Dear Mushroom Festival Fans:

It’s hard to believe the 32nd Mushroom Festival is here! Thank you to everyone who has made this Festival a reality. We couldn’t do it without our generous sponsors, our vendors and our volunteers. We especially couldn’t do it with out the support of the Kennett Square community, as the Festival bursts into the Borough for the weekend. A special thank you goes out to all the residents of Kennett Square Borough whose usual routines are disturbed for the weekend. We appreciate the dedication of Kennett Square’s police department and borough employees to making a successful Festival possible each year.

This is a weekend to celebrate the crop that dominates the local economy.  People often ask why Kennett Square is the Mushroom Capital of the World. The answer is in its history and the economy. The first cultivated mushrooms grown in the United States were grown here in town in the basement of carnation growing facility on Willow Street. Mushrooms are the No. 1 cash crop in Pennsylvania and over half of the mushrooms grown in the United States come from the Kennett Square region.

The Mushroom Festival's impact stretches well beyond our September celebration. Through the Mushroom Festival's Grant Program, we have awarded over $886,000 in grants since 2000, the first year the Festival gave awards. This April, we awarded $86,100 to 50 unique nonprofit organizations to enable them to improve and/or continue their work throughout the region.

Looking forward to seeing you Sept. 9 and 10!  Don't forget about our Community Parade with Dining and Dancing in the Streets on Friday, September 8, too. 

Kathi Lafferty

Festival Coordinator