Far West Fungi, a gourmet mushroom grower, is scheduled to host the second Santa Cruz Mountain Mushroom Festival on May 3 and 4.
Set amid towering old growth redwood groves at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton, the event is to feature educational sessions and demos from some of the country’s leading voices in the mushroom world. There will also be live music, hands-on workshops and an array of mushroom-forward foods, drinks and artisan crafts.
Highlights to include:
- Medicinal mushroom talk from Christopher Hobbs
- Nature walk with Cindy Li (@cindydoedee)
- Foraging stories with David Arora
- Cooking demo from Chef Jonny Black of Chez Noir Carmel
- Fire and fungi panel with Maya Elson and Jeff Ravage
- Cultivation workshops hosted by Bay Area Applied Mycology (BAAM), MycoLove and Field & Forest
- Live music from acts like Trianna Feruza and Michael Hammer & the Nails
“Through our decades in the fungi world, we have found community and connections are essential for mushrooms and people,” said Ian Garrone, Far West Fungi’s CEO in a release. “Last year’s festival was truly incredible, from bringing together the best and brightest experts to sharing the joys of mushrooms with thousands of attendees. We can’t wait to host the second annual Santa Cruz Mountain Mushroom Festival and continue building community through fungi.”
Mushroom-forward food will be served from favorites like Shared Cultures, Penny Ice Creamery, SC Eatery, Far West Fungi, Fungi Foods, Shockwave, The Grove Cafe & Bakery, and Bookies Pizza. Drinks will be available from Fox Tale Fermentation, Laughing Monk Brewing, Quinta Cruz and local kombucha.
Far West Fungi will also host two pre-festival showcase events at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.
On Thursday, April 24, celebrate the official release of Dr. Gordon Walker’s new book, Passport to Kingdom Fungi, at the launch party from 5:30-8:30pm.
On Saturday. April 26, Maria Finn will lead a Foodwise cooking demo during the weekly farmers market (learn more at foodwise.org/events).
The Santa Cruz Mountain Mushroom Festival is made possible by the incredible support of sponsors, including Field & Forest, SandBar Energy, MycoLove, Edible Monterey Bay, Global, Hudson Pacific (Ferry Building), KAZU, TRUFF, Dassel’s Energy, Treehouse Dispensary, Santa Cruz Vibes, Redwood Mushroom Supply, Shared Cultures, and Fox Tale Fermentation.To learn more about the event: scmmfest.com.
