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Kennett Square Mushroom Festival
Mushroom lovers, rejoice!
Each year on the weekend after Labor Day, shroom stans (not that kind of shroom) come from around the country to celebrate the humble fungus at the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival.
Historic Kennett Square is considered the “Mushroom Capital of the World” for a reason: Its farms produce over 500 million pounds of mushrooms annually (half the nation’s total production!).
The Chester County borough celebrates each fall by hosting a two-day festival of mushroom-themed food, events, vendors and family fun that draws tens of thousands of fungi aficionados to Kennett Square each year.
The ticketed festival includes amateur and professional competitions, educational activities, music performances and, new for 2023, a mushroom-picking contest.
This year’s Kennett Square Mushroom Festival is September 9-10, 2023.
The annual fest attracts more than 100,000 mushroom aficionados.
Year after year, the mile-long Kennett Square Mushroom Festival promises a variety of mushroom-centric — and even some non-mushroom-centric — events.
This year, you can look forward to the educational Mushroom Growers Tent; an amateur Mushroom Eating Contest; a Chopped-style cooking competition; a dedicated Children’s Area; and, new this year, a Mushroom Picking Contest for professional harvesters.
— Photo courtesy Kennett Square Mushroom Festival
You can also jam to performances by local musicians throughout each day and sample a bevy of mushroom-inspired foods.
The all-ages fest runs along Kennett Square’s State Street amid a street fair of over 100 vendors from all over the country — each selling mushroom-themed eats, handmade crafts, custom apparel, home decor and other mush merch.
— Photo by R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia
Events
2023’s Kennett Square Mushroom Festival brings back all of its classic fungi faves with a couple of new attractions. Wondering where to start? Spore over these main events:
Food, Vendors & Music
The Kennett Square Mushroom Festival has nearly every mushroom-themed food item you can imagine (and some you can’t).
You’ll find vendors and eateries offering pay-as-you-go treats all over, and options range from snacks like breaded mushrooms and mushroom jerky to hearty meals like creamy mushroom soup, made with milk from local farms and packed to the gills with fresh portabellas and white buttons.
The 100-plus vendors also include booths, tents and local shops offering plenty of mushrooms and mushroom-themed products, like crafts, prints, apparel, home decor, pet accessories, cookbooks and other gifts.
Throughout the fest, you can unwind by the live music stage, with artists and bands cranking out tunes spanning classic rock, pop, the oldies and more.
Children’s Area
For activities tailored especially to the young ‘uns, head over to the Children’s Area, which offers a smorgasbord of bounce houses, bungees and balloon animals. And don’t forget to say hi to Fun Gus, the festival’s iconic mushroom mascot. (Pro tip: Fun Gus loves high fives.)
To check out the full schedule of events, click here.
Kennett Square is located about 30 miles west of Philadelphia. The Mushroom Festival is held on State Street, located just off Route 1 in southern Chester County.
Tickets to the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival are $5 per person (cash only).
For an extra $5 donation, nearby parking is available (with festival shuttles) at the following lots:
For more information on the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival, click the button below:
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