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88th Anniversary Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies Show & Convention 2026

Location: Missoula, Montana
March 20-22, 2026
Hosted by the Hellgate Mineral Society

NFMS is happy to announce that the Hellgate Gem and Mineral Society will be hosting our Annual Meeting and Show in Missoula, Montana on March 20-22, 2026. They are working hard to bring you a great show! There will be speakers, get togethers and some great activities going on, so mark your calendars and plan on taking a trip to the Big Sky Country. (The menu for the banquet should be enough just to whet your appetite!)

2026 Advanced Registration Form
2026 Competitive Exhibit Entry Form
2026 Non-Competitive Exhibit Entry Form
2026 Banquet Menu

Hello from the mountains of Montana and welcome to the Hellgate Mineral Society (HMS) Annual Gem and Mineral Show, the Treasures of the Northwest, and the 2026 Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies (NFMS) Convention.

The show is set for Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22, 2026. The show is being held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 3720 N Reserve St, Missoula, MT 59808, Phone (406) 532-5300.

The Hilton Garden has set aside ten rooms for NFMS members and vendors on a first come, first served basis. Daily admission is $5.00 per person, with children under 12 free when accompanied by a paying adult. The show will be offering exhibitions on wire wrapping, flint knapping, silver smithing, gold panning, and fossil prepping. Fun activities include raffles for rock-hounding paraphernalia, hourly door prizes of vendor-donated gems and minerals, the sale of grab bags of rock and mineral specimens, a silent auction, and a Spin-to-Win. Fun activities for the younger crowd include a mineral dig, geode cracking and a kids-only silent auction. As the show is in March, and the show is in Missoula, the ability to have field trips is sharply curtailed. So, new this year, we are offering the opportunity participate in “onsite field trips” where attendees can sift for sapphires, sift for garnets, sift for sunstones, and pan for gold. The HMS show is hosting eighteen vendors. There are also three club table s with six club members (three on Saturday and three on Sunday) displaying and selling their wares.

Please check out the Hellgate Mineral Society on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ HellgateMineralSociety/ and online at https://hellgatemineralsociety.org/

For show information, please contact:

Neil Maier -- ----Show Co-Chair and Club President ------------ nam56@yahoo.com ------ Phone: 406-546-6013
Ange Laridon --- Show Co-Chair and Club Secretary ------------ angeange@msn.com ----- Phone: 406-370-6318
Steve Stiff -------NFMS Coordinator and Club Vice President --- steven.stiff@bresnan.net --Phone: 406-529-2671

For information on Missoula and the surrounding area, please check out the following locations:
Where To Stay

Steve Stiff
Vice President, Hellgate Mineral Society=
NFMS Show Chair 2026