Kennett Square Mushroom Festival

Its fun the first time you go. Take a tour of a mushroom house. But really, how much mushroom themed items would you want to buy or put in your yard? It reminds me of a church carnival, but slightly mushroom themed. All the restaurants have seating outside while the main street is closed to vehicles. But they also charge quite a bit for their mushroom specials. The biggest issue I had was they try to sell you a bracelet like you needed it for admission but it really was not required. If you stood in line they would gladly sell you a bracelet and not tell you that you could walk the street for free, and it was only required for certain events. It is nice to see some support for the mushroom famers who are constantly being complained to by all the fancy rich people who move into the area about the smell of mushroom soil and why they can’t make it smell like potpourri.

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival! This weekend long festival (always the week after Labor Day) is held in Kennett Square, PA the mushroom capital of the world and pays homage to the fungi! This festival is jam packed with vendors selling all kinds of mushrooms, foods featuring mushrooms, mushroom related souvenirs, educational stands, live music, and attractions for both children and adults. State Street is closed off and hundreds of tents and food trucks. The Cow and The Curd, a Philly favorite food truck, was even spotted! They even had a fried mushroom eating contest with large cash prizes! Admission to the festival was only $ 3 and goes towards the Mission of The Mushroom Festival is to promote the mushroom, educate consumers about the health benefits of mushrooms and to promote tourism in Southern Chester County, all while financially supporting local and regional charities through a grant process. For those who aren’t the biggest fan of mushrooms there was plenty of options for food like burgers, crepes, cheesesteaks, burgers, ice cream, pierogies, ice cream, french fries, etc. I especially liked the tent which informed visitors of the practices mushroom farmers go through and the options they use for pesticide.