From the Pick and Shovel October/November 2014 issue
By Brad Jones
GPAA Managing Editor
The Oklahoma City chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America will hold a Gold & Treasure Expo in Oklahoma City, Okla, Oct. 11-12.
The GPAA invites the public to attend the expo for a chance to learn how to prospect and mine for their own gold and win major prizes. Participants will get a chance to pan for real gold at the shows, attend lectures on gold prospecting, and check out the latest and greatest selection of small-scale mining equipment from vendors.
Admission is $5 and children 12 and under are admitted free. The first 100 paid attendees will receive a free vial with gold. Show hours are Saturday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Part of the proceeds from the event will go to Public Lands for the People, said event organizer Mike Pung.
The Oklahoma City event in October is last of the 2014 Gold & Treasure Shows, and includes the ever-popular two-week Alaska Gold Expedition trip prize giveaways to Cripple River Mining Camp near Nome, Alaska. Trip prizes will be awarded each day of each show.
The GPAA Gold and Treasure Shows were started decades ago by GPAA founder George "Buzzard" Massie to introduce people to prospecting and show them how and where to find their own gold. Gold prospecting remains a popular American pastime, especially with the price of gold hovering steady around $1,300 an ounce.
The GPAA is committed to preserving the heritage of the North American prospector, teaching people how and where they can find gold, and showing them the tools and equipment needed to find it. "
Local Oklahoma City GPAA Chapter President Mike Pung will be at the Gold & Treasure Expo along with other GPAA members who will be there to introduce newcomers to gold prospecting.
The Gold Panning Zone is for all ages and the Scavenger Hunt for the young gold prospectors are always popular activities at every gold show, Pung said. "We'll teach them how to pan for gold! I'll be there and so will other experienced GPAA chapter members."
Although there will be lots of gold and hand-crafted jewelry at the show, Pung emphasized the Gold & Treasure Expo is more about learning how and where to find gold — and not a gold jewelry show.
At the expo, parents can get the basic know-how, and gold mining equipment they need to head outdoors and create memories with their kids. The first step is simply to get to the show, and gold fever will take care of the rest, he said.
"When they get gold in their pan, you can watch the kids' faces light up," Pung said. "We'll be creating little gold diggers."
Gold prospecting is more than a good excuse to get the kids away from the computers, TVs, and video games; it's a great way to bond and experience nature with them.
"The kids can come out and do something that requires more than thumb co-ordination. You can use your whole hand when you're panning for gold and your whole body when you get out prospecting."
Major prizes valued at more than $10,000, including metal detectors, gold mining equipment and, of course, the Gold Cube will be raffled off at the show. Seminars led by gold prospectors, metal detectorists, gem experts and a local metallurgist are also planned.
2015 Gold & Treasure Shows
The GPAA has also announced a tentative lineup of nine official GPAA Gold & Treasure Shows for 2015: Pomona, Calif., Feb. 7-8; Mesa, Ariz., Feb. 28-March 1; Stockton, Calif., March 7-8; Portland, Ore., March 28-29; Boise, Idaho, April 11-12; Las Vegas, Nev., April 25-26; Denver, Colo., May 16-17; Charlotte, N.C., May 30-31 and Knoxville, Tenn., June 6-7.
GPAA Trade Show Manager Gene Glenn said next year's shows will be held in larger venues in major urban centers to make them more accessibleand introduce more newcomers to the world of prospecting, "We're going to draw more people. It's going to be a better experience for attendees and for vendors as well. My hope for the 2015 shows is to not only to encourage more families to spend time in nature together, but to tie in gold prospecting with other outdoors activities such as fishing, camping, hiking, and off-roading," Glenn said.
The Gold & Treasure Shows are a one-stop shop for everything you need to go find your own gold.
"They are family events so the kids are going to want to come and get involved," Glenn said. "Bring the kids and let them pan for real gold and try metal detecting. There's really something for everybody no matter what your skill level — including newbies who don't know the first thing about gold or small-scale mining."
Pre-registration is key
Everyone who plans to attend these shows to please login to your GPAA profile at www.goldprospectors.org and pre-register. If you have not yet created a profile, it's easy. Click the "Help" button for guidance.
"We're hoping for at least 1,000 people to pre-register for each show," he said. "The GPAA wants to show that we support our local chapters, vendors and keynote speakers at the shows."
GPAA Gold & Treasure Shows
Oklahoma City — Oct. 11-12
The Gold Prospectors of Oklahoma City, a local GPAA chapter, will, host a Gold & Treasure Expo in Oklahoma City Oct. 11-12 at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds, 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73107.
This weekend event, sponsored by the Gold Prospectors Association of America, will feature vendors, live demonstrations of mining equipment and gold panning.
For more information, email mcwood@iglide.net or call Mike Pung at (405) 650-0542. (Vendors are asked to call (800) 649-0256.) Website: www.goldprospectorsokc.com for more details and updates.
2015 Gold & Treasure Shows
- Pomona, Calif., Feb. 7-8
- Mesa, Ariz., Feb. 28-March 1
- Stockton, Calif., March 7-8
- Portland, Ore., March 28-29
- Boise, Idaho, April 11-12
- Las Vegas, Nev., April 25-26
- Denver, Colo., May 16-17
- Charlotte, N.C., May 30-31
- Knoxville, Tenn., June 6-7
Brad Jones is the Managing Editor for the Gold Prospectors Association of America and the Lost Dutchman's Mining Association. He can be reached at bjones@goldprospectors.org.
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