Live music, arts and crafts, gourmet food, kids’ games, street
performers, microbrews and wine from local vineyards will all be
available in town during this weekend’s 31st anniversary Morgan
Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras festival.
Live music, arts and crafts, gourmet food, kids’ games, street performers, microbrews and wine from local vineyards will all be available in town during this weekend’s 31st anniversary Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras festival.
The festivities will take place on the grounds of the Community and Cultural Center at 17000 Monterey Road, on the corner of East Dunne Avenue. On Saturday the Mardi Gras goes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“It’s a family fun festival,” said Mushroom Mardi Gras Executive Director Sunday Minnich.
Visitors and local residents should expect a bigger festival this year, with more vendors than have showed up in recent years. About 300 arts, crafts and merchandise vendors have signed up, coming from as far away as New York, Minnich said. The event will be more sprawled out than last year, with some vendors indoors at the community center’s Hiram Morgan Hill room, plus more outdoor vendors on the newly renovated Third Street.
The festival will also feature 35 food vendors in two food courts, specializing in fungal recipes such as stuffed mushrooms prepared by Britton Middle School, portobello mushroom sandwiches, scampi and mushrooms over rice, mushroom stroganoff and Cajun mushrooms.
“We’ve really expanded on the mushroom theme this year,” Minnich said.
Also new to the Mardi Gras this year is the sale of wine tasting tickets, which allow patrons to taste up to three wines for a $5 ticket.
The festival will also feature live music on two stages, with a lineup including headliners Aja Vu and the Joe Sharino Band, plus favorites the Shane Dwight Band and fourwayfree. The main stage will be located at the community center’s amphitheater, with the Music Tree stage located at the corner of Depot and Fourth streets.
Plus, there will be a kids’ stage as well as rides and games for children in the Munchkin Land area of the festival, Minnich said.
And as usual, street performers and strolling musicians will roam the crowd serenading and entertaining festival goers.
The Saturday morning farmers market is still scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Depot Street between Main Avenue and Second Street.
The Mushroom Mardi Gras raises money for local high school students. Last year the festival raised about $30,000, which was down from normal levels due to the sluggish economy, Minnich said. Still, the festival gave out $40,000 in scholarships, and started a new “mini-grant program” for local elementary and middle schools.
This year, the festival plans to give out another $40,000 worth of scholarships and donate $10,000 to local nonprofit groups that worked the Mushroom Mardi Gras, regardless of how much money the event raises, Minnich said. About 40 students receive scholarships from the Mushroom Mardi Gras each year.
About 60,000 people attended the Mushroom Mardi Gras last year, and festival organizers expect the same number this year.
Admission to the festival and parking are free.
For more information, call (408) 778-1786 or go to www.mushroommardigras.com.
