Howdy myco fam,

This past weekend from July 30th to August 2nd, a remote corner of the Northeastern United States became the site of one of the most buzzworthy mushroom events of the year. 

 MycoFest, the largest family friendly mushroom and arts festival in the U.S., returned for its 12th iteration and its first at the Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary grounds in the rural backcountry of Artemas, Pennsylvania.

This festival and the community around it that festival founder William Padilla-Brown has built over the last decade plus is nothing short of monumental -- it's the type of event that turns people from curious dabblers into lifelong citizen mycologists and environmental activists, and where strangers who arrive on Friday leave with a whole new network of lifelong friends by Sunday.

Vendors sold burgers with fresh truffles shaved on top of them while nearby a Kimchi Cuban Fusion Sandwich with sundried tomato Shio Koji injected pork shoulder smoked with Lion’s Mane inoculated oak signaled that haute cuisine isn’t just for stuffy overpriced Michelin starred restaurants. 

A variety of self-taught and academically trained mycologists, ecological activists, ecotourism expedition leaders, soil health experts, and numerous other contributors put on workshops and talks that were both scientifically grounded and culturally informed over the three days – it’s precisely this decoupling of high level, obscure knowledge from academic silos that makes MycoFest so special; imagine of Harvard-level discourse escaped the ivory tower and landed on a parcel of pristine wilderness populated by people of all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic demographics. That’s MycoFest, and it’s uncompromising in quality and execution. 

Guided forays investigating the endemic flora and funga identified a range of edible mushrooms from the highly sought after Chicken of the Woods and Chanterelles to slime molds, microscopic fungi and numerous other types that were clearly labeled on separate tables in the species identification tent. Nearby, locally made mead was available for tastings. 

Here are 10 things that really grabbed my attention during my first MycoFest

Mycrodex was the standout presenter throughout the weekend for me – he is a self-taught mycologist from the Washington, D.C. area who showed the audience how to cultivate mushrooms using a special camera that projected his movements inside of the inflatable still air box he was using onto a screen nearby so that everyone could listen and follow along with his lesson. His session was informtaive, approachable, and engaging — I loved every minute of it.

A decadently layered and masterfully executed take on the classic cuban sandwich complete with korean koji fermented sauce, thick slices of smoked ham, melted cheese and traditional cuban bread with lion’s mane molasses in place of the traditional pork lard. The pork was even smoked with lion;s mane inoculated oak! Michelin level myco fare. 

Mandie has been present at every MycoFest since the event started, and has really stepped out into an increasingly prominent role in the global fungi space. She gave a very compelling talk about moths and mushrooms, weaving a narrative about her experience leading mycotourism expeditions in Ecuador and Peru throughout and drawing parallels between these two largely misunderstood species. Bonus points for her phenomenal original photos.

As a born and raised San Diegan, I can’t reconcile with humidity – while the climate was reasonably temperate by all accounts, the midday heat and humidity assaulted my senses in ways that deprived my attention span and forced me to seek refuge; Rather than self-isolating in the air conditioned dormitory on site, I found great respite in the refreshingly brisk waters of a ‘swimming hole’ down the hill from the truffle stage. It seems I wasn’t the only one who reveled in cooling midday dips, as the location became almost a mini festival within the festival with more and more people finding out about the spot and coming to beat the heat while socializing. 

A prerequisite for any mushroom event worth its salt, and the foraging walks at Mycofest went above and beyond the simple search for fungi and dovetailed into broader themes of environmental conservation, land stewardship, wild edible plants and social bonding rituals.

The mushroom infused beverage category is growing by leaps and bounds, and Mycopop is in the thick of this emergent space. Bonus points for their incorporation of Appalachian spring water and American cultivated cordyceps and lion;s mane fruiting bodies. Based in Nashville and shipping across the U.S., this drink belongs in your fridge.

At a festival chalk full of rad vendors with crafty offerings, this table of bespoke, hand made ceramic pieces was the very first one that I gravitated towards upon arrival. In a world of mass-produced bongs, be the handmade bong vendor.

It’s one of the greatest things ever to be able to follow through on IRL connections with people you’ve known only by their online persona, and oftentimes they’re even cooler in person. The mushroom community is full of these kinds of digital to in-person connections, and MycoFest is a prime place to make that jump. Shoutout Spore Daddy, Dr. Shroom, etc.

This is a major highlight of MycoFest — it’s billed as ‘the largest family friendly mushroom and arts festival in the U.S., and it delivers on this promise. There are group activities for kids such as forays and sculpting classes, as well as a dedicated kids zone with supervised festivities and programming. Bonus points that the nightly musical acts don’t bleed over into the sleeping areas, allowing young ones to get their rest without being kept up by pounding bass lines.

From our partners, because I carry Real Mushrooms products with me everywhere I go

I was blessed to warm up the stage with a one hour performance on mushrooms and humor immediately before the closing keynote of the event, which was given by Robin Greenfield, a remarkable activist who is wild foraging 100 % of his food for the entire year of 2026.

My talk unpacked the relationship between cultivating a sense of humor and cultivating mushrooms, and how therapeutic the two can be when combined. Each have profound physiological and psychological benefits that deliver immediately, and each are freely available to those who seek them. Each strengthens intrapersonal and interpersonal bonds by transmuting stress and stuck energy into the mythical 'flow state' -- and there is abundant scientific research supporting the immense benefits of both laughter and medicinal mushrooms. Put the two together and it's like rocket fuel for your mojo.

The talk unpacked the history of the 'jester' archetype across cultures; from the Heyoka of the Lakota culture to the Nongchen in the ancient Chinese court of nobility, to the Koreduga in ancient Mali, to Rafiki in the Lion King -- the 'Sacred Clown' archetype appears across cultures and millennia. This jester fulfills a role of institutionalized humor to help maintain peace among social strata, question societal norms, and teach lessons through unconventional and backwards actions.

Example: Rafiki bonks Simba on the head in the Lion King to demonstrate that 'the past can still hurt even in the present moment', and that one must take the necessary actions to restore balance instead of thinking the pain will simply go away.

MycoFest punches well above its weight class in the world of mycology events — this DIY, 100 % grassroots gathering continues to attract some of the best and the brightest minds in the mushroom space while remaining accessible and unpretentious. It’s a slam dunk, and you should make the trip out there next year.

If you’re not stocking up on Healing Herbals products yet, what are we really doing here? They have a whole apothecary of potent ethnobotanicals that need your attention, like…yesterday. Tap in:

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Thanks for reading the Mycopreneur Newsletter

DW