Yachats’ 25th mushroom festival this weekend expected to draw 500 people to walks, talks, workshops

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews

YACHATS — The popular Yachats Mushroom Festival happens Friday through Sunday, Oct. 18-20 with special events popping up around town like, well, mushrooms after a rain.

Some 500 people are expected to enjoy the weekend of walks, talks, workshops and a vendor fair, all sponsored by the Yachats Chamber of Commerce. Hosting the weekend are the Lincoln County Mycological Society, with support from the Cascade Mycological Society and the North American Truffling Society.

A range of talks and hands-on workshops are sprinkled throughout the weekend, which marks the 25^th version of the festival. While some of the talks, walks and workshops are free, some have a fee, with several already sold out. For a complete schedule, visit the chamber’s festival website.

“Even if you know nothing about mushrooms, attending a festival can be a great way to expand your understanding of these fascinating fungi,” said Nicole Lippincott, director of the Yachats Area Chamber of Commerce.

She estimated that last year’s festival drew more than 400 people and speculated that this year’s crowd could reach 500.

Speakers, walks, vendors

All festival walks will be led by qualified mushroom specialists, forest ecologists and naturalists. At one to two hours long, the walks are held on easy trails in the coastal forest at Cape Perpetua and the Gerdemann Botanical Preserve in Yachats.

The festival kicks off Friday, Oct. 18, with a reception at the Yachats Commons from 6-8 p.m. Keynote speaker Christian Schwarz will speak on “Community Science and the Future of Fungi.” Appetizers will be provided by Bread & Roses bakery, with drinks available for purchase from Bayside Cellars of Waldport. Tickets are $45.

On both Saturday and Sunday, speakers will hold forth in the Commons and other locations throughout town, on topics ranging from identifying and cooking mushrooms to “forest bathing”.

Also on both days, the multipurpose room of the Commons will host an “All Things Mushroom Faire.” From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, some two dozen sellers will offer products including fresh mushrooms, mushroom-themed crafts and supplies, textiles and artwork.

Members of the Lincoln County Mycological Society will be present throughout the weekend, with displays of regional mushrooms. Visitors are encouraged to bring in their own mushroom “finds” to the Pavilion behind the Commons from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Mycologists will be on hand to help identify mushrooms and fungi.

Restaurants throughout the city will feature mushroom specialty dishes culled from area forests.

The festival’s “Mushroom Treasure Hunt” continues for the second year. The hunt begins Saturday when six glass and porcelain mushrooms will be scattered throughout Yachats shops. The names of successful hunters will be entered into a drawing (the mushrooms will stay hidden for others to find), with the winners announced Sunday afternoon at the Pavilion. Clues will be posted on a separate festival website.

• Cheryl Romano is a Yachats freelance reporter who contributes regularly to YachatsNews.com. She can be reached at Wordsell@gmail.com