Mushrooms, college scholarships and entertainment are the not-so-secret ingredients that make the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras—now entering its 38th annual event May 27-28 in downtown Morgan Hill—a whole lot of fun for everyone.
Not even a partial change in the fungi festival’s layout due to the city’s decision to build a park where the food court had regularly been situated could deter organizers from putting together another Memorial Day Weekend extravaganza like no other.
“Because of the park we had to re-adjust our layout a little bit. But we’re not losing any space. We’re going down some of the side streets,” explained MMG Executive Director Sunday Minnich, who is in her 13th year at her post. “We were able to adjust. We think layout will be really good.”
The food court, filled with festival munchies, will be situated down Fourth Street towards the new parking structure and the entertainment stage will shift to the end of Fourth Street facing Depot Street, according to Minnich.
The original food court location—the Depot Street parking lot on the south side of the train station—is closed through the summer while the city builds a new park on the site.
Organizers lined up a pair of noteworthy headliners for each day of the festival with the Lost Boys featuring American Idol Season 10 Finalist James Durbin on Saturday, May 27, and then Carlos Santana tribute band Caravanserai on Sunday. Both acts will perform on the Amphitheater Stage.
Morgan Hill-bred and blues recording artist Shane Dwight will kick off the festival’s May 28 entertainment as well.
Cool additions to the 2017 festival include Street Drum Corps, a percussion ensemble, that will play in-between acts to keep the crowd entertained near the Fourth Street Stage, as well as a wine tasting experience at the Rose Garden at the Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road.
For the kiddies, Home Depot and Quality Home Services are sponsoring a kids craft area at Third Street and Depot Street near the Munchkinland. Kids will be able to make and build crafts using tools.
Western Mushroom Marketing Association is sponsoring the mushroom exhibit and has partnered with Santa Clara Valley Cattlemen’s Association and Mushroom Council to bring awareness to a new program called “blendability.” They will be offering free samples of mushroom-hamburger blended meatballs and tote bags while also educating attendees on the health benefits of mushrooms.
Morgan Hill’s Future Farmers of America from both Live Oak and Sobrato high schools will be selling fresh mushrooms this year for visitors to take home with them when the party ends. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 27 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 28.
A cooking demonstration stage inside the CCC will feature the likes of the famed Sakabozzo culinary duo, Chef Albert Hernandez of The Untamed Chef, Western Mushroom Marketing Association’s Emily Bettencourt and local school district executive chef Jason Beach.
“It’s fun to plan it and see it come to fruition, but it’s also for a great cause and supports education in our community,” Minnich said. “I have a great team behind me, a great board of directors who are all very involved.”
Longtime resident Bob Benevento is serving his first year as president of festival’s board of directors while also maintaining his role as the volunteer coordinator. Benevento began volunteering at the festival in 2001 and has taken on various roles since then.
“The primary motivation behind (my long standing with the festival) is quite frankly the ability to help raise money for scholarships. That’s the key driving factor behind everything we do,” Benevento said. “This year we generated $56,000 in scholarships for local students.”
A scholarship ceremony will take place 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Amphitheater Stage following Shane Dwight’s performance.
Benevento explained the festival organizers also use monies raised to fund mini-grants for local elementary and middle schools (this year about $8,000) as well as to various booster clubs and organizations within the high schools (about $10,000).
“It’s a big fundraiser,” Benevento said.
This year’s festival will employ about 300 locals from school groups, clubs and nonprofit organizations who work the festival in exchange for monetary donations to benefit their causes, according to Minnich.
Attendees of the festival can also enjoy street performers and strolling musicians throughout the grounds, along with an array of vendors.
Minnich said she’s been keeping track of the Memorial Weekend weather forecast and less than two weeks away pristine mid-70s temperatures are expected.
