By Carla Lucas

Correspondent

 As the Community Parade rolled down State Street on Sept. 5 to kick off the 29th Annual Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, one of the participants was shouting, “Merry Mushroom Festival!”

All in all, the festival was a merry affair, despite the oppressive heat and humidity on Saturday. Thunderstorms, which closed the festival early on Saturday, brought in beautiful weather on Sunday. Highlighted here are the smiles of people having a good time celebrating all things mushroom.

Results from the Mushroom Festival contests

 

National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship

First Place Overall: Molly Schuyler, with 11.5 pounds of fried mushrooms in eight minutes, a new world record

Second Place Overall: Dave Brunelli, with 8 pounds of fried mushrooms in eight minutes

Third Place Overall: Kevin Ambs, with 5.5 pounds of fried mushrooms in eight minutes

Top Amateur Male: R. Edward Delacruz, with 5.25 pounds of fried mushrooms in eight minutes

Top Amateur Female: Alexandra DelCollowith, 2.25 pounds of mushrooms in eigbht minutes.

 

Mushroom Judging: Menu Mate – Best of Show

 

2014 Soup and Wine Event:

Best Mushroom Soup in the Brandywine Valley: The Desmond Hotel

Best Red Wine: Galer Winery

Best White Wine: Flickerwood Winery

 

2014 Amateur Mushroom Appetizer Cook-Off:

Kathleen Harman, of Abbottsown, Pa., for Mushroom Taquitos

 

Mushroom Run/Walk

Overall Male First Place: Angel Rodriguez, in 17:54

Overall Female First Place: Betsy Stewart, in 21:38

 

Painted Mushroom Silent Auction Top Three Bids:

The Magic of the Mushroom by Margot Taylor, Molly Sanger, and Jacqueline Davis

A Swirl in the Sea by Mindy Kempista

Underwater by Kelinda Ganow

 

Painted Mushroom Online Viewers Choice Contest

First Place: A Swirl in the Sea, sponsored by Kennett Design

Second Place: Sunflowers, sponsored by The Woodlands at Phillips

Third Place: We are Family, sponsored by The Market at Liberty Place

 

Results of the Cute-As-A-Button contest will not be available until next week.  It takes a long time to count all the “votes.”