Fungus Fair co-chair and science advisor to the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz Phil Carpenter estimates that over 3,000 people attended this year’s event at the London Nelson Center. He says the numbers grew noticeably after the pandemic.
“The interest in everything mushrooms has mushroomed,” he said.
The fair includes a display of locally-foraged fungi. This year there are close to 200 species, which Carpenter says is a bit less than the 285 brought in last year. Weather conditions could be a factor.
“But there's also the factor of what the mushrooms feel like doing,” said Carpenter. “They have their own mind about things, which we’re still trying to understand.”
Carpenter says this year he’s seeing species that typically grow north of Santa Cruz.
The mushrooms might be changing, but Santa Cruz’s mycophilia is not.
