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Scenes from the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival (photos by G. Widman for GPTMC)

Eating local is all the rage these days (we should know, we built an entire website dedicated to helping people do it). For those of us in the Delaware Valley, there’s one component of our diet that is almost always local, whether it’s something we’re trying for our not. Nearly all the cultivated mushrooms sold in this country are grown in and around Kennett Square, PA. They produce more than one million pounds of mushrooms a year and are the self-proclaimed Mushroom Capital of the World.

Next Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all of Kennett Square will be decked out for their annual celebration of the noble fungi (it’s the 25th annual shindig). Festivities start on Friday night with a 7 p.m. community parade at South and Broad. Visitors will have the opportunity to check out the Mushroom Growing Exhibit, the Painted Mushrooms Silent Auction, a Mushroom Soup Cook-off and an Antique and Classic Car Show. A number of local chefs will also be on hand to demonstrate a variety of mushroom recipes in the Culinary Hall.

Admission to the Mushroom Festival is just $2 for everyone ages 12 and up (kids 11 and under get in for free). All proceeds go to benefit regional non-profit organizations through the Mushroom Festival Grant program. Parking is $5 and includes a free shuttle bus ride to the main Street Fair. For more information about hours and festival policies, click here.

Kennett Square Mushroom Festival
September 10-12, 2010
Kennett Square, PA 19348
mushroomfestival.org