This year’s 7th Annual Sunshine Coast Mushroom Festival will be held October 16, 17 and 18, with events up and down the Sunshine Coast. Hosted by the Society for the Hunting, Recognition and Observation of Mushrooms (SHROOM), it promises to be another biologically diverse and fascinating event for both locals and visitors.
From mushroom identification tables to demonstrations about using mushrooms in cooking, the dyeing of fabric and yarn, and tapping into the medical powers of the fungal world, the Shroomfest is a great way to get acquainted with the mushrooms and fungi of the Pacific Northwest. Knowledgeable expert foragers will be on hand to identify mushrooms brought in by festival visitors and to talk about the basics of mushrooming, making this event one of the safest ways to introduce yourself to this fascinating leisure activity and the world-class science behind it. Also featured will be vendors with unique mushroom products, kids’ activities, and many fabulous door and raffle prizes.
This year’s guest is renowned forager and chef, Langdon Cook, author of The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of Underground America and Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager. His books are rich with the science and lore of edible fungi—from the seductive chanterelles to exotic porcini. Catch his presentations at Davis Bay Community Hall and the Botanical Gardens in Sechelt.
A hotly anticipated part of the Mushroom Festival is the mushroom-themed menu offerings by local restaurants. See the list of participating restaurants and the schedule of festival events at www.schroom.org.
