By Waymon Cox

  Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park!  Excitement is building as the park’s Prospectors’ Gemboree draws near, this Saturday!  There will be many chances to have fun and win great prizes throughout the day in our family-oriented games.  At 9 a.m. kids 12 and younger can test their skills with a shovel in the Diamond Digging Contest.  At 10 a.m. visitors of all ages can team up for a fun three-legged race.  At 11 a.m. everyone is invited to compete in our annual egg toss.  From 1 to 3 p.m., kids ages 12 and younger can enjoy classic carnival games at the Crater, including a Diamond Toss, basketball shoot, Hole-in-One Mini Golf Challenge, duck pond, face painting, and more!

  From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, families with digital or cell phone cameras can make exciting memories with the Murfreesboro Memory Makers photo scavenger hunt, at the Prospectors’ Gemboree, Murfreesboro Diamond Festival, and Swaha Diamond Drag classic car show!  Each location will have a list of specific photos to take and prizes for participants who collect them; those who complete the list at all three locations will be entered in a drawing during a free evening concert at the Diamond Festival.  The grand prize, a Murfreesboro Weekend Getaway, includes a one-night stay at Queen of Diamonds Inn, a party barge rental from Swaha Lodge & Marina, four tickets to Crater of Diamonds State Park and Diamond Springs Water Park, and more!

  Starting Saturday morning, treasure-seekers at Crater of Diamonds State Park can also join our 17^th Annual Treasure Hunt.  Red-painted rocks and orange-painted bottles will be hidden throughout the search area for park visitors to find and redeem for valuable prizes, including clothing, gift certificates, genuine Crater diamonds, and more!  A full list of prizes will be posted during the event, and next week we will list any remaining prizes in this article, along with all businesses and individuals who helped make them possible.

  For more information about Prospectors’ Gemboree, contact Crater of Diamonds State Park at 870-285-3113.  For information on the Diamond Festival, call the Murfreesboro Chamber of Commerce at 870-285-3131.  To learn more about the Swaha Diamond Drag, call Swaha Lodge & Marina at 870-285-2272.  We hope to see you Saturday!

Search area last plowed:  May 10, 2011

Most recent significant precipitation:  May 12, 2011

Diamond finds for May 2 - 14, 2011 (100 points = one carat):

May 2 - David Anderson, Murfreesboro, AR, 4 pt. white, 22 pt. white, 91 pt. white, 96 pt. brown; Dr. Richard Trent, Rusk, TX, 9 pt. white

May 3 - Shawn Calley, Murfreesboro, AR, 5 pt. white; John Davis, Ashdown, AR, 54 pt. white

May 4 - Kelly Boitnott, Paw Paw, MI, 37 pt. white; Shirley Strawn & Beth Gilbertson, Murfreesboro, AR, 4 pt. white; David Anderson, Murfreesboro, AR, 23 pt. brown, 31 pt. brown, 47 pt. brown; Cindy McConnell, Fort Smith, AR, 16 pt. white; Michele Furey, San Francisco, CA, 2 pt. white, 5 pt. white, 9 pt. white, 32 pt. white

May 6 - Jim Graham, Prescott, AR, 28 pt. yellow; William Davenport, Conway, AR, 5 pt. white

May 7 - David Anderson, Murfreesboro, AR, 8 pt. white, 9 pt. white; Rodger Langford, Searcy, AR, 5 pt. yellow; David Anderson, Murfreesboro, AR, 10 pt. white, 26 pt. white; Kenny & Melissa Oliver, Rosston, AR, 1 pt. white, 3 pt. white

May 8 - Dr. Richard Trent, Rusk, X, 4 pt. white

May 9 - Adam Hardin, Barberton, OH, 17 pt. white; Logan Wright, Jacksonville, AR, 6 pt. white; Mike Ellison, Kings Mountain, NC, 4 pt. white

May 11 - Kenneth Shoemaker, Murfreesboro, AR, 7 pt. white

May 12 - David Anderson, Murfreesboro, AR, 6 pt. white, 6 pt. white, 7 pt. white, 8 pt. brown, 10 pt. white, 32 pt. brown; Jessica Stone, Nashville, AR, 2 pt. white; Michael Bolinger, Wawaka, IN, 13 pt. white

May 14 - Kenny & Melissa Oliver, Rosston, AR, 2 pt. white, 3 pt. white, 3 pt. white, 5 pt. white