October 24, 1986

The first World Championship Quartz Crystal Festival began, which was attended by some two thousand residents and visitors from coast to coast. The Quartz Crystal Dig is held annually the second week of October in the Mount Ida (Montgomery County) area. The dig is a three-day event with two divisions: crystal points and clusters. The winners keep the crystals they mine and share in $1,500 in prize money. Contestants pay a $75 registration fee and compete in both divisions. In addition to the prize money, there are crystal trophies for each of the two categories and other prizes. About 10,000 people attended the dig in 1998. This included visitors from twenty-nine states, Canada, and the Netherlands.