The Mushroom Festival is here! Ready for some fun-gi? We’re serving up a full festival guide on what you can’t miss at the event, which takes place over three days, Friday, September 6, through Sunday, September 8. Check it out:
General Information
Times
Friday, September 6: Community Parade starting at 6 p.m. followed by Dining and Dancing in the Streets; Old Fashioned Carnival at 600 Broad Street from 6 to 11 p.m.
Saturday, September 7: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Carnival hours: 3 to 11 p.m.
Sunday, September 8: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Carnival hours: 1 to 6 p.m.
Parking
There is limited street parking in Kennett Square during the Mushroom Festival, but finding a space can be difficult; for this reason, use of the satellite parking lots is highly recommended. Shuttle bus service to the Festival from these lots is available. (More info on satellite parking here). Handicapped parking is available in the Genesis Parking Garage at Linden Street and Union Street.
Vendors
Scores of vendors will line the streets on both Saturday and Sunday; see the full list here.
Rides and Entertainment
Entertainment, rides, games and so more can be found at spots throughout the Festival all weekend long! Peruse the complete list of rides and schedule of entertainment here.
Community Stage
Enjoy tunes from local musicians at the Big Tent, near the west entrance of the Festival, on West State Street. See the full lineup for Saturday and Sunday here.
Chef Appearances/Cooking Demos
Location: Special Events Tent
Carla Hall, co-host of The Chew and former Top Chef contestant, returns to Kennett Square! Two demonstrations are scheduled, at noon and 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 8. Tickets are required for this event. Advance tickets are $10 (purchase here). Tickets at the door are $15, if any seats remain.
More great demos and appearances are also planned, including:
Saturday, September 7
10:30 Mushroom Appetizer Contest (in the Special Events tent)
12:30 Jennifer Behm-Lazzarini and Christian Collins, finalists Master Chef Season 2
1:45 Chef Brett Hulbert, of Portabellos, Kennett Square
3:00 Chef Jack Mavraj, of LaVerona, Kennett Square
4:30 Chef Pierre LaFleur of Hilton Garden Inn of Kennett Square
Sunday, September 8
10:30 Chef Steve Latona, Culinary Instructor, Montgomery County Community College
1:45 Chef Alfred Jackson of Kennett Square Inn, Kennett Square
Find out more about these appearances and read more on the chefs here.
Amateur Mushroom Appetizer Cook-Off
Saturday, September 7, 10:30 a.m.
Location: Special Events Tent
This year’s Cook-Off breaks tradition and features appetizers instead of soups. Six finalists are competing for this year’s title. Come cheer them on! Cooking starts at 10:30 a.m., judging at 11:30 a.m. Learn more about the competitors, what they’ll be preparing and the judges here.
Farm Tours
Saturday, September 7: First tour leaves at 12:30 p.m., last tour leaves at 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 8: First tour leaves at 12:30 p.m., last tour leaves at 3 p.m.
Location: Corner of N. Union Street and Linden Street (next to Parking Garage)
During the Mushroom Festival, the public gets the opportunity to tour a working mushroom farm. Saturday’s tour is of a shiitake growing house, hosted by Caputo and Guest Mushroom Co. Sunday’s tour is of an agaricus mushroom farm, hosted by Basciani Mushroom Farms. Visitors board a bus and are taken to a local farm, where the mushroom growers take you through their growing process. Timed tickets for the mushroom farm tours are sold at the corner of N. Union and Linden streets. Read more here.
Mushroom Growers Exhibit
Saturday, September 7: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, September 8: 10 a.m . to 5 p.m.
Location: Entrance on Broad and E. State Streets
Walk your way through the mushroom growing exhibit, where you will see how white button, shiitake, maitake, oyster and royal trumpet mushrooms grow. Find out more and see scenes from last year’s exhibit here.
Remote Control Air Show
Sunday, September 8: 10 a.m.
Location: Kennett High School
Watch the best of the best in model aeronautics take flight on the front lawn of Kennett High School (enter from S. Union Street). FREE shuttles will be available after the show to take you to a Mushroom Festival entrance.
