By Larry Brillhart 

BOISE, Idaho - A crowd of 1,748 brought smiles to the faces of the Gold Prospectors Association, chapter members and vendors at the Boise Gold Show at Expo Idaho on Saturday. The opening day attendance easily eclipsed the two-day attendance in Lancaster, California in January.

Tom and Cindy Massie spent the majority of the day greeting fans, signing autographs and posing for photos. Tom capped the day's festivities by announcing the winner of the grand prize, a weeklong trip to Nome, Alaska this summer.

Saturday marked the return of the Gold Show to Boise after a five-year absence. Because of the big turnout, it's unlikely Idahoans will have to wait another five years for the Gold Show's return.