More people, higher on-site sales reported at this year’s
festival
By Tony Burchyns Staff Writer
Morgan Hill – The color and flair of Mushroom Mardi Gras returned to downtown drawing an estimated 50,000 patrons Saturday and Sunday.
“Just like Gilroy is the ‘garlic capital,’ Morgan Hill is the ‘mushroom capital,'” said resident Frank Fantozzi.
This was the second year the festival was fastened to Morgan Hill’s main drag on Monterey Road, and organizers said there was an increase in attendance this year over last year’s estimate of 40,000.Â
Mushroom Mardi Gras Director Sunday Minnich described last year’s move downtown as a vender-friendly strategy. Previously, when the event was held in Community Park, organizers relied on gate fees and big-name bands to make a profit. Sometimes well-known rock bands such as War brought in fans, but not shoppers, and vendors suffered.
“Music festivals and crafts fairs bring in two different kinds of crowds,” Minnich said. “With the park, a lot of people don’t even get to the festival until the afternoon to see the music, whereas downtown, this year, we sold out of vendor space in April – and we have over 200 vendors here. It’s a different flavor.”
The event this year was admission-free and packed. Proceeds, which benefit the non-profit Mushroom Mardi Gras Committee’s scholarship fund, were derived from sponsors, food and beverage sales and vendor fees. Minnich said on-site sales were up 6 percent from last year, when the festival’s total gross income was about $175,000. She said totals for this year are still being calculated. The goal, she said, is to net $30,000 for next year’s scholarships.
While the festival honors Morgan Hill’s most famous agricultural crop, it originally began as a way to raise money for the local fire department. Back then, in the late 1970s, the town’s population numbered less than 18,000 people.
It was “farm country, the sticks, the boondocks,” said Fantozzi, who manned a festival booth Saturday for the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center.
This year’s homegrown celebration covered a six-block stretch of Monterey Road. Three blocks were dedicated to arts and crafts vendors, and two blocks featured more than 25 food and beverage booths and a wine tasting tent. A popular children’s carnival – “Munchkin Land” – also occupied one block. The carnival offered everything from a Ferris wheel to a swinging pirate ship to a giant inflatable replica of the Titanic sinking into the street.Â
San Jose resident Gilbert Guitierrez said he was pleased with the kid-friendly environment.
“I think they made a pretty good effort to try to have activities for small kids as well as some of the older, bigger kids,” he said, standing outside the petting zoo with his grandson’s stroller. “They’ve done a good job.”
