More information about the Telluride Institute's MushFest
Joyfully Informed Shrooming, or "Us Amongst the Funguses"
Telluride Mushroom Festival Enlightens and Nourishes Mind, Body and
Curious Spirits
by Bill Nevins
Ever felt like ingesting a temptingly intriguing bit of colorful wild mushroom,
but then thought better of it and hesitated? What might happen? Did your
head suddenly fill up with that old Jefferson Airplane feed-your-head chorus
and cautionary visions of Alice in Wonderland with her hookah- smoking
caterpillar? Or did you run across a huge oddly shaped mushroom clinging
to the side of a tree on a forest path and cringe just a little? Or have you
been wondering if truffles taste as good as they are said to, and why? Or
have you pondered just what role the many sorts and sizes of mushrooms
actually play in our natural ecology-just hangers on or active contributors?
Just how much do we really know about these mysterious hidden living
fungal denizens of the woods? And how can one safely find out more?
Well, the 29th Annual Telluride, Colorado Mushroom Festival, this
coming August 27-30, 2009 is your golden opportunity to improve your
knowledge on the subject. And, better educated, perchance to indulge both
your curiosity and your taste buds. Maybe even your spiritual impulses.
MushFest, as its affectionately dubbed by enthusiasts, many of whom return every year, bills itself as "the nationīs oldest mycological conference
exploring all things fungal", according to the website
www.mushroomfestival.com (The Mushroom Fest phone number is 970-728-8312.)
Reknowned Telluride performance poet, Art Goodtimes, a founding director
of Telluride MushFest, loves the gathering so much that he put a photo of
himself in full MushFest Parade regalia on the front cover of his critically
acclaimed book of poetry, As If The World Really Mattered. Goodtimes tells
FIVE in a phone interview that, "despite the tough economy we are all
struggling through these days, Telluride Mushroom Festival is one of the
environmental and, I believe, spiritual highlights of the year, and we are
going to make this one even more rewarding than past MushFests! It is a
great opportunity for education and inspiration, and really a whole bunch of
fine outdoor fun!"
Telluride, of course, is the world famous western slope Rocky Mountain
destination of choice for mountain sports enthusiasts, film lovers, music
festival goers, poets, gourmets, wine and beer tasters, romantics and
environmentally tuned in vacationers. Its isolated high box canyon location,
matched with relatively easy accessibility from surrounding states and cities make Telluride a mecca for many, including celebrities and others who have homes there. Thereīs no more beautiful natural setting than the waterfall crowned ridges that surround the little former mining village which now is the very chic town of Telluride.
Telluride just happens to be located in mushroom paradise, where late
summer rainy-season forays into the hills and forest can result in fascinating discoveries of edible and otherwise interesting shrooms.
For almost three full decades now, the annual Mushroom Festival has been
the nationīs prime gathering of shroomer vets and mush neophytes alike.
And this Augustīs MushFest, despite the economy, promises to exceed
even the high standards-educational, gastronomic and entertainingly
cultural-of past years. Telluride MushFest 2009 has a film premiere, world class lecturer-guides, hands on adventure, poetry and good eatinī-all wrapped up in scenery so deliciously beautiful oneīs mouth waters just thinking of it. And, as anyone whoīs ever visited Telluride knows, itīs a most visitor friendly little place-fine restaurants and comfortable accommodations in all price ranges abound, and you can easily walk from one end of town to the other.
Here are some details on what you will experience and enjoy if you go.
There will be the US premiere screening of cutting edge Canadian
documentary film maker Ron Mannīs latest feature, Know Your Mushrooms, a movie that the Toronto Star gave a rave review this January, calling Know Your Mushrooms "a fascinating film that forces us to finesse our feelings about fungi [in which Mann] persuasively argues that the lowly mushroom, already prized Asia and Europe, deserves respect everywhere as a potential savior of the planet." High praise, indeed, both for the film and its subject.
Not coincidentally, a large section of the film was shot at earlier Telluride
Mushroom Festivals, including footage of the hilarious and joyous annual
costumed Mushroom Parade down Tellurideīs central street-all MushFest
attendees are encouraged to participate! Visit knowyourmushrooms.com for a trailer and more information on the film.
Film maker Ron Mann, whose colorful poster for the film shouts "End Fungi
Phobia Now!", details in Know Your Mushrooms the diverse ways in which
mushrooms can not only nourish us, but can also help sop up our oil spills,
cure illnesses (including, maybe, cancer) and even help us commune with
the Earth Spirit, Higher Power, or whatever transcendant spiritual being we
may wish to visit with. Thatīs a lot of claims to place in so humble a fungus,
you might say, but Mann backs it up with archival footage of mushroom-
loving avant garde composer John Cage and the late shroom-advocate
writer Terence Kemp McKenna, who postulated messianic qualities for
mushrooms. Mann also includes new in-depth filmed interviews with two of
the worldīs top mushroom experts: mycologist/author Gary Lincoff and
environmental adventurer Larry Evans, a Telluride native who is known as
"the Indiana Jones of mushrooms" and has the hat and rakish attitude to go
with the nickname.
Both Lincoff and Evans are long time regular participants in Telluride
MushFest, and Lincoff is this yearīs featured lecturer and field foray guide.
Lincoff is also the author of The Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms and a contributor to Arik Roperīs recently published book Mushroom Magick, a comprehensive and entertainingly written exploration of the world of psycho-active psilocybin fungi. Feed your head, indeed!
