The Mushroom Festival is now just weeks away and this year’s event promises to be special.

This is the 40th year for Kennett Square’s signature event, and organizers are planning the best festival yet.

The festivities get underway at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 4 with a parade through the streets of Kennett Square to celebrate Chester County’s top crop. Then, on Saturday, Sept. 6, the two-day festival begins with a wide variety of activities and attractions. There will be plenty of fun—the streets will be filled with more than 200 vendors, and there will be live music and entertainment, cooking demonstrations, mushroom-growing demonstrations, expanded children’s activities, and even a car show. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, with special evening events also planned, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7.

This year’s festival theme is “Harvesting 40 Years Together!” which is a nod to the big anniversary—and to all the collaboration that has made this event so important to the mushroom industry—and to the Kennett Square community.

Mushrooms are the number-one cash crop in Pennsylvania, and the mushroom industry continues to be incredibly important to the local economy. The first cultivated mushrooms grown in the United States were grown right in Kennett Square. Mushroom production in the Kennett Square area increased to the point where over half of the mushrooms grown in the entire United States come from the Kennett Square region. That’s why Kennett Square is the Mushroom Capital of the World—and why it is home to one of the finest food festivals in the country.

The mushroom industry will continue to have a big impact on the Kennett Square area and beyond. One way that the Mushroom Festival makes a difference in the community is through grants to numerous local non-profit organizations. Each year, the Mushroom Festival will use proceeds from the event to allocate thousands of dollars to worthy organizations. During its history, the Mushroom Festival has raised and distributed more than $1 million to local nonprofits.

We congratulate all of the organizers, sponsors, vendors, and volunteers who have played a part in supporting the Mushroom Festival over its first 40 years. They have helped to make the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival one of the best food festivals in the entire country. We’re hoping for lots of sunshine on the weekend of the festival, and we also hope that this year’s Mushroom Festival is the best one yet.

An information booth will be set up during the festival for visitors to get information about all the offerings. Full details about the festival can be found in the Mushroom Festival Guide that the Chester County Press is publishing for the event on August 27. You can also visit Mushroomfestival.org or the event’s social media pages for more information and an updated list of attractions and activities.