The Mushroom Festival celebrates mushrooms, mushroom farms and Kennett Square—the Mushroom Capital of the World. Festival attendees can sample a variety of mushroom-centric foods, from fried mushrooms to mushroom soup and many other dishes, and learn about mystical and interesting process of mushroom growing. Attendees can also visit the many craft vendors, many of whom offer mushroom-themed goodies, visit the delightful Kennett Square boutiques, and enjoy a variety of restaurant options in Kennett Square, and more.
For many years, the Festival was spearheaded by Kathy Lafferty, who grew the event from a one-day, one-block local celebration to a nationally recognized event that attracted upwards of 100,000 visitors to Kennett Square. With the help of many dedicated volunteers, the Festival grew into one of the largest and most prestigious events in Pennsylvania.
Lafferty was instrumental in creating the Mushroom Festival Grants Program, which provides grants to local non-profit organizations in Kennett Square from Mushroom Festival proceeds. To date, the Mushroom Festival has awarded more than $1.1 million to local non-profits and supported research on the health benefits of mushrooms.
This year’s Festival theme is Rooted in the Community, and celebrates the Kennett Square mushroom industry and surrounding community. At its core, the Mushroom Festival is an opportunity for the Kennett Square mushroom farms to give back to the community in which they work and live. This year, perhaps more than in years past, the Festival will highlight all the wonderful businesses and groups that support the Kennett Square community, including the mushroom farms which employ so many, as well as the businesses and restaurants that support our town.
Mushroom Festival Facts
- Festival attendance can reach 100,00 visitors over the two-day Street Fair!
- The Mushroom Festival is a family event, attracting guests of all ages.
- The Street Fair is a mile-long event through the Borough of Kennett Square.
- Festival attendees generally come from the quad-state region of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. We attract visitors from across the country and have international guests each year. Over the past few years we’ve seen a rise in visitation from the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC areas.
- The Mushroom Festival is advertised on a local, regional and national level.
- Six levels of sponsorship are available! Choose the right one for you today!