Your Wednesday Newspaper-11/11/2026-Fungi Fest 2026 Focuses on Safety, Food, and Fun: Chefs’ Foragers Feast, Takeout Dinner, and Mushroom Education Nov. 14-15 Following a Deadly Year for Mushroom Poisonings
Last fall, California experienced a significant outbreak of mushroom poisoning that ultimately claimed four lives and hospitalized dozens of others. As reports of serious illnesses began to surface, journalists and public health officials alike faced challenges in getting timely information to the public.
This weekend, a fast-growing local celebration of wild mushrooms returns for its third year with events in Caspar and the surrounding forests.
Bad timing?
Quite the opposite.
The tragedy serves as a reminder of why mushroom education matters. Even experienced foragers know that mushrooms can vary in appearance from one region to another, making local knowledge invaluable. Learning from experienced guides and attending educational events can help people forage more safely and confidently.
Fungi Fest offers plenty of opportunities to do just that. The event features mushroom displays, guided forays in Jackson Demonstration State Forest led by renowned mushroom expert Robert Douglas, presentations by knowledgeable speakers, and books and resources for those wanting to learn more.
None of the deaths occurred in Mendocino County, where mushroom hunting is a cherished late-fall and winter pastime. Still, visitors from around California and beyond come to the region to forage, making education and community knowledge as important as ever.
“The festival is our club’s chance to introduce visitors and locals alike to all the possibilities the fungal kingdom has to offer and help them hone their identification skills so they can safely hunt wild mushrooms,” said Jill Surdzial of the Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club. “With all the mushroom poisonings this past season, education is key to preventing illness and helping people respond appropriately when problems do occur.”
“People come from all over the state and beyond to hunt mushrooms here on the Mendocino Coast,” Surdzial said. “We’re a fungal hotspot that attracts university groups, mushroom clubs and, in recent years, private guide companies that bring visitors here to forage and learn. Most festival-goers come from outside the area, so we’re also pleased to bring visitors to the coast during the tourism off-season.”The Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club hosts ther 3rd annual Fungi Festival & Cultural Convergence on Nov 14 & 15 at the Caspar Community Center.
Fungi Fest 2026 Tickets & Event Information
General Admission
$10 per person, per day
Children 12 and under are free with a paying adult. Admission includes all presentations, exhibits, activities, and access to the artisan marketplace.
Workshops & MendoSauna Sessions
$25-$35 per person
These specialty tickets include general festival admission for the day. Space is limited for hands-on experiences such as mushroom paper-making, natural dyeing, and mushroom propagation.
Guided Mushroom Forays $10 per person
Join experienced guides for a mushroom hunt in Jackson Demonstration State Forest. Participation is limited to 50 people, and advance online registration is required.
Note: Those wishing to collect mushrooms during a foray must obtain a separate $20 harvesting permit from the forestry office.
After-Hours Forager’s Feast
Saturday, 6:00 p.m., Fort Bragg
A four-course mushroom-inspired dinner prepared by Chef Chad Hyatt.
$95 per person
Tickets for dinner are nearly sold out.
Before You Book
✅ Tickets for general admission, workshops, forays, and special events are available online.
✅ All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.
Plan Your Fungi Fest Weekend
See the full event schedule, guided foray information, ticket options, and complete festival lineup here:
“We have a strong lineup of presenters, hands-on workshops in mushroom dyeing, cooking, cultivation and paper-making, a marketplace filled with mushroom- and nature-themed vendors, and activities for the whole family,” Surdzial said.
Festival favorites Esther’s Elixirs and Petite Percebes will offer food and beverages throughout the weekend, along with a preorder option for a take-home mushroom dinner.
New this year is the addition of MendoSauna, giving attendees a chance to enjoy presentations, workshops and a sauna experience all in one visit.
The festival will also host a Forager’s Feast with Chef Chad Hyatt on Saturday evening, featuring a four-course meal built around seasonal wild mushrooms and paired with mocktails from Esther’s Elixirs.
“We had a lovely rain this past weekend, so our fungal friends should soon be making their appearances,” Surdzial said. “Come join the fun and help support a small but scrappy club dedicated to spreading fungal knowledge and appreciation.”
Fungi Fest has quickly become one of the Mendocino Coast’s most anticipated newer events. Unlike many festivals, it involves local people at every level, from organizers and presenters to artists, vendors and volunteers. It’s a true grassroots effort or, perhaps more appropriately, a true mycelium-roots movement. 🍄
Not all the lessons from last year’s poisoning outbreak are positive.
In our view, California health officials missed an opportunity to provide the public with useful information during the early stages of the crisis. As reports of severe poisonings began to emerge, we repeatedly sought basic details about where the incidents occurred, who was affected and whether there were connections that could help the public better understand the risk. Those questions largely went unanswered.
The outbreak eventually killed four people and hospitalized dozens more. During that period, much of what was publicly available came in the form of broad warnings and press releases rather than detailed information that could help journalists, scientists and local experts inform their communities.
After speaking with mushroom experts, including Robert Douglas, we were able to determine that none of the early fatal cases were connected to Mendocino County and that the death cap mushrooms involved in the poisonings were not commonly documented on the North Coast. Yet obtaining clear answers from official sources proved difficult.
This increasingly common public-information strategy, in which agencies issue a statement but provide little opportunity for follow-up questions, serves neither journalists nor the public particularly well. In cases involving health and safety, timely, specific information can be especially important.
One message that stood out was a broad recommendation that people stop wild mushroom hunting altogether. Local mushroom experts, meanwhile, emphasized a different lesson: learn from experienced foragers, know the species in your area and seek reliable identification before consuming any wild mushroom.
By spring, state health officials appeared to be providing more detailed information on subsequent poisoning cases. Even so, it remains unclear whether any cases occurred along the Sonoma, Mendocino or Humboldt county coasts.
California’s growing mushroom poisoning outbreak is the biggest-ever in U.S.
Some reports have described the 2025-26 poisoning outbreak as unprecedented. While it was certainly severe, mushroom poisonings have caused major outbreaks and multiple fatalities before, both in the United States and elsewhere.
What is beyond dispute is the scale of the recent outbreak. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39 suspected amatoxin poisonings were reported in Northern California between November 2025 and March 2026, resulting in three liver transplants and four deaths. The CDC described it as the largest reported outbreak of mushroom-associated liver poisoning in California history and the largest reported in the United States in several decades.
The CDC also found that many of those who became ill had previously foraged similar-looking mushrooms in other countries and mistakenly believed they had identified an edible species.
Readers interested in the science behind the outbreak can find the CDC’s full report here:
Amanita Species Mushroom Poisonings — Northern California, November 2025–March 2026 | MMWR
Surdzial said she believes education is a better response than broad restrictions on foraging.
“There were rumors that the state might shut down all wild mushroom foraging because of the poisonings,” she said. “That would be like banning all lettuce harvesting because one producer had a salmonella contamination problem.”
Surdzial said learning about fungi goes far beyond identifying edible mushrooms.
“The more you learn about fungi, the more you realize how much we still don’t know about this kingdom and the opportunities it presents in medicine, bioremediation, food and alternative materials,” she said. “A fungi festival helps people broaden their perspectives, learn the facts and make informed decisions. Isn’t that what we need more of?”
The growing interest in fungi isn’t limited to the Mendocino Coast. A mushroom club in the Mount Shasta area has launched its own mushroom festival, scheduled for the same weekend, although about six hours away by car.
Here is some of our past coverage:
