Fungi Face‑Off: Truffle Dog and Scientist to show what they nose at Mendocino Coast Fungi Festival in Caspar Saturday and Sunday
The Second Annual Mendocino Coast Mushroom Festival has officially gone to the dogs in its second year—and you won’t want to miss it. Todd Spanier will lead a workshop and truffle tasting, while Heather Dawson offers a truffle‑dog demo. Admission is $35 for each day (Saturday and Sunday), with a special $25 rate for Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club members.
Dawson, Ph.D., brings her Golden Retriever, Rye, to demonstrate how dogs can be trained to sniff out one of the world’s most coveted fungi—truffles.
Could this scientist out “nose“ even Rye? Gordon Walker, Ph.D., has published widely on one of the most curious subjects of all—the sense of smell. After graduating in 2016, he joined Opus One Winery in Napa Valley, where he curated native yeast strains from the vineyards. As Walker explains, finding ways to get different yeast strains to utilize different bizarre protiens, called prions, can shape a wine’s flavor profile in remarkable ways. His research has focused largely on yeast—fungi, like nearly all the non‑human participants at the Mushroom Festival (aside from the dog). Walker will deliver a presentation and sign copies of his new book.
His new book is Dr. Fun Guy’s Passport to Kingdom Fungi
Most events and activities will be held at the Caspar Community Center, which will be open from 11:00-7:00 both days. Events are limited to 30 participants. Morning forays will be held in Jackson Demonstration State Forest at 8 a.m. These were as fun as the festival for Brutus and I (we were both required to be on the leash). Robert Douglas with Cal Fire is a guide loaded with facts about the entire forest, not just mushrooms.
Dawson offers the Truffle Dog exhibition Saturday at 4 p.m and Dr. Fun Guy speaks and signs books at 5 p.m. Sunday.The full schedule is here: Festival Schedule – MCMC
Alumni Profile: Fascinating Fungi with Dr. Fun Guy | College of Biological Sciences
Before turning his formidable nose to wine aromas, Walker studied insect olfaction under distinguished professor Walter Leal, even considering a career exploring how insects manage to smell so much without noses or brains. Then—thankfully, perhaps—he discovered the yeast genetics research of Professor Linda Bisson in Viticulture and Enology, who became his graduate advisor. Beyond the lab, Walker also delights in home brewing—yet another way to have fun with fungus.
Here’s a great article Frank wrote last year on the very first Mendocino Coast Mushroom Festival. Voice last year..
Caspar kicks off first Fungi Festival this weekend
The Caspar Community Center will be alive with vendors, most offering something fungi‑related—from mushroom‑inspired foods and crafts to books and art. Last year, I even picked up a fabulous leather belt for Frank from a Willits craftsman. Since then, Frank has shed 90 pounds, and we’ll be bringing that belt back for extra holes to be punched—a small but joyful reminder of how much life can change between festivals.
Alongside the vendors, speakers like Heather Dawson with her truffle‑dog Rye and Gordon Walker with his deep dive into the science of smell will share their expertise. Add in tastings, forest forays, and the camaraderie of the Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club, and the weekend becomes more than a festival—it’s a celebration of community, curiosity, and resilience.
So come hungry for knowledge, flavor, and fun. Whether you’re here for the science, the stories, or the souvenirs, the second annual Mendocino Coast Mushroom Festival promises discoveries both big and small—and memories worth carrying on your belt for years to come.
