For the 31st year in a row, ‘shrooms ruled in Kennett Square as thousands flocked to the “The Mushroom Capital of the World” for its signature event.
Under sunny skies, the Mushroom Festival, which kicked off with an evening parade on Friday, Sept. 9, boasted a diverse array of mushroom specialties, ranging from standard culinary fare such as breaded mushrooms to more offbeat offerings like mushroom ice cream bars. In addition, visitors could purchase clothing mementos that ran the gamut from mushroom t-shirts to socks and jewelry.
They also got an education in all things mushroom. Brent Stinson, a third-generation member of John R. Stinson Sons Inc., a mushroom business in Avondale, was one of many industry representatives displaying different mushroom varieties and fielding questions.
He said the most common inquiry involved smell, with many visitors wondering how workers could tolerate it inside the confined quarters of the growing houses. He explains that the smell comes from the composting, not the mushroom-growing itself. “There’s no smell in the buildings,” he said.
Kathi Lafferty, the festival coordinator, credited the festival’s success with the hundreds of volunteers, many of whom went above and beyond. For example, the night before the festival began, she said she tried to order extra fans for the culinary tent and the mushroom industry tent, recognizing that the mushrooms would not hold up well in the intense heat that was forecast.
Lafferty said the tent company had exhausted its supply of fans because of a high number of weddings. So members of the mushroom community opted for Plan B, she said, somehow producing generators at the 11th hour to air-condition both tents. “I’m just blown away by what they were able to accomplish,” she said.
She said she wouldn’t hazard a guess about the attendance total. She said that although she heard the figure 100,000, she couldn’t verify that, explaining that because the wristbands are good for two days, it’s impossible to know many visitors returned the second day.
“I know it was a huge crowd, especially on Sunday,” she said, adding that she expected the proceeds to exceed last year’s. “I think most people were happy with the event. It was definitely a success as far as I’m concerned.”
Although it took Joe and Betsy Walsh of West Chester 31 years to make it to the festival, they will be back. “I think it’s great,” said Joe Walsh, acknowledging that he was most excited about the food while his wife preferred the shopping.
Rachel and Mario Motoc of Wilmington have been attending for several years, and this year their 2-year-old son Luca was particularly enchanted by the many children’s diversions. “We both love mushrooms,” Rachel Motoc said. “And we love the fact that the festival is so family-oriented with activities for all ages.”
As he surveyed the crowd, Tom Sausen, a board member of Historic Kennett Square and chairman of its Economic Development Task Force, said he was enjoying the day. “It’s another great event for Kennett Square,” he said.
Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick agreed. Despite the crowds, he said the police reported no arrests and no problems.
Kennett Square Police Lt. William T. Holdsworth said a few EMS calls occurred inside the festival for items such as a twisted ankle or heat-dehydration. “It ended up being a long but very good weekend,” he said.
Regrettably, not all participants got their full entertainment quotient. At the entrance booth, Kennett High students Lexi Reilly, a 12th-grader, and Chris Kratz, who’s in 11th grade, were busy collecting the $3 admission fee and handing out wristbands, part of a huge contingent that makes the festival possible.
The Mushroom Festival is an all-volunteer organization whose proceeds are distributed to a wide variety of charities and organizations benefiting the residents of Kennett Square and the surrounding communities. From the 2015 festival, $85,000 was given back to the community in the form of Mushroom Festival grants to 47 local nonprofits. In total, the festival has given more than $805,000 back to the community since 2000, according to its website.
Both Reilly and Kratz are members of the cross-country team, and they participated on Sunday morning in the Mushroom Run and Fun Gus Walk along the Red Clay Creek. Asked whether they would be able to walk around and enjoy the festivities after their volunteer shift ended at 1:30 p.m., they both shook their heads. “I have homework,” Reilly said. “So do I,” Kratz added.
Note to teachers: Maybe next year’s festival, which annually aims to educate consumers about the health benefits of mushrooms as well as to promote tourism in Southern Chester County, could offer students a lesson on public service – in lieu of homework.
The festival dates back to 1986, when a small group of enthusiasts decided to spotlight the fact that Southern Chester County boasts the largest concentration of mushroom-growing operations in the country. Together, they produce about 65 percent of the mushrooms consumed in the U.S., according to the festival’s website.
Since then, the festival has mushroomed from a two-block-long, single-day event to a weekend extravaganza that stretches more than a mile with culinary events, growing exhibits, contests, children’s entertainment, musical performers, and more.
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