The Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras art, food, wine and music festival has been canceled for the second year in a row due to Covid-19 concerns, according to a statement from event organizers.
The event’s board of directors made the decision to cancel for 2021 because of “the uncertainty of holding large events due to Covid-19,” reads a press release from the organization. The MHMMG board hopes to resume the Mushroom Mardi Gras May 28-29, 2022.
“Taking into consideration the scope of work, size, attendance and the upfront costs of the Mushroom Mardi Gras Festival, and the evolving developments with Covid-19, the final decision to cancel the festival was made at a special Board of Directors meeting via conference call,” reads the statement from the MMG board.
In the meantime, the board has asked MMG Executive Director Sunday Minnich to research the possibility of hosting smaller events to help support the organization’s scholarship fund, reads the statement. The Mushroom Mardi Gras’ chief mission is to raise funds for college scholarships for high school students, and those efforts have taken a big financial hit in recent years, due to the cancelation of the 2020 festival and declining revenues in 2019 due to inclement weather during the event.
Over the years, Mushroom Mardi Gras has awarded more than $1.2 million in scholarships to public and private high school seniors who live within the Morgan Hill Unified School District boundaries. The festival has also awarded tens of thousands of dollars in mini-grants to elementary and middle schools in Morgan Hill, and has contributed significant stipends to volunteer organizations from schools such as Grad Night, sports teams, booster clubs and from other community nonprofit organizations, reads the Feb. 2 press release. Last year was the first time in the festival’s 40-year history the organization was not able to provide any awards, grants or stipends.
