LAYTON—It can be difficult pursuing new interests at any age, especially as an adult. Many times, communities can be tight-knit, and reluctant to let in newcomers, but Adrienne McElwain the Crystal Barista, and driving force behind the Crystal Festival says that’s not the case with their organization.

An expert in the subject, McElwain got her start at 8 years old, spending countless hours in her dad’s rock shop, which he ran until he retired in 2018. Though McElwain didn’t run the shop after her father, she and her siblings have kept the legacy alive: in addition to geology classes, McElwain has traveled across the world seeking out different rocks, minerals, and crystals, and has met many people who share that same passion.

“It started as a trunk show 14 years ago,” said McElwain, explaining how the original idea was to come together as a group of people with a shared interest in rocks, minerals, crystals, fossils, and more, to exchange ideas, show off their art, and learn more from one another. Over the years, the show progressed and grew more and more, and McElwain and her friends knew that it was time to expand.

It was in 2019, just prior to the worldwide pandemic, that McElwain was attending an event at the Davis Conference Center in Layton when she voiced out loud, “I wonder how much this building is (to rent)?” As fate would have it, the manager of the building was standing right nearby and answered her question right away. Before she left, McElwain had a signed contract, and the event was planned. 

“It was a little bit scary the first year,” she said, with the pandemic, many things were being shut down, and they weren’t sure if it was actually going to happen. Fortunately, the event went off without a hitch, and was extremely well attended due in part, according to McElwain, because it was “the only thing going on at the time.” Obviously, however, there was much more to it than that, as the show has only grown since then.

Now, McElwain and her associates host 10 shows a year all around the region, ranging from Davis to Reno, to Colorado Springs, Moab, and more. While the shows have great opportunities for collectors, with over 70 vendors at the Davis event, McElwain says that now, “the big focus is on education,” and she and her friends are serious about that focus.

Alongside the outstanding vendors at the event, McElwain says that attendees will also be able to find free classes, and field trips to claims and locations around the region in which they can get hands-on experience, and learn more about the fascinating world of rocks, minerals, and crystals. It’s a fantastic place to get started in a hobby, or even a profession says McElwain, “Don’t be intimidated.”

There promises to be a little something for everyone at the Crystal Festival this weekend – displays and vendors will be showing everything from Crystal healing, and rock and crystal jewelry to authentic fossils, and dinosaur bones from the region made famous for producing the fossilized skeleton of Sue, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The kids won’t be left behind either, with opportunities for gold panning, and fossil hunting, it will certainly be an event for the whole family.

The Crystal Festival is a free event and will be held at the Davis Conference Center in Layton on Nov. 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.