Caspar kicks off first Fungi Festival this weekend
MENDOCINO CO., 11/15/24 – For mushroom hunters, the first downpour of fall 2024 has been like a starting pistol shot to get out into the forest. Before taking that trip, consider a new event this weekend that can help the mushroom enthusiast find, eat, and celebrate the fungi.
The Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club will host its first Fungi Festival and Cultural Convergence on Saturday and Sunday, at the Caspar Community Center. While most activities will take place at the center, there will also be guided forest walks to help attendees hunt and identify mushrooms.
If this inaugural event is a success, it could become an annual affair, said Tom Jelen, president of the Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club.
Although 3,000 species of fungi are found in California’s coastal forests, only a couple dozen are edible and some are highly desired. Inland forests have some different mushrooms.
For example, the morel, one of the most beloved wild mushrooms, is rarely found on the coast but is found inland. Some rugged types live in the forest all winter to gather mushrooms that can garner very high prices. Others stay out of the forest and away from mushrooms, afraid they will find a poisonous one versus its edible cousin.
The difficulty in finding and correctly identifying mushrooms keeps many novices from joining in one of the area’s most exciting and delicious do-it-yourself culinary experiences. The festival will offer guided walks and talks in Jackson Demonstration State Forest to help people curious about mushrooms but afraid of them, discover a route to enjoying both wild and cultivated mushrooms.
Then it’s down the road to the Caspar Community Center for a two-day event that starts at noon with a full range of fungal fun and food until 7 p.m. nightly.
The hot topic of magic mushrooms will also be discussed at the festival.
A growing amount of scientific research and attention has brought psilocybin mushrooms back to the forefront after being shunned during the war on drugs of the 80s and 90s. Research around psychedelic mushrooms has grown in recent years given interest in how these special mushrooms can help people heal from trauma and treat mental and behavioral health issues.
The subject will be the focus of acclaimed author Eugenia Bone’s talk. Bone authored the bestselling book “Mycophilia.” At the festival, she’ll discuss her new book, “Have a Good Trip: Exploring the Magic Mushroom Experience.”
Speaking of the brain, recent discoveries have shown that fungi are a kind of brain for forests, connecting trees and other plants and helping them find and share nutrients.
The festival plans to bring together brains of a different type, including poets, authors, artists, craftspeople, scientists, farmers, foragers, land stewards, guides and the myco-curious to explore and celebrate mushrooms and their many uses.
In addition to a talk by Eugenia Bone, other festival highlights include a cultural ceremony and presentation about Indigenous fungi use by the local Native American co-op Xa Kako Dile; a talk by Zappa Montag, co-founder of Black to the Land who will share his insights about bringing more Black people into the fold of foraging; and a poetry jam featuring local poets including Poet Laureate of Mendocino County, Deveraux Baker.
The festival will also feature exhibits and workshops about mushroom dying and spore printing.
The Fungi Festival and Cultural Convergence takes place, rain or shine, Nov. 16-17 at Caspar Community Center, 15051 Caspar Rd., Caspar. Tickets are $25 for Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club members and $35 for non-members. Tickets and more information is available at mendocinocoastmushroomclub.org/fungi-festival-2024.html.
The Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club meets monthly (second Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.) at Fort Bragg Presbyterian Church and via Zoom. It also offers classes at Mendocino College. The organization is dedicated to helping locals learn to find, identify, and eat fresh wild mushrooms while staying safe.
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