FESTIVAL DETAILS

Come for the Mushrooms stay for the Funga Family

You may be thinking, why come to the TMF? Many of our longest attending friends came initially for mushroom knowledge, lectures in mycology or the epic vacation to see Telluride, Colorado in its summer bloom. Many will tell you that isn’t why they keep coming back. Not many experiences bring together such rad humans as the TMF. Don’t be surprised if you leave having met lifelong mates or quickly decide to quit your job and devote your life to mushrooms. It’s all possible in this crazy vortex of a box canyon. If it’s possible, we’ve heard it. If it doesn’t seem possible, you will likely experience that here too.

What can you expect from the TMF?
In essence, The Telluride Mushroom Fest is changing and growing, but how? With more and more interest every year, how do we want to sustainably change and grow as a festival? Our main desire is to pursue growth by creating depth, authenticity, and community connection.

This year our goal is to create additional spaces to facilitate connection through conversation, sharing circles, expert-guided forays, and experience-based workshops in addition to our long-format lectures, book signings, and keynotes. Our intention is to partner with aligned sponsors to support the future of the festival. TMF supports small business mushroom related vendors in Elks Park, Oak Park and North Oak Street in the center of town. Everything in Telluride is walkable, gondola-able, or a quick ride with a friend to find some of the best mushrooms popping in NorthAmerica. We create sustainable experiences through locally connecting everything, the whole experience, in one small town box canyon in the middle of some of North America’s  most dramatic mountain sceneries.

Forays and Outdoor Activities
In addition to doubling our forays we will be providing outdoor workshops and new outdoor venue spaces! The free activities such as our mushroom ID tent, vendor village, and outdoor free workshop demonstrations are incredible. See the Festival FAQ tab for more detailed information on this year’s forays.

If you are interested in mushrooming in Telluride, Gary Lincoff’s Telluride Mushroom Checklist is a must-read.

The Parade
The world-famous mushroom parade is a favorite among festival goers, Telluride visitors and the local community. Be sure to come prepared with your best costume, or show up to our costume making workshop with an idea! The town of Telluride quite literally shuts down to 1000s of mushroom people marching down Main Street to music, dancers, drummers and our Amanita-mobile. The Parade culminates in a wild drum circle at the end of town, where drumming and dancing goes into the evening. Afterwards we wear our costumes to the new and unusual Puff Ball dance party at the Sheridan Opera House where artists like Random Rab, David Satori (of Dirtwire and Beats Antique), Sudakra, Ma Ze Tar have played. Musical artists for 2026 TBA!

Special Events
Special Events include events like Terps n Truffles with William Padilla Brown, Early Bird Foray with Britt Bunyard and surprise guests. These tickets (which are extra above a full festival pass) will be available for purchase, and are sold individually per event, on our Passes page. If you have extra time before the festival see all of our Pre-Fest events meant to give you a more intimate time with our festival presenters.

How To Mush Fest
We have so many wonderful workshops, lectures, forays, and new events at this years festival and hope you are able to enjoy as much as you can absorb!  From pass pick-up and registration to parade details, find everything you need to know about making the most of your festival experience on our How To Mush Fest page.

FESTIVAL VENUES

Need a place to park? If you are driving, we have information and tips for parking (including where to park for forays) on our How to Fest page.

List of our Festival Venues from 2025

1. 1. Elks Park & Oak Street Park  500 E Colorado Ave
   2. Ah Haa School 155 W Pacific Ave
   3. Carhenge Parking Lot 700 W Pacific Ave
   4. Sheridan Opera House 110 N Oak St
   5. Wilkinson Public Library 100 W Pacific Ave
   6. Palm Theater 721 W Colorado Ave
   7. Integration Space at Christ Presbyterian Church 434 W Columbia Ave
   8. Telluride Historical Museum 201 W Gregory Ave
   9. Disco Swell 126 E Colorado Ave, Unit A
   10. Between the Covers Bookstore 307 E Colorado Ave
   11. Patagonia Telluride 200 W Colorado Ave
   12. The Hotel Telluride 199 Cornet Ln
   13. Alibi 121 S Fir St
   14. Telluride Town Park 500 E Colorado Ave
   15. Bivvi Hostel Telluride 22332 CO-145
   16. Mary E Campground County Rd 63L, Telluride, CO 81435
   17. Lizard Head Pass 37.8111° N, 107.9062° W
   18. Free Gondola Station W San Juan Ave

TRAVEL INFO

Getting to Telluride and Getting Around Town
We’ve got information to help you plan your travels, whether you plan to drive, fly or bus into Telluride and advice for the best accommodations and camping in the region on our How To Fest page, be sure to check it out as you plan your festival weekend!

2026 Lodging Sponsors
Bivvi Hostel – Phone/Email Reservation Code: “Amanita Bed”

Coming soon..

Telluride Town Park Campground
Read more details about Telluride Town Park Campground
View Telluride Town Park Campground Map
Book your Reservation 

Alternative Affordable Options
Mary E Campground – 20 sites, first come first served
Sunshine Campground – first come first served
Matterhorn Campground – first come first served/limited online reservations
Priest Lake Campground – first come first served
Lizard head dispersed Camping – first come first served

More Information
Information about the town of Telluride, including additional lodging options, food, activities, events, and weather can be found at Visit Telluride.

FESTIVAL FAQS

FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

When is the Festival?
August 12-16, 2026

Where is the Festival located? Where will lectures and presentations be held?
Telluride, Colorado. See the ‘Navigate the Festival’ tab for more detailed information and a venue map.

How do I become a Volunteer or a Vendor?
2026 Applications will open in the new year.

PASSES & TICKETS

What is the difference between ‘Passes’ and ‘Tickets’?

• Full Festival Pass: Gains attendees access to all main paid and free festival events listed on the schedule. DOES NOT INCLUDE “SPECIAL EVENT TICKETS”.
• VIP Pass: The VIP Pass includes one Full Festival Pass, one Special Event Ticket to a Pre-Fest Workshop or Dinner of your choice (capacity limits for VIPs apply for each event), ability to “skip the lines” providing early sign up for workshops that require queues and forays that require online signup, priority entry for the Palm Theatre and Sheridan Opera House, and a $500 tax donation credit from Telluride Institute.
• Special Event Tickets: Are sold separately and are limited. Special Event tickets will be announced and released on a separate and later date than the full Festival Pass.

Where can I find information and purchase links for passes & tickets?
Information on special event tickets, festival passes and links to purchase are available on our Passes page. Only tickets purchased off our website or the Humanitix site will be accepted at the festival.

I purchased tickets, when will I receive them?
Check your email you should have received them just after purchase. We will be sending out all tickets/QR codes again in the weeks before the Festival starts in case anyone deleted/lost the email.

What is the Refund/Transfer policy?
Please see our Passes & Tickets page for information about refunds and transfers in the fine print at the bottom.

Can I resell my Festival Pass?
Yes! This year through Humanitix you can resell your festival pass at face value. This offers a legitimate and secure way to transfer tickets and prevent scams.

HOW-TO MUSH FEST

Where can I pick up my pass, wristband or T-shirt?
Passes/Wristbands are available for pick up in person during registration at the Registration Tent in Elks Park. You will find registration dates and times closer to the festival date.

What should I wear? What should I bring?
These questions and more are answered on our How-to Mush Fest page. But definitely pack your most creative and best mushroom costume possible for Saturday’s Parade – if you are needing some inspiration watch the documentary “Fest in Show” by Hamilton’s Mushrooms.

What if I have more questions about how the festival works?
They are probably answered on our How-to Mush Fest page. 

ALL ABOUT FORAYS

Where can I find information about signing up and participating in forays?
We will have Forays available for all Festival pass-holders. Forays are available on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Spanish Speakers Foray) during the festival. Sign-ups occur on the day before the foray at the Workshop Tent in Elks Park. We are offering online and in person signups this year. Online signups close early August. For detailed information please see our How-to Mush Fest page.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Where can I view the Schedule?
The full festival schedule is released in June or July each year. Check our Festival Schedule page for links to view the most recent schedule. Stay tuned to Instagram and email for programming updates.

WORKSHOPS & SPECIAL EVENTS

What are the types of Festival Events?
The Telluride Mushroom Festival has three different kinds of event types listed in this year’s program.

1. Free Events: Listed in GREEN on the schedule and are free-to-the-public events (no charge)
   • Free Events include Mushroom ID Tent, Mushroom Parade, outdoor workshops in Elks Park, Vendor Village, most library programming, and other events TBA.
   • Almost all of the Mushroom Festival requires a Pass(wristband) to enter. Please buy a festival pass for the best possible experience.
2. Full Festival Pass Holder Events: These will be included in the purchase of a full festival pass. Some of these events may have limited space available. Be sure to view the schedule online to better plan for arriving to your favorite workshops, lectures and forays on time.
   • These events include:
     • Forays hosted by our top Mycologists, Presenters and festival staff
     • Lectures/Presentations from National and International acclaimed researchers, mycologist and people in Mushroom, Fungi and the like
     • Evening keynote and headliner presentations
     • Presentation workshops held in smaller groups with hands on applications
     • Poetry Night lead by our very own Art Goodtimes.
     • Mushroom/Entheogenic Gourd sessions
     • All live music, DJ dance parties and indoor gatherings
     • All movies, panels and QnA’s
     • Mushroom Cooking demonstrations
3. Special Event Tickets: These are events that are not included in the Full Festival Pass and have a fee associated with them. They often have limited space and require a separate ticket.

Where can I buy special event tickets?
Special Event Tickets (LIMITED) will go on sale in Spring 2026. Event details and ticket sales can be found on our Passes page.

How do I learn more about the Pre Fest Workshop I bought?
We will be sending out the QR code/ticket in the weeks leading up to the festival. If you bought a Pre-Fest workshop or special event ticket we will be following up closer to the festival dates with information on that specific event.

Are some special events and workshops included in my festival pass?
Workshops and smaller held presentations for 2026 will be announced in the spring, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our email for details about programming.

GETTING A SPOT AT THE VENUE

What does the queue system look like for 2026?
Lectures and presentations are first come first served until we reach capacity for each venue. Please come early to ensure you get a spot. For more information, see below on “first come first serve” seating. For more information please see our How-to Mush Fest page.

Does signing up on Sched save my spot in line for events?
No. Singing up on Sched just allows our Pass Holder attendees to make a list of events of what they WOULD LIKE to attend. All pass holders must show up to the event venue and wait in line to be admitted. For Special Events – you must have already purchased a ticket and bring the QR code to your purchased workshop or Special Event.

TICKETED SPECIAL EVENTS

Do I have to line up early for my Special Event (extra ticketed purchase)?
All Special Events that are sold separately do not have queue systems or open registration at the fest. Please show up to the location specified on the event description or emailed to you before the event takes place if you bought a ticket prior to the event.

What are the locations for Special Events?
Most special events will be in the Town of Telluride this year. All within walking distance or a short drive. Check the schedule or be on the lookout for a special email specifically talking about your purchased ticket closer to the festival.

If your question wasn’t answered in the FAQ’s, you can reach out to Mariah Grimes mariah@tellurideinstitute.org

THE HISTORY OF MUSH FEST

Telluride Mushroom Festival’s roots span back to the 1970s when Beth Israel Hospital sponsored an academic conference in Aspen, CO. The festival focused on mushroom identification and included lectures on mushroom poisoning treatment and diagnosis.

In 1981, Dr. Emanuel Salzman, founder of Fungophile, Inc. and co-founder moved what was then known as the Aspen Mushroom Conference, to Telluride. The Telluride Mushroom Festival was born with the creative energy of: Manny and Joanne Salzman, Gary Lincoff, Andrew Weil, Paul Stamets, the Gillmans, the Adams, Art Goodtimes, and John Sir Jesse.

Since then, the Festival has hosted Nobel Prize laureates, anthropologists, medical doctors, professors, psychonauts, writers, chemists, thought-leaders, religious leaders, and others famous in their respective fields. It is a weekend of mycology-related forays, talks and special events and is famous for the lively experience it provides all festival goers and participants.