Mushroom Festival, Kennett Square
The Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square is held annually on the Saturday and Sunday after Labor Day. Kennett Square's State Street is turned into Mushroom Boulevard for this two-day event that attracts up to 100,000 people each year. The street is lined with nearly 200 food and craft vendors, most of which feature mushroom items. Special events at the Mushroom Festival include the Mushroom Grower's Exhibit, Culinary Tent, with demonstrations by celebrity, regional, and local chefs, the Amateur Mushroom Soup Cook-Off (Saturday), a Soup and Wine Event (Sunday), the Mushroom Run/Walk (Sunday), Mushroom Judging (Sunday), Community Parade (Friday evening, Cute-As-A-Button (Mushroom Baby Photo Contest, Painted-Mushroom Silent Auction, Children's Stage, Del's Stage, an Old-Fashioned Carnival, and an Antique and Classic Car Show (Saturday). Guests enjoy the opportunity to bring home a wide variety of fresh mushrooms from "the Mushroom Capital of the World."
Proceeds from the Mushroom Festival are given to local non-profit agencies through the Mushroom Festival Grant program. From 2000 to 2012 the Mushroom Festival has supported the community with over $500,000 in donations.
The Mushroom Festival was first held in 1985. 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."
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