The white tents are up — commuters have been able to glance at them but it’s the strangers in our midst who wonder what they house.

Those in the Old Pueblo know those tents mean it’s time for the 2026 Tucson Gem Show on 22nd Street, part of the annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.

It’s a huge venue, covering nearly 130,000 square feet. In addition to showcasing one of the world’s largest collections of museum-class minerals, prehistoric fossils, meteorites, gemstones and jewelry, this year’s show will also feature artist Angie Crabtree and her gem-inspired artwork. Crabtree will host several live painting sessions throughout the week, as well as a keynote panel discussion 

Additionally, this year’s Tucson Gem Show on 22nd Street will feature interactive elements like a Lucky Duck hunt and an interactive Kids Zone for attendees of all ages. 

The show is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from Thursday, Jan. 29 to Sunday, Feb. 15, at 993 S. Freeway. Admission is free and parking is available for $10.

Look for the following activities and vendors:

Angie Crabtree live art and panel discussion

Besides showing her paintings, Crabtree will host several live painting sessions throughout the week. She will also be a keynote speaker at a panel discussion from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1. The panel will feature Violetta Wolf, director of the Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum, and lapidarist and publisher Justin Prim. Visitors to Crabtree’s exhibit will have an opportunity to have their photos taken with her large-scale diamond painting at a pop-up photo booth.

Crabtree’s paintings focus on diamonds, which she calls her first muse. Their natural forms, once buried deep beneath the earth, are now mined, cut and polished into representations of what’s impossibly valuable. By enlarging them to a monumental scale, she invites viewers to consider the origins of the stones, their societal significance and to reconsider their true value.

Kids Zone — A family-friendly experience with educational opportunities for all

The Tucson Gem Show on 22nd Street is offering interactive and educational programming. Children can create their own treasure chests. There will also be an interactive dig pit where kids can excavate fossils, gems and even plastic dinosaurs.

From noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, the Kids Zone will have face painting and balloon art, among other activities. The first 100 kids to participate in the event will receive a free hot dog lunch.

Lucky Duck — an interactive rubber duck hunt 

Throughout the show, participants can search for gold-painted ducks, which can be redeemed for Hart Cash to spend with show exhibitors, and silver-painted ducks, which can be redeemed for tickets to local experiences, including day passes to the Children’s Museum Tucson. 

Check out a Complete Woolly Rhinoceros Fossil from Hagar’s Fossils and Minerals. 

Hagar’s Fossils and Minerals will amaze with its wide array of real fossils, most of which were unearthed and excavated by their own team. In Tucson, the Hagar’s Fossils and Minerals team will bring a complete Woolly Rhino Fossil, which was discovered in Siberia, and dates to the Ice Age or Pleistocene period. 

They’ll also be bringing many fossilized mammoth tusks of all sizes from Alaska, and an assortment of fossilized Megalodon teeth.

More prehistoric fossil wonders from Green River Fossil

The Green River Stone Company brings museum-quality art featuring paleontology finds. Specializing in capturing specimens unearthed from a 50-million-year-old lakebed in southwestern Wyoming, Green River will be showcasing works featuring a rare short-nosed gar, stingray and herring, among others.

In the quarry, their geologist and his crew remove stone in search of ancient fossils. Once found, their team of paleontologists and craftsmen spends hours painstakingly chipping away the stone that covers the fossils, revealing their most intricate details, creating works of natural art.

Discover real shipwreck salvaged treasures from Big Blue Treasures

The adventures of Davy Jones and Black Beard meet reality at Big Blue Treasures, who will show attendees treasures salvaged from Spanish Colonial shipwrecks across the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic and beyond.

They are also bringing a curated selection of ancient Greek, Roman, Japanese Samurai, biblical and shipwreck coins. In addition to these loose coins, they will feature handcrafted one-of-a-kind jewelry incorporating genuine historic coins. Each jewelry piece is designed to preserve the integrity and story of the coin, while transforming it into a wearable heirloom.

Discover dazzling minerals from Gneiss Guy Minerals & Fossils

The Gneiss Guy Mineral & Fossils team will showcase rare pyrite and smoky quartz from Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. These specimens come from a remote Arctic mine that is only accessible for a short period each year, making material from this locality considered rarer.

Discover sapphires from Lewis & Clark Sapphires

Lewis & Clark Sapphires will feature a rare 5.10-carat color changer sapphire along with its rounded mate that was cut from the same piece of rough stone. Both were faceted by Anthony Ritchie.

Shop from a wide range of jewelry with Monsoon Season Jewelry

Monsoon Season Jewelry creates one-of-a-kind, fashion-forward, beaded pieces using rare, natural stones in unique cuts and sizes, and heirloom-quality fabrication techniques for confidently curated looks.

Each piece of Monsoon Season Jewelry is designed and built by Ji and Heather in Tucson where they are inspired by the land and its people, history, culture and material.

Collectors will be able to shop from selections of coral, jade, lapis, turquoise and other antique, old stock and rare natural materials.

Discover contemporary works from indigenous crafters at Collective Journey Art

Collective Journey Art is a living community and collective that has been participating in the Tucson Gem Show at the 22nd Street location for more than five years. The project was born from the intention to create a platform for talented Indigenous communities across Central and South America, offering visibility, creative collaboration and access to wider markets through shared participation. 

This collective of craftsmen and women will showcase contemporary jewelry, accessories and ritual items created in collaboration with makers from Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, blending refined craftsmanship with modern design. Their work is especially recognized for intricate, highly detailed beadwork and innovative techniques that result in distinctive, contemporary pieces. All creators within their collective work with autonomy and self-employment, shaping a collaborative model rooted in creativity, dignity and mutual growth.

They’ll be showcasing contemporary Indigenous jewelry, fine beadwork, accessories and ritual items such as pipes, dream catchers, maracas, altar pieces and functional adornments. Each piece is created in small batches with a focus on quality, originality and thoughtful  design.  

Tucson Gem Show on 22nd Street 

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from Thursday, Jan. 26, to Sunday, Feb. 15

WHERE: 993 S. Freeway, Tucson

INFO: Entry is free. Parking is $10