/ .

Rocky Mountain Map Society (RMMS); Denver Public Library, Gates Room, 3rd Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.), http://rmmaps.org/

Western Interior Paleontological Society (WIPS); Colorado School of mines in Golden, 1st Monday, 7 p.m.), httpx://westernpaleo.org/ .
Cañon City Geology Club