Besides the Memorial Day ceremony and parade in Gilroy Monday,
the holiday weekend offers the Mushroom Mardi Gras
This year’s Mushroom Mardi Gras in Morgan Hill, the baby, baby sister to Gilroy’s Garlic Festival, continues the fun fungi-themed festival in a new location. The site is different but the tradition is the same: music, food, vendors and activities in an outdoor venue to support a good cause.
Proceeds from the festival fund scholarships for local high school students. Over the last two decades, the Mushroom Mardi Gras has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships.
But that’s not the festival’s only benefit: It also serves as a vehicle for local non-profits to raise money by volunteering or operating booths.
We hope that the Community Center/Depot Street location works well for the Mushroom Mardi Gras. Last year’s festival ruffled a few feathers among downtown merchants, some of whom complained about street closures. The new location should completely eliminate that problem.
In addition, the new location will help to distinguish the Mushroom Mardi Gras from the community’s other festival, Taste of Morgan Hill, which is held every September along Monterey Street. When the Mushroom Mardi Gras moved from Community Park (due to the construction of the Centennial Recreation Center) to Monterey Street three years ago, we suspect that the two festivals became nearly indistinguishable for many members of the public.
The new location ought to go a long way towards remedying that.
We hope that the festival thrives in its new location at the Morgan Hill Cultural and Community Center and along Depot Street. It’s open from 10 am to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday. If you’re sticking close to home this weekend, it’s a fun activity for a good cause.
Come to the Community Center and Depot Street this weekend. Be impressed by the recently revamped Depot Street, meet your South County neighbors, try some delicious food, have a cold beer or sample some wine, browse booths selling unique wares and have a good time.
The Mushroom Mardi Gras is a great way to spend part of your Memorial Day weekend, and you can follow it up with Gilroy’s wonderful Memorial Day remembrance ceremony, parade and Family Fun day at Christmas Hill Park on Monday.
