In its eighth Gem Show, the garden supply store Cool Digs will host Ohio bands and art vendors.
Cool Digs will conclude spring by mixing music and rocks this weekend.
The garden supply and rock shop will host its eighth Gem Show during the Spring Jammin’ Gem Show on Saturday at their store located at 6 Euclid Dr. The show was created in 2011 and takes place during both the spring and fall.
This open house features store sales along with various mineral dealers and rocks. There will be local artists and vendors selling their art with discounts throughout the store.
There will be 400-watt lights set up for indoor gardening and a small hydroponic tank auctioned off. Raffle tickets will be drawn with prizes given away in the early afternoon.
Sara Quota, the owner of Cool Digs, said local Gem Shows were inspired by a “Gem and Jam” conducted by a Madagascar mineral company to use music to spark curiosity about minerals.
“This was a cool concept because it brings people who normally go to a musical festival over to a gem show.” Quota said. “This allows people to check out stones and learn more about the planet.”
The theme will be “fabulous fossils,” based off a fossil display from Madagascar. There will be discussions based on geology and evolutionary charts about the rock cycle. There also will be a free garden starters and black ammonites present.
Ammonites are some of the most well-known and abundant fossils found. These predatory creatures lived in the sea between 240-65 million years ago before becoming extinct with dinosaurs.
Quota said this year’s focus on fossils was motivated by the discovery of black ammonites and spreading awareness of environmental consequences of fracking.
“We are active in the community and are concerned about fracking in Southeast Ohio,” she said. “People looking at our rock cycle to see how everything moves to recognize that our Earth is not static is very important.”
Quota said what is offered to the audience at these Gem Shows varies by season.
“In the spring we give them something to plant and in the fall we harvest them,” Quota said. “Every spring show we do a planting station and in the fall we have a seed collection station where kids learn how to get seeds out of plants.”
The event will feature popular Columbus and Athens-based musicians such as Travis VanSickle, Pizzashift, Dave Napier and Phil Clark
Jeremiah Philips, the manager of Cool Digs, said Gem Shows allows for a collaboration of music and art.
“We love live music and local art.” Phillips said. “Music is art, so it’s a great opportunity to bring those two things together.”
Steven Fox, the bass guitarist of Pizzashift said he looks forward to viewing the variety of rocks and family-friendly atmosphere of Cool Digs.
“It’s always nice to see various gems and rocks in the store,” Fox said. “It is nice to be able to play for people who wouldn’t usually come out to a bar show since the event is free.”
Quota said the show sheds a positive light on local art while allowing people to be educated and have fun.
“We like to promote the art in the local community,” she said. “The point of all this is to get people out for a mineral presentation and have a fun time.”
@jcooke1996
