What’s red and white and sprouts up all over Telluride this time of year? We’re not talking about just amanita muscaria mushrooms, but rather a whole festival dedicated to fungi.
The Telluride Mushroom Festival is gearing up to celebrate its 44th year from Aug. 14 to 18. That’s when mycology enthusiasts from around the country will congregate in the tiny town for educational panels, forest forays, and themed parties, all against the picturesque backdrop of the San Juan Mountains.
Need an excuse to make a mushroom trip to Colorado’s Western Slope? We have five good reasons you shouldn’t miss out. See the full Telluride Mushroom Festival schedule and purchase tickets ($465) at tellurideinstitute.org/telluride-mushroom-festival.
It’s going to be a great year for fungi
Last year, mushroom hunting on Colorado’s Western Slope was something of a bummer thanks to an unusually dry summer, but it’s a different story in 2024. Rain in June and July kicked off the mushroom season early. Foragers have already been collecting bountiful baskets of fungi throughout the high country. That bodes well for the numerous forays hosted by the Telluride Mushroom Festival, which venture high into the alpine terrain surrounding town. Attendees can sign up for forays in advance online or in person one day prior. (No additional cost required.)
Programming for all levels – even kids
There’s something for everyone at the Telluride Mushroom Festival, whether you’re a novice or an experienced mycophile. Lectures are as diverse as the fungi kingdom and cover topics like the basics of mushroom hunting, cooking and preserving wild edibles, and tips for cultivating your own fungi. Several panels explore mushrooms of the psychedelic variety, and there’s even programming for kids, including daily forays. All that plus movie screenings, yoga, live music, business networking, and more. The festival also offers special events, such as chef-curated dinners, that require an additional ticket.
Free stuff to do
So you don’t have the money to shell out for a festival pass? No sweat. Telluride Mushroom Festival hosts a vendor village that’s open to the public, as well as many free events. One of the star attractions at the vendor village, located in Elks Park, is the mushroom ID tent where anyone can bring finds from their forays to learn what they are. Free workshops also take place there daily. Some of the festival’s lectures are free to attend, as are book signings and select late-night concerts. One of note is the Wednesday evening festival kick-off that includes craft beers brewed with mushrooms.
Need a reason to take a little trip to the Telluride Mushroom Festival? Here’s one, and I’ll have more in an upcoming story. 🍄 pic.twitter.com/CzwpkdcxuK
— Tiney Ricciardi (@tineywristwatch) August 6, 2024
Epic costumes and dance parties
One beloved TMF tradition is a Saturday afternoon parade down Colorado Avenue (Telluride’s main street) that culminates with a drum circle and dance party at Town Park. Attendees go all out with their costumes — there’s a contest for the best-dressed, after all. Folks light on fungi fashion can craft an outfit at the Ah Haa School for the Arts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day before the parade steps off at 4 p.m. The costumed revelry continues Saturday night at The Puff Ball DJ dance party at the Sheridan Opera House.
Fewer festival crowds
In the summer, Telluride is a festival lover’s paradise with events that draw tourists from across the nation and the world. This celebration of all things mushrooms tends to be one of the less crowded festival weekends, which translates to more available parking, better restaurant reservation times, and shorter lines at the gondola. No promise of cheaper lodging, but there may be more availability since this event draws a large local crowd.
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