Norfolk Botanical Garden in Virginia is preparing to hold its first-ever Mushroom Festival on Sunday, September 8!
It promises to be a fun-filled day focused on learning more about the wonderful world of fungi, including good food and independent vendors.
The will be bookended with a walk and talk with Tradd Cotter, a professional mycologist, microbiologist, and retired landscape designer who has been cultivating mushrooms for more than thirty years, both commercially and experimentally. With a group at 9 am – 10:30 am and another at 4 pm – 5:30 pm, it is a fantastic way to start or finish your day. He has won numerous awards for his work, including his best-selling book Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation. Preregistration will be required for both of his talks, which can be found on the Mushroom Festival Website.
The first trader talk will be held at 11 am at Rose Garden Hall and presented by Tidewater Mushroom Co., a family-owned and operated farm that utilizes sustainable agriculture. The family has a fascinating story, and the talk promises to be highly educational!
At Noon there will be another vendor presentation from Capstone Mushroom, a farm store and market with a focus on, what else, Mushrooms! They don’t only sell the finished product, but also grow kits so you can cultivate your own mushrooms at home.
At 1pm, Tradd Cotter will be returning to make a keynote presentation, which is certainly not one to be missed. All talks are taking place at Rose Garden Hall.
The third vendor presentation will take place at 3 pm, with a talk by Enchanted Nature Talks, a company dedicated to teaching people how to hunt, grow, and cook wild mushrooms.
There are also activities occurring the rest of the day, with more vendors and food trucks to visit.
We wish everyone attending the festival a fungi-filled day and hope you come away with a newfound love of all things mushroom!
