Fungus Fair
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Fungus Fair
General Information
Did you know that without fungus, we’d have no bread, cheese, beer, or wine? Or that anti-cholesterol medicine was developed from mushrooms?
Come to the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair to learn fascinating and fun facts about beautiful and diverse species of mushrooms! View remarkable mushroom arts and crafts, taste unusual and exceptionally good fungal fare, and experience FFSC's overriding mission: "We keep the fun in fungus!"
This unique Santa Cruz area tradition draws thousands of visitors each January. Tickets usually go on sale by early December.
A Forest of Fungi
One of the highlights of the fair is the Great Hall, where visitors explore the shapes and scents of wild mushrooms in a recreated woodland habitat.
Our volunteers collect hundreds of species of local fungi in the days leading up to the Fair, and carefully identify and label each one.
Science advisors and experienced FFSC members are available to answer questions about the mushroom exhibits throughout the event, and to identify any wild mushrooms you’ve found yourself.
Found a mushroom but can't bring it with you? Visit our Photography for ID Purposes page for tips on taking photos that will help us answer your "what is this?" question.
Expert Speakers
Nationally and locally renowned speakers present talks on a wide variety of topics each year. Sessions sometimes also include short hands-on workshops. Here's the line up for the next Fair!
Many talks are FREE with your purchase of a Fair Admission ticket, and you can also purchase tickets to larger sessions (Room 3 headliner talks) for a modest additional fee.
Make, Eat, and Shop
Create fun mushroom art, sample gourmet foods made with mushrooms, and take home beautiful mushroom-themed crafts, books, and more.
.jpg)
Sponsors
The Santa Cruz Fungus Fair is organized by the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.
Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz
The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz actively promotes the study of mushrooms, and is dedicated to encouraging an avid interest in the fungal kingdom. We hunt mushrooms for scientific interest and for the table. We encourage a sense of wonder with regard to one of the least understood segments of our global environment. We are fungiphiles, and you just might be one, too! See our mission page and member benefits for more information about FFSC.
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors. It was the first museum in Santa Cruz, dating back to 1905 with the founding collection of Santa Cruz lighthouse keeper and naturalist, Laura Hecox. The museum has been connecting people to the wonders of nature for over 100 years. The museum served as one of the original locations of the annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. See the museum's About page for more information about its mission.