PORT ANGELES — Cindy Kochanek wants to rock Port Angeles.
In about two weeks, the city will play host to a Rock, Gem and Jewelry Show at the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St..
The free event will include 35 vendors and will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 26 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 27.
The event is the brainchild of Kochanek, administrative specialist for the city of Port Angeles who spends much of her spare time scouting for rocks and gems.
With the city planning on hosting more events of its own in the Vern Burton, Kochanek said she planned an event based on a subject she already knows about.
“I thought that if I was going to put on different shows, the first one was going to be something I know about,” she said.
“And I had been to Montana a couple years ago to look for big sapphires, and I’ve taught faceting lessons.”
The show, she said, will be of interest to children, too.
“All of the vendors know that there will be kids there so they will be ready to answer questions, and some of them will have activities for kids.”
The show will include free rocks for every child and a chance for kids to dig up rocks.
Faceting is the art of cutting gems.
Kochanek has sold her work on semiprecious and precious stones at the Port Angeles Farmers Market and the Sequim Open Aire Market.
The event will feature vendors who will show off all sorts of different sides of stones.
Vendors will include Swain’s General Store selling gold-mining material and stones as well as people from throughout the region selling fused glass, loose stone and rough rock — as well as the opportunity to paint rocks.
The North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center will provide food for the event.
Kochanek also donated a stone of her own to raffle off — the 1½-carat sapphire is one she found in Montana.
At $1 a ticket, attendees can have a chance to win the stone.
For more information, contact Kochanek at 360-417-4550 or ckochanek@cityofpa.us.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
