BY PEPPER FISHER
Port Angeles – Few local festivals in recent memory have grown as quickly as the annual Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival, now in its fourth year.
Founded in 2022 by David and Shana Rogers as the Port Angeles Fungi festival, it was a one day event that drew about 250 attendees. Last year, the renamed Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival welcomed 3,000 visitors over 4 days, included 44 craft and art vendors, a mushroom food court and beer garden, 20 educational booths, and hosted world-renowned speakers on the subject of mushrooms.
This year’s fourth annual event promises to be even bigger in its scope and layout. The festival dates are listed as Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19, but there’s more. Much more. On Thursday, October 2, they’re hosting a pre-fest event at 6:00pm at the Dungeness River Nature Center in Sequim. David Rogers explains.
“We’re hosting a really amazing student from Evergreen College, Angelica Bailiss, who has been working on a species list for the Pacific northwest area, specifically one on Evergreen campus. And so, she’s going to be talking about the mushrooms of the Pacific northwest, fungal ecology, and then citizen science and how to go about documenting your finds and contributing.”
And on Friday, October 17, just before the official weekend kicks off, they’ll host the Keynote Dinner, this year happening at Field Arts and Events Hall.
“Tickets are $125. It’s a four-course meal that we’re just about to put the menu out for. But, Sage from New Day Eatery, Jason Thompson, all jumping back in to help us prepare just an amazing mushroom themed dinner. And we’re pairing that with a keynote presentation by Langdon Cook this year, who’s just one of our most popular speakers. And then we also have Leslie Wheeler coming in from the east coast to do some, some poetry readings for us during dinner.”
The 4th annual Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival at the Clallam County Fairgrounds. As before, camping accommodations are available on site, but there are also lodging and exclusive ticket packages available through Maitland Manor, and the Red Lion Hotel on the Port Angeles waterfront is also offering special room pricing.
Get all the information you need on the website at olypenfungifest.com.