By Pep Fisher
PORT ANGELES – The second annual Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival is coming up in October, and this year it’s grown so big that it’s going to take two towns to make it happen.
This year’s event will take place October 13–15 and is expected to draw attendees from all over the region and beyond. Hosted in both Port Angeles and Sequim, festival founder David Rogers says the lineup of presenters is long and diverse.
“Yeah, I think with the Olympic Peninsula being such a wonderful space to celebrate mycology, it’s really easy to get some of these extremely renowned Mycologists excited about coming here, as well. So yeah, it’s amazing, from Alan Rockefeller and Robert Rogers, The Mushroom Revival Crew and MicoWizards, Flora Funga.”
Rogers says he’s also added the one side of the mushroom craze that may have the biggest interest of all to festival goers.
“That culinary aspect that you just touched on was, you know, one of the things that we really hoped to incorporate in our first year but just wasn’t able to, and I know is a really big interest for the community. You know, people are really excited for that aspect, learning how to cook and prepare these mushrooms and new and exciting ways. And how to try all the mushrooms that are becoming more mainstream now. Because, for a long time, I feel like it was just the common, store-bought Portobello.”
He should know. David is also the owner of Maddie’s Mushrooms in Joyce, which he named after his daughter, and you can find his gourmet mushrooms in restaurants and grocery outlets all over the peninsula.
The Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival offers a wide range of activities and educational programs for locals and visitors of all interests and experience levels.
The events will take place at the Clallam County Fairgrounds, where RV and tent camping will be available, along with live music, a beer garden, and a Community Educational Barn with free learning opportunities for all.
Events will also be hosted at the Dungeness River Nature Center in Sequim.
“And then, a Sunday event that will happen kind of separately at the Dungeness River Center. That’s more of a foraging focused day, where there will be a panel discussion on foraging in the Pacific Northwest, a provided lunch by Rabbit Food, and then afternoon walks, where we can kind of go out into the woods surrounding the area and see what we can find.”
You can see a total list of events, some of them free, and get your tickets to the second annual Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival at opfungifestival.com.