Peter Vahlberg 2026 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets

Phil Carpenter, Science Advisor ID Classes & Workshops Gain more knowledge and hands-on experience with mushroom ID and mycology. (Some classes are for FFSC members only.) Whether eating mushrooms or simply studying them (the science of mycology), it all comes down to mushroom identification. You don’t want to eat a poisonous mushroom! The Start of a Long, Safe Collecting Career You (or nowadays even your phone) might recognize the genus of a mushroom, but only learning mushrooms to genus can result in grave consequences. For example, the genus Amanita contains not only the most deadly mushrooms in the world, but some of the best edibles. Know the difference! FFSC offers in-person classes in systematic methods of mushroom identification. Our knowledgeable instructors will guide you in how to develop your own ID skills. No prior knowledge of mycology or mushroom identification is required. Any FFSC member with a serious interest in learning how to ID mushrooms can participate! This is a hands-on class, so you will get as much out of the class as the effort you put in. This class will not turn you into an instant mushroom expert, nor enable you to effortlessly identify every mushroom in the forest. Rather it will give you an introduction to a systematic approach for identifying your finds and give you a foundation you can build your ID skills on. Typical Mushroom ID Class Agenda In the morning, you'll meet other participants in a forested area for a class overview and a short local foray. You'll collect specimens on your own and then bring them back to the classroom, where you'll learn to identify them yourself. See Local Forays for what to expect for the collection portion of this class. After a break, you'll meet the group again in a classroom downtown, and spend the rest of the afternoon learning and practicing how to identify your findings to genus and species. Past students have expressed that taking two or more sessions really builds those skills. We usually offer basic ID classes to FFSC members at least once a season (or more, in years when wild mushrooms are more abundant). Mushroom ID Class Costs and Fees We use the classic field guide Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora as the primary class text. Plan to purchase or borrow a copy of the text before the class. New and used copies of the book are available on several websites. (As mushroom classifications continue to evolve due to DNA sequencing, the instructors may also refer you to other optional books and resources.) In order to take the class, you must be a current, paid-up, member of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz. The class size is limited to 20 participants. The class fee is typically $20 to $30 to cover costs related to the classroom rental, any shared supplies, and fundraising for FFSC educational programs. The instructors are volunteers. The price for each class will be specified when the tickets go on sale. Mycology Workshops: Forge a Deeper Understanding Mycology workshops are usually one full day long and cover a multitude of subjects, open to suggestion. In the past, our workshops have included beginning to advanced microscopy, which are hands-on sessions on how to use a microscope for mushroom identification. Instructors include both knowledgeable members as well as invited professional mycologists. Other popular workshops have included advanced study of specific genera of mushrooms by invited specialists, microscopic study of different types of fungi (e.g. ascomycetes), or in mushroom cultivation techniques. Mycology Workshop Costs and Fees Workshop fees vary based on the venue, instructor, and length. Upcoming Classes & Workshops No events at the moment Past Classes & Workshops RSVP Closed Sat, Feb 07 Feb 7 2026 Mushroom ID Class / Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange Details This one day class won't turn you into an instant mushroom expert, nor enable you to effortlessly identify every mushroom in the forest. Rather it will give you an introduction to a systematic approach for identifying your finds and give you a foundation for building your skills. Cost: $15 RSVP Closed Sat, Mar 02 March 2024 Mushroom ID Class / London Nelson Community Center Details This one day class won't turn you into an instant mushroom expert, nor enable you to effortlessly identify every mushroom in the forest. Rather it will give you an introduction to a systematic approach for identifying your finds and give you a foundation for building your skills.

Mushroom Bisque I usually look at other recipes and then wing it, so quantities are guesstimates. The liquid needs to be varied to get the right consistency of the bisque. ... Mushroom Bisque in a Teacup. Photo by John Spaur Objective: Soup Total Time: 30 minutes Yield: Serves 4 Suggested Mushrooms: Boletus edulis (porcini, penny bun, king bolete) Lentinus edodes (shiitake) Tricholoma magnivelare (matsutake, white matsutake, American matsutake) Tricholoma murrillianum (T. magnivelare, A. ponderosa) (matsutake, western matsutake, ponderosa mushroom) Ingredients Butter as needed divided use 1 onion, diced 1 small clove of garlic, minced 8 oz maitake mushrooms, sliced 3-4 shitake mushrooms, sliced 1 14.5 oz can vegetable broth (more or less) ½ C heavy cream (more or less) ½ C white wine (more or less) ½ cube porcini bullion dissolved in a little water 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 small bay leaf Salt and pepper to taste Ground nutmeg - smidgen Cayenne pepper - smidgen 2 Tbls dry sherry (to taste) Method 1. In a heavy skillet, heat butter. Add the onion and sauté to caramelize; add garlic during the last 1-2 minutes to soften but do not brown the garlic. Put the onion garlic mixture into a blender or food processer. 2. Sauté the shitake mushrooms in butter to brown a bit and put into the blender or food processor reserving a few to use as garnish. 3.Sauté the maitake mushrooms in butter to brown. I cook these separately because they are moister and take longer to brown than the shitake. Place the mushroom in the blender or food processor reserving a few for garnish. 4. Add the vegetable stock to the onion/mushroom mixture in the food processor or blender and puree or blend until smooth. Be careful when starting the blender because the hot mixture will expand and blow the top off of the blender and spill the hot mixture. Pulse quickly before blending on high speed. You may need to do this in batches and add more vegetable broth. This is where you can add the porcini broth with water and white wine. The porcini broth will add salt so be careful. 5. Pour the blended mixture into a soup pot and add the white wine if you have not added it already. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Simmer for a few minutes to a boil or just under. Add the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne to taste. Heat up and cook a few minutes longer. 6. Remove the bay lead and stir in the sherry just before serving with the reserved mushrooms as garnish. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Pasta Porcini This Northern Italian recipe comes from the year Deb taught school in Trieste, Italy. ... Bolete. Photo by Hugh Smith It’s simple, rich and flavorful, making it a great first course or side dish. Objective: Main Course Total Time: TBD Yield: TBD Suggested Mushrooms: Boletus edulis (porcini, penny bun, king bolete) Ingredients ½ cube butter 1 oz. dried porcini (Boletus edulis & co.), reconstituted in warm water and drained. 1 C panna, heavy cream or crème fraiche 1 cube beef or porcini boullion 1 lb. good quality dried pasta Method 1. Melt ½ cube butter 2. Add 1 C panna* 3. Add 1 beef or porcini boullion cube – simmer 4. Add reconstituted dried boletes, chopped fine - simmer. You can add judicious amounts of the mushroom soaking liquid, but so do sparingly or the sauce will be too thin. 5. Cook 1 lb. pasta. A good chunky pasta with lots of curves to hold the sauce, such as rotini or radiattore, works well. 6. Toss pasta with sauce and serve to your lucky guests. * Panna is a special Italian cream. You can substitute heavy cream or crème fraiche Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Curried Green Beans with Sulphur Shelf Enjoy this tasty treatment for sulphur shelf mushrooms in coconut curry. ... Laetiporus time lapse Day 11. Photo by Phil Carpenter The West Coast has two varieties of sulphur shelf: One is associated with hardwoods such as eucalyptus and oak ( Laetiporus gilbertsonii ). The eucalyptus variety is said to cause stomach upset for some people; and some have trouble with the oak variety. The other ( L. conifericola ) associates with conifers. Objective: Main Course Total Time: "Quite a while" Yield: TBD Suggested Mushrooms: Laetiporus sulphureus (sulphur shelf, chicken of the woods) Ingredients 1 Tbs curry powder * 2 c chicken of the woods ** (just the tender tips, in 3/4 to 1" pieces 2-14oz cans of chicken broth small red potatoes, diced (as many as you like to compliment the green beans) 1 lb fresh green beans 1 can coconut milk Fat of your choice. Coconut oil would be good. Method Melt a little fat in a heavy frying pan and thoroughly cook the mushrooms. If you are lucky, the'll sauté up orange, looking kind of like pieces of salmon. These need to be cooked for quite a while. Some people are allergic** to it when insufficiently cooked. In the meantime, break green beans into another pot. Add potatoes and 1 1/2 cans of chicken broth. Save the other half can to add as needed. Cover an cook until veggies are tender. Add 1 Tbs curry powder, about 1/4 can coconut milk (to taste) and the sautéd mushrooms. Serve! * "Deep" brand, my favorite, is available in some Indian food stores. ** Exercise caution. Some people are allergic to certain varieties of sulphur shelf. If the sulphur shelf you found is new to you, try only a little bit. If you're serving this dish to others, make sure they are aware of which variety you're using, and that they understand the risks if they've never had it before. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Porcini Soup Robin Morris shared this wonderful Porcini soup recipe. Enjoy! ... Boletus edulis. Photo by Hugh Smith When cooking with fresh-picked porcini, I like to peel the cap and cut off the tough outside of the stipe. I include tubes only if fresh and not buggy... Objective: Soup Total Time: 30-45 mins Yield: Suggested Mushrooms: Boletus edulis (porcini, penny bun, king bolete) Ingredients 1 ½ – 2 lbs Porcini, cut in 1/2 in. chunks, dry sautéed till light brown 2 c cream 2 c chicken broth (low sodium style) 2 stalks celery, de-veined and cut small 2 thin carrots, cut small 1 shallot 1/2 red onion, chopped 3 Tbl Plugra or other good butter 1/2 tsp thyme I Tbl parsley Method Heat chicken broth with carrots. Sauté shallot, onion, and parsley in butter 7 minutes. Cover for 3 additional minutes. Combine broth with mushrooms and all else, including cream and celery, reduce 25 mins. Serve with toasted bread and butter or cheese Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Pressure Canning Mushrooms Pressure canning is a process for canning mushrooms while not utilizing vinegar to create an acid environment. ... Caption Have you had experience with this method? We would love to hear about your experiences so we can share them here. Advantages of pressure canning May be stored in pantry. Can be flavored with herbs, etc. if desired Works well for substantial mushrooms, such as Bolete buttons, Chanterelles, Russula spp ., etc. Disadvantages of pressure canning The pressure canning process is somewhat involved. Does not work well for more delicate mushrooms. Canning incorrectly can result in botulism, which can be fatal. Objective: Storage/Prep Total Time: Suggested Mushrooms: See code Equipment and/or Ingredients Required equipment: Pressure canning pot and rack; and sterilized canning jars and lids Method VERY IMPORTANT: Canning non-acid food requires careful technique and the use of a pressure canner to prevent botulism . Caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum , botulism produces neurotoxins and can be fatal . Instructions for pressure canning can be found in the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving , or similar books on pressure cooking and canning. Previous Technique All Techniques Next Technique

FAQs and Directions to the Fungus Fair The Santa Cruz Fungus Fair is just a short walk from downtown Santa Cruz. Get intel on parking, directions and more below. FAQs What's Free and What Requires a Ticket? Shopping Areas FREE areas include the vendor areas in Laurel Park; and the vendor rooms, food court, and hallway artwork exhibits inside London Nelson Community Center (space permitting). Interactive Areas and Open Talks Buy General Admission tickets to enter: The Fungi Forest and mushroom displays The Craft Room Any of the open talks (space permitting) and demos that are included with General Admission GA tickets are free for kids under 12 years old Want to visit the General Admission areas for free? Volunteer to help with the Fair! Headliner Talks Headliner talks in Room 3 require a General Admission ticket plus an additional ticket per talk. Buy Tickets Fungus Fair After Hours Dinner The Fungus Fair After Hours Dinner requires separate tickets per person. 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair After Hours Dinner January 9, 2026, 5:30 – 9:30 PM London Nelson Community Center Register Now Directions and Parking 301 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA Location The Santa Cruz Fungus Fair is held at London Nelson Community Center (at Laurel Park) in Santa Cruz, CA. The London Nelson Community Center is a hub for social, recreational, and cultural activities for the Santa Cruz community. Directions If you're planning to attend one of the open or headliner talks, give yourself plenty of time and plan to arrive early. Admission lines tend to get longer before each talk. From Hwy 17 and Hwy 1 North interchange: Proceed North on Hwy 1. Cross Mission Street. Stay in center lane and merge straight onto Chestnut Street. Go downhill and turn left on Laurel. Londen Nelson Community Center is on the left, at the corner of Laurel and Center Streets Parking Santa Cruz offers free and metered street parking and lots, bike racks and metered bicycle lockers, and parking passes. You may park on city streets nearby if space is available. Check signs for restrictions and time limits. Additional parking is available on Center Street near the police station. There is also plenty of parking downtown and it is only a few minutes walk away. A few spaces for cars with blue disabled person placards are available around the building. More info: Santa Cruz Downtown Parking Lot Facilities & Map , City of Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Downtown Parking , Downtown Association of Santa Cruz Public Transit The nearest Santa Cruz Metro bus stop is Laurel & Center .

Become a Fair Volunteer We need volunteers to set up and run the 2026 Fungus Fair. Honestly, we can't do it without you! What Do Volunteers Do? Ready to sign up? Here's how . During the Fair (Jan 9-11) Help with ticket sales and voucher redemption Check hand stamps Set up and/or take down tables and chairs for the After Hours Dinner Help at the FFSC membership table The central island ready to receive the fungi from volunteers. Photo by Katherine Elvin Before the Fair Collect wild mushrooms for the exhibits (January 6-7) Help arrange the mushroom exhibits (January 7-9) Load and unload tables, chairs, equipment, etc. for the Fungi Forest, talks, and craft areas (January 6-9) Help to plan the Fair (June - December) At the End of (and After) the Fair Take down all the exhibits (January 11) Fold and store all the tables and chairs (January 11) Celebrate a job well done at the Volunteer Dinner! (TBA) Ready to sign up? How to Become a Fair Volunteer 301 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA Anyone can help! You do not need to be a member of FFSC to volunteer. To be eligible for a FREE General Admission ticket to the Fungus Fair, you must pre-register as a volunteer, and work for at least one volunteer position (usually for a few hours, depending on the role). If there is an area or task you particularly enjoy, it's a good idea to sign up early to nail it down now. To volunteer during the Fair (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), please visit: https://ffsc.ivolunteer.com/fungusfair_2026 To volunteer for set up before the Fair, or take down at the end of the Fair, please visit: https://ffsc.ivolunteer.com/setup_2026

Make Fungi Art Create your own mushroom art at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair! Try dyeing fabric swatches, get your face painted and more. Fun for all ages! Creative Crafts Use all your senses and creativity to explore the world of mycology in our family friendly Craft Room. Enjoy the creative process of designing mushroom inspired art while learning about fascinating fungi! Open 9 am - 5 pm on Saturday, Jan. 10 and Sunday, Jan. 11 only. (Closed on Friday, Jan. 9) Buy Tickets to the Fair Mushroom Cap Creation Station Visit the Craft Room and design your own “spore-tacular” mushroom cap to wear around the festival! This all-ages activity lets you make your own unique fungal fashion statement styled after our own native Amanita muscaria . Take your custom mushroom cap home and show off your mycological masterpiece! Fungi Fine Lines and Watercolor Wonders After you learn about different kinds of mushrooms, come create scenes full of fantastic fungi, from morels to chanterelles! You can also use stencils to trace the shapes of your favorite mushrooms in wax crayon and then paint a watercolor scene for your fungi. Make One-of-a-Kind Buttons Design your own mushroom buttons and we'll mount them on a pin for you. For some extra “pop”, use white crayon and dark watercolors to make your mushrooms magically appear! Perfect for all ages. Toadstools for Tots Let your little ones get creative with this fun and simple mushroom craft! Use simple materials to make mini mushrooms in a playful activity that’s easy for little fingers to enjoy. Leave with a cute handmade mushroom to remind them of their Fungus Fair adventure! Dye Silk with Mushroom Pigments 301 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA Did you know that you can dye fabrics and paint on paper with inks (pigments) made from certain mushrooms? FFSC member Debbie Johnson and her crew have been teaching visitors how to use mushroom pigments to dye silk for longer than anyone can remember. Visit the Craft Room at the Fungus Fair to try out this ever popular and inspired art form. (Open Saturday and Sunday only). Buy Tickets Find out more about this fascinating craft on the FFSC website: Intro to Dyeing with Mushroom Pigments Mushroom Dye Resources Face Painting and More Take photos with fun sculptures and artwork, get your face painted or try painting a friend's face! On your way between the craft room, vendor room, Fungi Forest and scheduled talks, get inspired by the variety of fun and creative concepts that people submitted for the 2026 Fungus Fair Logo , from sketches to completed works. (And check out a glow-in-the-dark version of the logo on this year's Fungus Fair T-shirt !) Explore all of our indoor and outdoor art areas and have fun!

Pairing and Cooking Mushrooms with Wine Everyone knows drinking wine with wild mushroom dishes is a delight beyond compare. Can we go a step further and think about pairing styles of wine with a particular mushroom genus? ... Caption Pairing Mushrooms with Wine Good wine is a careful balance of fruit and acidity. The alcohol has to be in balance with the fruit and acidity to give that rounded yummy taste. California white varietals tend to be a little less acidic, so winemakers sometimes add acid during fermentation for balance. That's where you get that nice clean crisp feel in your mouth. Red wines in general are slightly higher in alcohol content. That’s where you get that nice glow in your head. White wines give a lighter lift to food, while red wines, because of their complexity, lay a heavier interest to dishes. Now lets think about wild mushrooms. Are morels light or robust? Chanterelles are light. Lepiota spp. are heavy. Coccora and Amanita velosa are light. Chocolate is heavy. You can think about the balance you want to create between the wine and the mushrooms you're serving. Objective: Complementary Total Time: N/A Suggested Mushrooms: See code Equipment and/or Ingredients Your favorite mushroom dish and a variety of wines to choose from. Method Cooking Mushrooms with Wine When cooking, too much wine can overwhelm the dish and you lose flavor. As an example, people who dump half a bottle of red wine on a 5 pound roast have to add a lot of salt and fat to compensate for the acidic taste from the reduced wine. If you are going to cook a mushroom dish with wine, add the wine during the last ten minutes of the cooking cycle. The more acidic the wine, the more oil or fat you can add. Suggested combinations are: Boletes with butter and 1/4 cup Sauvignon blanc Cream of chanterelle soup with 1/4 cup of Chardonnay (per 2 quarts) Morels sautéed in olive oil, a dash of tamari, a pinch of brown sugar and a sprinkling of Zinfandel Sliced coccora wrapped in 1/4 strip of bacon, broiled and brushed with a mix of Pinot Noir, tarragon and a little arrowroot (for thickening). You get the idea. Taste taste taste. When you are cooking with wild mushrooms and wine, think about what you are combining and how the ingredients will play on one another. Remember to only cook with wine you would drink. A so-so wine will result in a so-so dish. Think about sampling and enjoying the complexity of each bite, sipping thoughtfully. Ahhh…Life is good. Previous Technique All Techniques Next Technique

Vendor Areas Tasty food, beautiful artwork, mushroom-dyed silks, jewelry and more can be found throughout the venue. Food and Mushroom Vendors Fantastic Flavors for Foodies Have you ever smelled candy cap mushrooms ( Lactarius rubidus )? When dried, candy caps smell like maple syrup, butterscotch, fenugreek or burnt sugar! A compound called "Soloton" is responsible for the aroma in these foods. Fungiphiles use candy caps to flavor chocolate, pastries, ice cream and more! en.wikipedia.org Sotolon - Wikipedia And freshly picked Matsutake ( Tricholoma murrillianum ) smells like cinnamon to some people, and the taste of cooked matsutake is often described as earthy and spicy, nutty and sweet with an aroma of pine and cedar. Another popular edible mushroom is our state mushroom, the California golden chanterelle ( Cantharellus californicus ). When cooked, people think it tastes fruity, like apricots or peaches, with a hint of pepper. Learn all kinds of interesting information about edible mushrooms at the Fungus Fair while you sample a variety of wild mushroom delicacies for sale by vendors at the Fair, and/or purchase mushrooms to try at home. Some of the vendors below include recipes on their websites, and you can also explore FFSC's Mushroom Recipes . For 2026, the Fair's food vendors include: Indoors King of Mushrooms , Todd Spanier Outdoors Far West Fungi Penny Ice Creamery Benni Pops (Santa Cruz Fungi) Fox Tale Fermentation Sea Soil Sky Shared Cultures , @sharedcultures Living Swell Kombucha Modern Forager Geo Forager FUNGI Magazine , Britt Bunyard Be sure to also check out the menu for our annual After Hours Dinner, presented by Chef Chad Hyatt. (A separate ticket is required.) Clothing, Craft and Services Vendors 301 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA Take home beautiful prints, ceramics, blown glass, and/or clothing that features your favorite mushrooms. Enrich your mind and spirit with related onsite services. For 2026, the Fair's craft and service vendors include: Outdoors Lovage Somantics Mushrooms in Bloom , Sara Stinson (@mushroomsinbloom) Fossil Forager (@fossil.forager) NorCal Forager Indoors Light Energy Glass, Jeff Hinkle MacLean Custom Screen Printing , Robin MacLean Forage and Dye The Local Naturalist , Andrea Dingedein (@the_local_naturalist) J Calcagno Pottery , Jeannine Calcagno Mayumix Botanical Design , Mayumi Fujio Ancient Hands Tile, Steve Baranoski The Deep Read , Laura Martin, UCSC Humanities Institute Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz The 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair T-shirt will be available for sale at the FFSC Store. This year's shirt features a glow-in-the-dark version of the 2026 Fair logo! Books, Stickers and More Get great prices on useful field guides and more at the FFSC Store. FFSC also sells posters, stickers, books and other mushroom-related items at the Fair for fundraising and to promote interest in mushrooms. The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History will also be on hand with fascinating educational items for sale. Interested in Becoming a Fungus Fair Vendor? We usually finalize the list of vendors 3 or 4 months before the fair (early October). If you sell mushroom-related items and you'd like to be considered for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, please use the Contact FFSC form and select "Other" as the topic. Let us know why you think you'd be a great fit!