Autumn approaches on Prince William Sound and the welcome mat is out for participants in the 12th annual Cordova Fungus Festival, Aug. 30-Sept. 2, at the Cordova Center.
Excursions throughout the Chugach National Forest and surrounding lands during the festival weekend will celebrate the interconnected life-cycle of fungus, salmon and the forest.
Kick-off
Festival activities begin on the evening of Aug. 30 at the Copper River Gallery with the scientific and fine artwork of Kristin Link. The Wine & Cheese Mushroomers Mixer, The Great Mushroom Recipe Swap, and a presentation by Rick Van de Poll on fungi of Cordova and their ecosystem services will take place on the evening of Aug. 31.
Forest forays
Guided forest forays led by local and expert mycologists, mushroom display tables lined with locally plucked mushrooms, fiber art workshops, fungus classes, and kids’ events will take place over the weekend. After a morning of foraging in the woods on Saturday, Sept. 1, mycologist and author Noah Siegel will offer a presentation on local edible, poisonous and dye mushrooms.
Workshops
This year’s festival will also feature a home cultivation workshop with Gabe LeGrange from Far North Fungi and a field sketching workshop with artist Link.
Wild Harvest Feast
Laura Cole, of 229 Parks Restaurant & Tavern near the entrance to Denali Park is this year’s featured chef at the Wild Harvest Feast on the evening of Sept. 1. She is the guest of the Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Association fall Coho Media Tour.
A silent auction at the feast will feature artisan wares and handcrafted items including pottery, plant-dyed silks, jams, jellies, and hand-knits. Proceeds from the dinner benefit the festival and Copper River Watershed Project, a regional non-profit that promotes a salmon-rich, intact watershed and culturally diverse communities.
Join the fun
Cordova Fungus Festival is a partnership between the Cordova Chamber of Commerce, the Chugach National Forest Cordova Ranger District, and others.
Registration is required. The cost is $10 for adults; $5 for students and seniors; children 12 and under are free. Cultivation and field sketching workshops require festival registration and have an additional fee. Sign up online at www.cordovafungusfest.com or call 907-424-7260.
Fiber & Art workshops with The Net Loft also require pre-registration by calling 907- 424-7337.
Tickets for the Wild Harvest Feast, featuring wild Copper River coho salmon and mushrooms, $65 apiece, and are available from the Copper River Watershed Project by calling 907-424-3334.
For more information, to register and see a full schedule of Cordova Fungus Festival activities, visit www.cordovafungusfest.com or the Cordova Fungus Festival Facebook page.
