The well-chilled human setup volunteers were quite pleased to have hot soup provided by Vernetta McGuire and Marilyn Diamond to keep them warm. In all, 60+ dedicated FFSC volunteers and 40 dedicated Museum volunteers and staff worked to setup, run and take down the fair.
Each year we marvel at how much time and effort go into setup and how quickly it all goes away at the end. This year’s teardown set a new record: in one hour and ten minutes it was all done and we were devouring Bob Wynn’s wonderful dinner of mushroom lasagne, quiche and salad! Thanks to all who helped, from picking mushrooms to setup, identifying, staffing tables, cleanup and compost-ing the mushrooms at the end.
It would be impossible without you! I’m not naming everyone because, well, I lost my list in transition to a new computer and relying on my poor memory will ensure that someone is left out. But bear in mind that anonymous good deeds count for double credit in the universe!
Attendance was a bit lower than usual, with about 150 attending the Friday night Members’ Reception and 2200 at the door Saturday and Sunday combined. Vernetta McGuire and the Museum Association put on a wonderful reception Friday night, with great food. Wine was a cut above the usual, with Jeff Emery of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards pouring. Massimo Caporale of Gelato Massimo provided Candy Cap Gelato. Marilyn Fenn outdid herself in decorating the Louden Nelson hallway gallery.
A few new features were included in this year’s Fair. The addition of Toxicology talks to the Mushrooms 101 room proved timely in the wake of the Amanita phalloides poisoning of a family just prior to the Fair. OurMany thanks to Bill and Louise Freedman for their encouragement and assistance in this endeavor. Rhiannon Crane and Judd Nelson brought two new activities to the Kids’ Room (both of which were popular with adults as well): Guided microscopic tours of a variety of fungal cultures and mushroom dyeing on silk.
Book and T-shirt sales were brisk, and 47 new members joined during and since of the Fair. It was a fine event - our sincere thanks to everyone!
The Fair Committee
Horst Kuhlmann, Chair
Bill White, CEO
