2026 Speaker Schedule

Attend fascinating talks by distinguished and up-and-coming mycologists during the 2026 Fungus Fair. Advance registration is recommended.

Please study the talk descriptions below carefully so you can purchase tickets and arrive early for the talks that most interest you.

You can also browse 2026 Fair Speakers by name.

The Fungus Fair has two lecture venues:

The London Nelson Multipurpose Room (Room 3) is where you'll find our headliners. To attend these talks you will need to buy a separate ticket for each talk, in addition to your general admission ticket. This year we will be selling the majority of these tickets online, in advance of the fair. Though we will continue to sell a few tickets at the door for procrastinators, it is highly recommended that you buy your ticket ahead of time if there is a particular speaker whom you are very motivated to see. Talk tickets will go on sale soon, along with general admission tickets to the Fungus Fair.

A smaller lecture room (Room 1) will have informative and educational talks given by local, or not so local, knowledgeable mycologists. These talks are free, but you must have a Fungus Fair general admission hand stamp to get in, and please note that seating (and standing room) is limited and first-come, first-served.

Revealing Fungal Secrets: Apps and Programs for Mushroom Discovery

Alan Rockefeller

In this talk, Alan Rockefeller will demonstrate powerful Android and iPhone apps, websites, and computer programs that help mushroom enthusiasts, researchers, and…

Friday, January 9, 2026

10:30 PM

11:30 PM

Room 3

Friday

The Underground Internet, 30 Years Later

Christian Schwarz

By now, almost everyone's heard of "Wood Wide Webs" — invisible forest networks through which trees, fungi, and other organisms communicate and…

Saturday, January 10, 2026

5:30 PM

6:30 PM

Room 3

Saturday

Truffles: The Egos, Ecology, and Economics of Cultivating and Hunting Nature’s Nuggets of Gold

Stephanie S. Jarvis, MSc

Because these fungi are far more than gourmet ingredients — they’re ecological power players, political lightning rods, and the ultimate test of…

Saturday, January 10, 2026

7:05 PM

8:05 PM

Room 3

Saturday

Fungi in Art Through Space and Time

Jason Raiti

A continent-by-continent exploration of the role the fungi have played in art from 10,000 years ago with petroglyphs, to medieval southeast Asian…

Saturday, January 10, 2026

8:40 PM

9:40 PM

Room 3

Saturday

Fungal Forecasting: From Continental to Local Spore Drifts and the Unexpected World of Airborne Truffles

Andrew Ratz

Fungi are remarkable organisms that support ecosystems, cycle nutrients, and form hidden networks beneath our feet. Yet the mushrooms we see, the…

Saturday, January 10, 2026

10:15 PM

11:15 PM

Room 3

Saturday

Medicinal Mushrooms Traditional Usage in Chinese Medicine and Modern Scientific Research

Dr. Bill Schoenbart

Medicinal mushrooms have a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. They have also been the subject of numerous scientific studies…

Saturday, January 10, 2026

11:50 PM

12:50 AM

Room 3

Saturday

Fungal Forecasting: From Continental to Local Spore Drifts and the Unexpected World of Airborne Truffles

Andrew Ratz

Andrew will give this talk on both Saturday and Sunday! Fungi are remarkable organisms that support ecosystems, cycle nutrients, and form hidde…

Sunday, January 11, 2026

5:30 PM

6:30 PM

Room 3

Sunday

Sea Islands, Sky Islands, and Dry Islands: the Biogeography of Macrofungi

Christian Schwarz

Making maps of the distributions of organisms is one of the most fascinating topics in all of natural history. The theory of…

Sunday, January 11, 2026

7:05 PM

8:05 PM

Room 3

Sunday

The Mystery of Amanita phalloides

Jason Raiti

A deep dive into the literature in an accessible form, to tell the story of the invasive fungus Amanita phalloides. This is…

Sunday, January 11, 2026

8:40 PM

9:40 PM

Room 3

Sunday

Mushroom Cooking Demo with Tasting and optional Wine Pairing

Chad Hyatt

Chef Chad Hyatt will demonstrate his cooking techniques and his creations will be paired with exquisite wines provided by vintner Jeff Emery…

Sunday, January 11, 2026

10:15 PM

11:25 PM

Room 3

Sunday

What You Need to Know About Poisonous Mushrooms

Henry Young

Explore the intersection of poisonous mushrooms and people who accidentally or purposefully eat them. Toxic fungi from the deadly to the lose…

Monday, January 12, 2026

12:00 AM

1:00 AM

Room 3

Monday