BECOME A FUTURE FUND MEMBER

Invest in the future of Telluride Mushroom Festival!

We’re building the first $100,000 of the TMF Future Fund to help ensure the Telluride Mushroom Festival can return year after year.

Like many nonprofit organizations and live events, the Telluride Mushroom Festival faces rising expenses each year. Ticket sales remain an essential source of support, but they are no longer enough to sustain the festival on their own. While sponsors help significantly, Team Mushroom needs more support. To ensure the legacy tradition continues to thrive for decades to come, we’ve created the TMF Future Fund: a restricted sustainability fund dedicated to protecting the future of the Telluride Mushroom Festival.

DONATE & SUPPORT TMF

Become a Vital Part of the Telluride Mushroom Festival’s Future!
For years, the Telluride Mushroom Festival, a cherished program of the Telluride Institute (a 501c3 organization), has brought together mycophiles from around the globe. Now, to ensure this unique celebration thrives for decades to come, we’re reaching out to you.

Your support is crucial!
Relying solely on ticket sales has created inconsistencies, rising prices, and staffing challenges that threaten the festival’s long-term sustainability. To keep ticket prices accessible and the festival vibrant, we need to build a strong base of dedicated donors.

Join us in cultivating a sustainable future for TMF.
Your contribution, alongside sponsorships and grants, will directly impact our ability to:

• Maintain affordable ticket prices.
• Invest in exceptional programming.
• Build a stable and dedicated team.
• Ensure the Telluride Mushroom Festival remains a beloved tradition for years to come.

Be a vital part of our growth!
Whether through a direct donation or exploring other creative ways to contribute, your support is invaluable.

Ready to make a difference? Donate today and help us keep the magic of the Telluride Mushroom Festival alive!

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

Applications CLOSED

There are many perks that come with volunteering, like a full festival pass and the ability to attend special events (if working), cook with our mushroom chefs, and foray with the best and brightest. If you have an interest in behind-the-scenes work or have a skill you want to contribute and are needing more options for accessibility, come be part of the magic of TMF as a volunteer!

Important details:

• If you want to attend the Festival, please purchase a festival pass and we will refund it if accepted as a volunteer.
• You must be available for Volunteer Orientation, Tuesday August 11th, one day before the festival weekend begins. Volunteers are needed August 11-16, 2026. We appreciate anyone who is able to stay until August 17th to assist with lingering clean-up tasks.
• All selected and non-selected volunteers will be contacted before the end of March 2026.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old to volunteer.
• On average you will be volunteering one 4-6 hour shift per day, and approximately 20-25 hours throughout the week.
• We will be accepting 90 applicants for this year’s festival.
• Lodging is not provided for volunteers.
• Once you’re accepted, a $75 deposit is required to secure your spot.
• This is a competitive role and is a work/trade program in exchange for a weekend pass.

Have you enjoyed the Telluride Mushroom Festival over the years? Did you ever wonder how it all happens? We couldn’t make it all happen without our 50+ volunteers. Volunteers are needed for just about everything from hospitality and registration, dinner events, parade support, venue ushers, set up and take down and much more. In exchange – you get a FREE Festival Pass! Occasionally, we have more volunteers apply than we have positions for. We encourage you to purchase your Festival pass now and we will credit you if you are selected as a volunteer.

VENDOR APPLICATION

Applications CLOSED

We would love you to be a part of the action and work with us to provide Festival attendees with great products and services to round out the four days of lectures, forays, workshops, food and fun. We will do our best to include as many new businesses in the Festival, however, we have limited availability and not everyone will be accepted. Please keep in mind, sponsors of the Festival will be given first vending opportunities, as part of a larger partnership, if you are interested in sponsorship, please visit the Sponsor the Festival tab above.

New and returning vendors will be considered for this years vending opportunities and will be chosen depending on the festivals need for types of vending, diversity of products and new/exciting offerings. We do our best every year to accept as many new vendors as possible.

*Please Note: We understand not everyone can sponsor the festival and will continue to hold spots for just vending.

Important details:

• There are approximately 15-20 dedicated available Vendor Spaces between Elks Park and North Oak Street Park.

SPONSOR APPLICATION

Sponsor support is integral to the success of the Festival since we are a non-profit organization striving to offer the very best educational & enriching experiences to its festival attendees, special guests, and presenters. In 2026, we have a new customizable sponsorship structure and our goal is to have increased participation from our sponsors. We are moving away from a traditional sponsorship program to a more custom approach. Sponsors could potentially participate in workshops, lectures, panel discussions, lead events, and donate products for VIP bags or the TMF Merch Booth. This application is for anyone with a business that would like to sponsor the festival.

Sponsor tiers range from $1,000-$12,500
We would welcome greater sponsorships with aligned companies.

TMF MEDIA TEAM & PRESS PASS APPLICATION

Applications Open February 5, 2026
Application Deadline July 1, 2026
For Media Requests, Press Release, or Press Pass email mariah@tellurideinstitute.org

This application is available for content creators who would like to create content for the 46th Annual Telluride Mushroom Festival in exchange for a weekend pass. Media Team Applicants will exchange their time and talent for a TMF Pass. TMF Media Team Members will receive photo assignments from our Media Manager or Team Lead and work the same requirements as volunteers (20 hours).

We enjoy working with creators who are interested in sustainable outdoor activities, wild food foraging, conservation, mushroom identification, travel, camping, mental health education & empowerment, wild food identification, community connection etc!

*We no longer prioritize working with influencers for media trade agreements*

Media Team Needs for 2026: Short form video content made for internal use on social platforms IG, Facebook and TikTok, photography for TMF usage on social platforms, emails, promotions, posters, and website, long form videos for TMF’s YouTube channel, blogs for our website, etc! Please feel free to be creative.

Press Passes: journalistic articles, digital or print publications, magazine features,  documentaries, long-form YouTube videos, interviews, etc.