On Saturday, September 7th, the 2024 Kennett Square Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, opened amidst a joyful and bustling atmosphere, attracting over 20,000 people from surrounding states over the course of two days.
Kennett Square, located in Chester County, Pennsylvania, produces over 500 million pounds of mushrooms annually, accounting for 60% of the total mushroom production in the United States. This has earned it the reputation of being the “Mushroom Capital of the World.” To celebrate this tradition, the town hosts the Mushroom Festival every September, raising funds for local charity causes. This year marks the 39th annual festival, featuring events such as mushroom eating contests, mushroom education tents, chopped mushroom cooking competitions, a children’s area, and a street fair.
“People come from all directions, they are very fascinated by mushrooms,” said David Aconi, the organizer of the Mushroom Festival, in an interview with Dajiyuan. Many visitors even come from states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Pittsburgh.
Aconi shared that he grew up on a mushroom farm and now owns his own mushroom supply and service company, providing consulting services worldwide. He highlighted the town’s significant role in mushroom production, stating, “We plant 60% of the mushrooms produced in the country. We are basically the ‘Mushroom Capital’ of the world. There is no other place in the world that can produce as many mushrooms in such a small area. This all began 80 to 90 years ago and has now developed into an industry. I believe it contributes $2 billion to the economy in Pennsylvania. So, it’s a big industry. Even though the number of employees is small, it’s a big business.”
Aconi mentioned that in 1975, Pennsylvania had 480 farms, but now there are only 40 farms, albeit larger in scale. He emphasized the use of new technologies to cultivate more mushrooms.
One of the most popular activities at the Mushroom Festival is the mushroom education tent. Aconi explained, “Every year, we host this festival to promote mushrooms as an industry, educate the public about the health benefits and taste of mushrooms. We set up this growing tent, showcasing every stage of mushroom cultivation from planting to harvesting. People come in and ask us how we make compost, and how we handle the process. All my volunteers are here, they have been in this industry for many years. Our volunteers are all professionals with extensive experience, they can answer questions about mushroom cultivation.”
Aconi elaborated, “Different types of mushrooms, whether specialty mushrooms, functional mushrooms, or traditional white button mushrooms and cremini mushrooms, require different growing environments. All mushrooms are grown in indoor temperature-controlled environments, requiring temperature regulation 365 days a year because mushrooms do not stop growing and can double in size within 24 hours.”
Aconi noted that the most popular mushrooms in the market are white button mushrooms. By proportion, 80% of the mushrooms grown and sold in the United States are white button mushrooms and portobello baby Bellas, while other varieties such as shiitake mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, and king oyster mushrooms only constitute 20% of the market, but are relatively more expensive, especially lion’s mane mushrooms and king oyster mushrooms.
“People come from all directions to support the Mushroom Festival, and with such great weather, it’s fantastic!” volunteer Tom Chiomento told Dajiyuan. “The festival benefits the community and many non-profit organizations supporting the community. So, this is a great cause. At least a few hundred volunteers are participating throughout the weekend.”