Those who have never explored the Fungi Fest & Mushroom Show in Sunriver will have an opportunity to enjoy this fungi extravaganza this year on Saturday, Oct. 17, but with a change of venue from previous years.
“The Central Oregon Mushroom Club is thrilled that the festival is happening for our 10th year!” said Linda Gilpin, Central Oregon Mushroom Club president. “The big change for us is that we are no longer partnering with the Sunriver Nature Center, which started the Fungi Fest, but we are now partnering with the SHARC organization.”
The changes stem from the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory’s focus on its nature center rebuild and other priorities.
“Unfortunately, Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory had to back off a little as the main organizer for the Fungi Fest,” said Kelli Anderson, SNCO grants and community engagement manager. “We are still an education partner, but we will only be providing the kids’ activities this year.”
Along with the Sunriver Homeowners Association as a sponsor, the Fungi Fest is a multi-day affair which will kick off with two events on Thursday, Oct. 15. A keynote presentation at the club’s monthly meeting takes place at the Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Bend.
“We have scheduled Dr. Else Vellinga, who is from the Bay Area, as our keynote speaker for Thursday, October 15, and she will serve as the festival’s main mycologist,” said Gilpin. “Her talk, titled ‘Fascinating Mushroom Spores,’ will be held at our club’s usual meeting spot at the Trinity Episcopal Church.” The program runs from 6:30–8pm. Non-members are invited to attend and there is a suggested $5 donation at the door.
Mushroom spores are fascinating in that they are single-celled and carry half the genetic makeup needed to produce a new mushroom. Microscopic in size, two spores need to fuse together to form a new fungus. Like many entities in nature, the shape and size of spores varies, as does the method of their dispersal, from wind-borne to animal to water and other ways.
Also on Thursday, Owner and Chef Jackson “Rooster” Higdon of the restaurant Luckey’s Woodsman, will prepare a small-plate indulgence featuring locally foraged mushrooms paired with Oregon wines. Tips on how to forage for wild mushrooms and cooking techniques will be discussed during the evening “forest to table” event. Tickets for the Wild Woodsman Dinner, which takes place at the SHARC at 5:30pm, are limited and on sale via the Bend Ticket website; cost is $162.05 (which includes fees). Proceeds from the event support the Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory Field Trip Fund, which provides field trip opportunities for local students.
There will also be a field trip on Thursday, Oct. 16, to forage for specimens for the show. Last year this was a private event, but this year it’s open for sign-ups.
“On Friday, we have scheduled two field trips, one with Else and the other with local mushroom forager Brian Keister, to gather specimens for the mushroom show,” added Gilpin. The forays, from 9am-2pm, will meet at the SHARC and are an excellent way to learn about foraging for local fungi in the field with experts. These field trips don’t just focus on edible mushrooms, but explore the wide world of fungi. Many of these ‘shrooms will be on display during the festival. Space is very limited for these outings, so sign up early.
The main event takes place on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10am-3pm at the SHARC in Sunriver. Events include a cooking demonstration, a talk by Dr. Vellinga, children’s activities, the specimen table with identification labels and a “bring in and ID table” with a mycologist. Numerous vendors will also be on hand selling fresh and prepared mushrooms, art work and more. Tickets for the festival are $15 and SROA, SNCO, and COMC members get a discount.
Sunriver Fungi Fest & Mushroom Show
Sat., Oct. 17, 10am-4pm
Sunriver SHARC
57250 Overlook Rd., Sunriver
fungifest.snco.org
bendticket.com
$15; SROA, SNCO, COMC members $10
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