2018 Mushroom Festival & Visitors Guide by Ad Pro Inc.

Thank you for your efforts in making the Mushroom Festival a success for 33 years. Forever missed by your Lambert Family.

Expectations for another fantastic year at the 33rd Annual Mushroom Festival

By Carla Lucas

Expectations for this year’s Mushroom Festival are at an all-time high. The festival’s board and committee chairs have worked hard to make this another fantastic experience in Kennett Square. There’s tons of stuff planned to make the visit a memorable experience for the whole family. Listed on the following pages are some festival highlights and tips.

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Photos by Carla Lucas

The Mushroom Festival’s mascot, Fun Gus, makes an appearance at last year’s festival.

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Festival Highlights

Melissa D’Arabian, star of Food Network’s “Ten Dollar Dinners,” comes to the Mushroom Festival’s Culinary Tent on Saturday, Sept. 8. She’ll share her tips and recipes for cooking with mushrooms on the Giorgi Kitchen Stage at 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. in the Culinary Tent (See story on page 61 for the complete culinary schedule).

The competition will be fierce among the six finalists in the Amateur Mushroom Cook-off on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the Special Events Tent. There’s a Grand Prize worth $3,000 on the line. The theme is “Mushrooms Blended with Grassfed Beef and Lamb.” See story about the contest on page 90.

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Employees of Country Fresh Mushrooms sautéed mushrooms in Challenge Butter for guests to try. The booth is coming back for 2018.

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The Growers’ Exhibit is a must-see. Learn from the area’s growers how the various varieties of delicious fungi are cultivated and grown by the millions of pounds each week in Southern Chester County. Sunday in the Growers’ Tent is the Mushroom Judging Contest. Once the ribbons are awarded, the best of the best mushrooms go up for sale. One of the largest crowds at the festival will be at the National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Special Events Tent. The world record of 11.5 pounds of Buono Foods breaded and fried mushrooms devoured in just eight minutes will be challenged

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A local grower explains how exotic mushrooms are grown.

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once again by professional and amateur competitive eaters. Come and witness the spectacle, cheer on the contestants, and be a part of history if the record is broken.

The Mushroom 5K Run and Frances Ferranto 2-mile Fun Walk on Sunday, Sept. 9, has an exciting new course for 2018. There’s even a new prize structure for competitive runners. Start your Sunday with a run or brisk walk through picturesque Kennett Township, even passing by a few mushroom houses along the way. (See article on page 52.)

Extend your Saturday under our Special Events Tent (Willow and State streets). The Mushroom Festival has partnered once again with the Kennett Flash to produce a Saturday Evening Concert. This year the concert features The Alejandro Escovedo Band, and promises to be a fantastic event for Kennett Square. (See article on page 48.)

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A bird’s-eye view of Kennett Square Borough from the top of the Kennett Fire Company Hook and Ladder Truck.

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Competition among area restaurants will be fierce this year at the Soup and Wine Event (Sunday in the Special Events Tent) as they vie for the title of “Best Mushroom Soup in the Delaware Valley.” Those attending the event will make the decision, as the restaurant that receives the most votes wins the honor. At the same time, area wineries will woo guests with their tastings to be crowned “Best Wine” at the Soup and Wine Event.

Sticking with tradition, the Mushroom Festival’s favorite events return, including the Antique and Classic Car Show on Saturday, the Painted Mushroom Silent Auction and the Cute-as-a-Button (Mushroom)

Baby Photo Contest. The Children’s Stage (on Lafayette Street) comes back with great entertainment for the young and not-so-young alike. At the Masonic Lodge, try a bowl of the Official Mushroom Soup of

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Guests enjoy mushroom treats, such as ice cream, while strolling through the festival.

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the Mushroom Festival (at Cypress and Center streets). The Community Stage returns to South Union Street with a fantastic variety of music from local, regional and nationally known bands.

Tips to enjoy the festival

Come at 10 a.m. when the festival opens, or after 4 p.m., to avoid most of the crowds.

Park in the festival’s satellite parking areas at the Exelon lot, or at Kennett High School. The shuttle buses take you right to the festival entrances.

Take a break, sit a spell, and enjoy some free entertainment. The Children’s Stage is on Lafayette Street, and the Community Stage is on South Union Street.

Come hungry. There’s a huge variety of food along State Street. Mushroom delicacies include mushroom meatballs, mushroom mac and cheese, mushroom spring rolls, mushroom wraps, mushroom salad, mushroom ice cream and pops, and more. Popular festival foods such as pizza, hamburgers, French fries, smoothies, ice cream treats, funnel cakes and kettle corn are here, too.

Come prepared to find that perfect gift for yourself, a family member or friend. The Street Fair is filled with unique gift and craft items. From yard art to fine art to jewelry and clothing, there will be items offered by more than 250 vendors at the festival. There’s probably more mushroom designs along the Street Fair than you will find anywhere else in the world.

Before you come, browse the newly designed Mushroom Festival website (www.mushroomfestival.com). It is filled with maps, schedules and descriptions of all there is to see and do at this year’s festival.

Don’t forget to take home fresh mushrooms! Order the mushrooms you want from the Mushroom Sales Booths near the East Entrance and in front of the Growers’ Exhibit on Broad Street. When you are ready to leave, take your order receipt to the refrigerated To Jo Mushroom trucks (on Willow Street, and on Broad Street behind the Kennett Inn) and pick up the freshest mushrooms around.

If you are in Kennett Square on Friday, Sept. 7, make reservations at your favorite Kennett Square restaurant for Dining in the Streets. Watch the Community Parade go by at 6 p.m. Then it’s Dancing in the Streets with local band Good Foot until 9:30 p.m.

Dear Mushroom Festival Fans:

The 33rd Annual Mushroom Festival is here! We are excited to once again share our beautiful town of Kennett Square as we celebrate mushrooms in the Mushroom Capital of the World.

First, I’d like to thank everyone who made this Festival a reality. We couldn’t do it without our generous sponsors, our vendors and our volunteers. We especially couldn’t do it without the support of the Kennett Square community. A special thank you goes out to all the residents of Kennett Square Borough, whose usual routines are disturbed for the weekend. We appreciate the dedication of Kennett Square’s police department and borough employees to making a successful Festival possible each year.

July with the passing of Rich Forte. He played an integral part in creating the Growers’ Exhibit and worked tirelessly each year to tell our visitors the story of how mushrooms are commercially grown in the region. Rich was a part of the region’s mushroom industry for 50 years. We miss him greatly. The 33rd Annual Mushroom Festival is dedicated to his memory.

This year we crossed the $1 million milestone, when the Mushroom Festival gave back $114,000 in grants and donations to 50 local non-profit organizations, and funds were donated for health research. These grants enable these organizations to improve and/or continue their work throughout the region, extending the Festival’s impact well beyond our September celebration.

We lost a huge supporter of the Mushroom Festival this

The Mushroom Festival celebrates the crop that dominates our local economy. People often ask why Kennett Square is the Mushroom Capital of the World. The answer is in its history and the economy. The first cultivated mushrooms grown in the United States were grown here in town in the basement of a carnation growing facility on Willow Street. Mushrooms are the No. 1 cash crop in Pennsylvania and over half of the mushrooms grown in the United States come from the Kennett Square region.

Looking forward to seeing you Sept. 8 and 9! Don’t forget about our Community Parade with Dining and Dancing in the Streets on Friday, September 7, too.

Kathi

Lafferty Festival Coordinator

Spotlight on Giorgio Fresh Mushrooms

Longtime sponsor sings praises of mushrooms

Giorgio Fresh senior VP discusses the firm, food, and festival

Along with the hundreds of hardworking volunteers who turn the streets of Kennett Square into mushroom heaven for fungi fans, the generous sponsors are also counted on to make the annual Mushroom Festival a reality.

In addition to educating visitors about the mushroom and promoting Southern Chester County, the Mushroom Festival contributes to local and regional charities through grant programs.

According to the festival website, “Sponsor support is integral to the success of the festival and benefits local and regional charities with funding through a grant process. The Mushroom Festival reached the $1 million milestone in giving back to local non-profits through donations and grants in 2018 since starting the program in 2000. For 2018, 52 organizations received a record $114,068 in grants.”

And like many of the volunteers, some of the sponsors have been part of the festival – now in its 33rd year – for many years, including Giorgio Fresh Mushrooms.

Bill Litvin has worked for Giorgio Fresh since 1986 and is the firm’s senior vice president of sales. He answered some questions about the company’s business philosophy, its involvement in the festival and his favorite mushroom.

Bill Litvin, Senior Vice President of Sales, has been with Giorgio Fresh for 32 years.

Jump

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Giorgio’s has made its mark in Pennsylvania for a long time and can trace its beginnings back 90 years. Can you give us a brief history of the company?

A: Pietro and Elvira Giorgi, grandparents of the current owner Peter Giorgi, built our first mushroom houses in Temple, Pa. [Berks County] in 1928. Since then, Giorgio’s tradition of excellence has continued decade by decade, from the 1920s through the 1950s, when we added a cannery to meet the demands of the supermarket industry, right through the 1970s, when we opened a modern facility to produce frozen mushrooms. Today, as we continue to grow, we are investing considerable time and energy into the innovative management philosophy called Kaizen. This program stresses the value of seeking “continuous improvement” in everything we undertake – from growing and processing to service and delivery. It is our obsession with detail and perfection that has led us to set the industry standard for quality and reliability.

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Giorgio Fresh is a regular feature of the annual Mushroom Festival.

Giorgio Fresh Mushrooms

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Where are Giorgio’s mushrooms distributed? Other states or countries?

Giorgio distributes fresh mushrooms from Maine to Florida, and west to Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri. From our joint venture, MGA in Mexico, we ship to the Texas market.

What are some of the mushrooms you sell and what are the best sellers? Do you have a personal favorite?

We sell both conventional and organic mushrooms – everything from white and portabella mushrooms to exotic varieties like oyster, maitake and shiitake mushrooms. Our best-selling mushrooms are the traditional white mushrooms. But sales are growing most rapidly in our organic offerings, our value-added products including stuffed mushrooms and blendabella, and specialty mushrooms like shiitakes.

My personal favorite is the royal trumpet, also called the king oyster. This is a great-tasting mushroom which is very versatile in recipes. Of course, I also love the blended mushroom options like burgers, meatballs, meatloaf, and tacos made with meat and diced mushrooms.

Tell us about your company’s presence in Chester County. Giorgio Fresh has a packing operation in Chester County, as well as contract growers.

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Shiitakes are an ingredient in the recipe for Frizzled Shitake Mushroom, Sugar Snap Pea, Carrot and Corn Salad (available at www.giorgiofresh.com).

Traditional white are the best sellers at Giorgio Fresh.

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How did Giorgio’s Fresh Mushrooms become involved in the Mushroom Festival?

Giorgio is committed to the promotion of the mushroom industry. We became involved in the Mushroom Festival shortly after its inception. We have exhibited and sampled our product for several years, helping give consumers new, easy, and exciting ways to incorporate mushrooms into their diet.

In addition to its sponsorship, how will Giorgio’s be involved in the festival?

Giorgio will have a booth offering samples of Giorgio’s products, including some of our new, most innovative products like Savory Wild, our plant-based mushroom jerky.

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Royal trumpet, maitake and beech are three of the organic varieties sold by Giorgio Fresh Mushrooms. Royal trumpet is also known at the king oyster.

Giorgio Fresh Mushrooms

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What do you think is the importance of the Mushroom Festival? Does it help both your company and the industry at large? How do you think the public benefits from the festival?

Mushrooms are synonymous with Pennsylvania and we love supporting our local community. With this outstanding opportunity to reach out to consumers who by their participation are mushroom enthusiasts, being part of this event is just good common sense for Giorgio Fresh.

What is it that people really like about mushrooms? Taste, texture or something else?

Mushrooms are not only packed with nutrients, but they are busting with the savory umami flavor (the fifth taste). This appeals to many consumers who can’t get enough.

What are some of the more imaginative ways which you’ve heard about mushrooms being prepared?

We have hundreds of recipes on our website – we even have some great dessert recipes, such as our mushroom praline fudge and mushroom brownies, both delicious.

Going forward, what are the growth prospects for Giorgio’s? Are there still untapped markets?

Giorgio’s growth in the fresh mushroom category has been spectacular, but with the best still to come. While

maintaining our top-of-the-line quality programs, we are also working on the innovations that will define the mushroom category of the future. As consumers look for more flexitarian, vegetarian, or vegan options, Giorgio mushrooms will increasingly be the go-to source for consumer solutions.

– Natalie Smith

Pennsylvania Dutchman crimini mushrooms are a Giorgio Fresh offering.

2018 Honorary Chair: Carla Lucas

In her final year as the Mushroom Festival’s Administrative Coordinator, the Mushroom Festival’s Board of Directors surprised Carla Lucas by announcing her as the 2018 Honorary Chair at this year’s Spring Gala in April.

As the festival’s Administrative Coordinator, her goal is to keep the festival running smoothly all year long.

Long before becoming involved with the Mushroom Festival, Carla would come with friends to enjoy the annual festival. She become a Mushroom Festival supporter and volunteer after attending one of the Grant Awards ceremonies for the Chester County Press, where a number of local non-profits received funds to continue their work in the community.

supports the committee chairs and processes all the applications and entry forms for all of the various events and contests.

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“I remember thinking how great it was that the Mushroom Festival could support so many organizations and that I would like to become more involved with volunteering for the organization,” Lucas said.

She certainly did become involved with the Mushroom Festival. Carla is ending her third term (nine years) on the Mushroom Festival’s Board of Directors. One of her first duties was to organize the Cute-As-A-Button (Mushroom) Baby Photo Contest, which she continues to do each year. She is chair of the Grants Committee and kept track of the funds given out each year. As the Administrative Coordinator for the festival, she works closely with Kathi Lafferty, the festival’s Coordinator, to see that all the details are in place for a great event. She updates the website’s content each year and writes the press releases to inform the public of the various events connected to the festival. She

Carla and her husband, Jerry, are longtime residents of Landenberg. They raised two children, Greg and Kate. Greg and his wife Kay live in Ft. Collins, Colo.,with their two children, Miles and Avery. Kate and her husband Brandon live in Salt Lake City, Utah. Carla will join her husband in retirement after this year’s festival and they plan to travel the country before deciding where to

Always searching for new ‘angles’ to photograph the festival, Carla Lucas climbed the Kennett Fire Company’s Hook and Ladder truck hanging over the center of town last year.

settle next. She is looking forward to the adventure.

Besides her work with the Mushroom Festival, Carla is the chair of Friends of White Clay Creek Preserve. She also volunteers with her husband at Friends of Auburn Heights and the Marshall Steam Team.

“Kennett Square is an amazing place filled with wonderful people,” she said. “I have enjoyed my years here, getting to know the people, the mushroom industry, and the town. Looking back over the last decade, I am thrilled to know that the time spent working on the Mushroom Festival resulted in helping so many people in the community. It is amazing to be celebrating the $1 million milestone with so many generous people.”

Davulcu designs 33rd annual Mushroom Festival souvenir T-shirt

Heather Davulcu, of April Heather Art, designed the 2018 Mushroom Festival souvenir T-shirt. Her Mushroom Wreath is filled with her unique take on the region’s commercially grown mushrooms.

Davulcu is inspired by the beauty of diversity and strives to illustrate empowered women in all walks of life.

Having studied fashion design and costume history in college, Davulcu worked for a short time in costume design before embarking on a mural painting business in Austin, Texas. After moving to the East Coast and becoming a mom, her work transitioned from murals into illustration and licensing.

From fabric and greeting cards, to home decor and giftware, Davulcu’s work has appeared on many products in the marketplace. Her designs have been found at Pier One, Joanne’s, Michael’s, and Wayfair, and currently on greeting cards that are available at Trader Joe’s. In addition, she has illustrated three coloring books and runs two busy etsy shops. Davulcu is married to her college sweetheart for 25 years, and is the proud mom of two girls, ages 19 and 16.

Visit her online at www.aprilheatheart. com, on Instagram @AprilHeatherArt, or her studio in Kennett Square inside the Square Pear Gallery, 200 East State Street.

2018 Mushroom Festival Board of Directors

Michelle Gazdik, President

Gus Carozzo, Vice President

Bill McDougall, Treasurer

Gina Puoci, Secretary

Jennifer Basciani

Anita D’Amico

Lori Gebert

Randy Lieberman

Carl Lowe

Carla Lucas

Samantha Snyder

Kathi Lafferty, Festival Coordinator resident surer y

The 33rd Annual Mushroom Festival is dedicated to the memory of

Rich Forte

for his dedication to the Mushroom Festival and fifty years in the mushroom industry

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

Fantastic feats of eats expected at the 7th annual National Mushroom Eating Championship

again be “must-see” entertainment.

The National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship has quickly become one of the highlights of the Mushroom Festival each year, and the 7th annual event, which is sponsored by Buona Foods and emceed by Kennett Square’s own Monty “Moe Train” Wiradilaga, will once

“This is the National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship,” explained Moe Train, an avid food and drink enthusiast who is himself a standout competitive eater. “This event just gets bigger and bigger every year. Some of the world’s top eaters are going to be competing.”

In addition to Moe Train’s duties as an emcee during the day of the event, he also helps bring in the competitive

All photos courtesy

The 7th annual National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship takes place at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8 during the Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square.

eaters for the mushroom eating contest. Some of the competitive eaters are former Wing Bowl participants or YouTube stars, and they are all colorful characters who are willing and able to put on a show for the audience. The competition will be intense, with over $2,000 in overall and local cash prizes up for grabs.

Moe Train knows the competitive eating world well. He has competed in the Wing Bowl in Philadelphia, finishing in the top-five two years in a row. He also brings some of the over-the-top enthusiasm and spectacle of the Wing Bowl to Kennett Square.

The excitement will reach a crescendo as some of the top-ranked professional eaters battle it out on the same stage as local amateurs. The event always delivers the fun and excitement. When the 2018 National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship takes place in the Special Events Tent at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, the talented competitors will not only be vying against each other, they will also be

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with Brian Soscia A Q

Brian Soscia is well known in this area as a radio personality, having spent 12 years working in the

Philadelphia market before taking his Soscia Network to 93.7 WSTW-FM in Delaware. He will be helping to emcee the National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship at the 2018 Mushroom Festival, a duty that he also handled in 2017.

Q: What did you think of being a part of the National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship? Is it a fun event?

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A: I mean, the name says it all! National! Right here in Kennett Square! Awesome! It’s a can’t-miss event! You never know what’s going to happen, especially when you throw my boy Moe Train into the mix! It was and is an honor to be part of such a top-notch event. Once again this year, I’ll be expecting to feel the buzz around the Mushroom Festival leading up to the championship festivities!

Brian Soscia

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competing to set a new world record, which is currently 11.5 pounds of Buona Foods’ breaded fried mushrooms devoured in just 8 minutes.

The 2017 contest was a memorable battle to the very end, with competitive eating legend Dave “Tiger Wings” Brunelli edging out competitive eater and YouTube star Dan “Killer” Kennedy by less than a half pound.

This year’s contest should be just as exciting, Wiradilaga said. He expects Bob “Notorious B.O.B.” Shoudt, one of the top competitive eaters in the world, to take part in the National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship. Moe Train is also eager to see Frankie “The Freak” Paul take on Pittsburgh Paulie, who is always a top villain at the Wing Bowl.

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The mushroom eating contest has become one of the highlights of the Mushroom Festival with Monty “Moe Train” Wiradilaga serving as the emcee.

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Brian Soscia

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Did you consider being a participant in the National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship yourself?

C’mon! Those dudes would eat me up and spit me out … and they’d still be hungry! These guys train for this. They take it very seriously because a win means more money in their bank accounts and bragging rights. The amount of mushrooms that they chow down on would leave me in a twoweek food coma. No way I’d even stand a chance.

So if you were going to enter a competitive foodeating contest, what food would it be?

To me, all this question really says is,”Brian, you get FREE Pizza!” I’d eat until I fell over. Then, I’d have them prop me back up so that I could eat some more.

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Courtesy photo WSTW radio personality Brian Soscia helps host the National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship in Kennett Square.

Eating Championship

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Moe Train said that one thing that distinguishes the Fried Mushroom Eating Championship from other competitive eating events is that the food is delicious, and the competitive eaters enjoy what they are consuming.

“It’s definitely a different kind of eating contest,” Moe Train explained. “The Buona Foods’ fried, breaded mushrooms are just delicious.”

The quality of the food is so good that it actually helps attract competitors to the event. Moe Train said that he hopes to have around 16 or 18 competitors entered into the event for 2018.

The pre-game festivities begin at 2:30 p.m. with Moe Train entertaining the crowd. His tag team partner for this is Brian Soscia, a well-known radio personality who works at 93.7 FM WSTW.

“Brian and I met when I was doing the Mushroom Festival three years ago,” Moe Train explained. “We clicked right away. The chemistry that we have is just great. He has great energy. Brian is just a great dude—very personable.”

Moe Train said that he and some of the Mushroom Festival organizers are still working on lining up some additional pre-competition entertainment this year to get the crowd fired up. The goal is to keep topping last year’s event.

The best part of the Mushroom Festival, of course, is the fact that it shines a spotlight on Kennett Square, the Mushroom Capital of the World. This is something that is personally important to Moe Train because he is a Kennett Square native who still lives in the area.

“It’s an honor to emcee the event. Doing the Mushroom Festival is just awesome for me,” Moe Train explained. “I grew up in Kennett Square. I graduated from Kennett High School. I love being able to entertain the people of Kennett Square.”

Monty “Moe Train” Wiradilaga has a Podcast called the Moe Train Show that is available online. He also has a website that features more of his activities and antics at www.moetrainshow.com.

Brian Soscia

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You are a former professional wrestler, so it’s no surprise that you and Moe Train (Monty Wiradilaga) make such a good tag team. What’s it like working with him during the mushroom eating contest?

It’s an absolute pleasure. He’s a very knowledgeable competitor and he’s also a showman. Plus, I always know that I’ll have a great time with the Train. Not only will I, but you will, too. We feed off of the crowd! Luckily, we play to a capacity crowd that’s ready to be entertained and see amazing feats of eats.

You do a lot of events that connect WSTW to its community. Can you talk about that a little?

It’s one of the best parts of my job. I get to come and hang out with you at events like the Mushroom Festival. Plus, we get to make an impact on people’s lives by doing things like the 93.7 WSTW Radio-thon. We help to raise tons of money for Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. It’s a great feeling! Those kids are some of the most positive people that I’ve ever met and they deserve every dime that we can get for them! I also enjoy working with my friends at Special Olympics of Delaware. I never leave one of their events without a big smile.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 8

Time: 3 p.m.

Location: Special Events Tent (E. State and Willow Streets)

Pre-contest entertainment starts at 2:30

Partnerships make the festival work

By Carla Lucas

The Mushroom Festival takes place in Kennett Square one weekend a year. In just a few hours, the streets of Kennett Square are transformed and thousands of visitors are welcomed to town to explore all that Kennett Square has to offer. It takes an army of dedicated volunteers to make it work.

Over the years, several Kennett Square organizations that are a part of the community year-round have partnered with the Mushroom Festival to provide volunteers for this event. Without these organizations, the Mushroom Festival would not have grown or gained its reputation as a first-class event.

The Mushroom Festival welcomes other organizations to come together and adopt one of the booths. The Button-Up-a-Booth program encourages businesses and organizations to donate their time at one of the booths in exchange for being able to set out literature about their organizations while they are volunteering.

The Mushroom Festival uses SignUp Genius to manage all available volunteer opportunities. There is a link from the Mushroom Festival website (www.mushroomfestival. org) to their Sign-Up Genius page. Call the festival office at 610-9253373 for more information.

Highlighted below are four organizations who work to make the festival a great success.

Knights of Columbus and the Ladies of St. Patrick’s Church

St. Patrick’s Church of Kennett Square’s chapter of the Knights of Columbus and the Ladies of St. Patrick’s organization adopted the CuteAs-A-Button (Mushroom) Baby Photo Contest booth. The proceeds of this contest are donated to A.I. DuPont Children’s Hospital.

The partnership is a win-win situation. The Knights of Columbus chapter was looking for a way to help the community and be involved with the Mushroom Festival. Helping kids is an important part of the Knights of Columbus mission. The group’s enthusiasm and dedication are helping to make the event bigger and better. Because of their support, the registration form was translated into Spanish to encourage more participation. They also plan to increase “votes” (donations) by giving away golf balls to those who “vote” more than $3. Stop by the booth at State and Meredith streets to meet the Knights and the Ladies of St. Patrick’s Church and vote with your pocket change to support the A.I. DuPont Children’s Hospital.

All photos by Carla Lucas

Kennett Square Rotary and Longwood Rotary

Members of Longwood Rotary and Kennett Square Rotary staff the Information Booth in the center of town at State and North Union streets. These members are community leaders who can help guests with questions about Kennett Square as well as the festival. When this partnership was made many years ago, it relieved the festival organizers of finding qualified individuals to staff the booth. Now the organization does the staffing and the festival is well represented in the Information Booth.

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Partnerships

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Masonic Lodge

More than a decade ago, members of the Kennett Square Masonic Lodge came to the Mushroom Festival and said they would like to become involved with the event. What was missing at the festival at that time were vendors serving mushroom soup. What came out of those discussions was the making and selling of the Official Mushroom Soup.

Members of this all-men’s fraternity adapted a mushroom grower’s family recipe for mushroom soup and prepare it each year in large batches in their kitchen, one block off the main festival boulevard (Cypress and Center streets). Most of these men have no kitchen or cooking experience, but they learned how to prepare this one recipe.

The rich, thick, chicken-based soup is overflowing with sliced button mushrooms.

Guests can enjoy a cup as they sit in the air-conditioned dining room, or bring a quart home for later. The Masonic Lodge uses part of the proceeds from the sales for scholarships to local graduating high school seniors.

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Kennett High School Sports Boosters

It is hard to imagine what the festival would be like without the staff, students and parents of Kennett High School. Selling wristbands at the festival’s 14 entrances are parents and students of Kennett Square High School’s sports teams, under the guidance of the Kennett High School Athletic Boosters. Providing set-up, take-down and general help throughout the festival is a core group of high school volunteers from the Kennett High School Walk-in-Knowledge afterschool program. Even the Kennett High School Alumni Association is involved, helping with parking at the satellite parking lots. The Kennett Marching Band makes it a priority each year to lead the Community Parade.

Chadds

Spotlight on South Mill Mushrooms

South Mill is a supporter of ‘amazing community event’

The Mushroom Festival has been fortunate to have had many generous and enthusiastic sponsors over the years. Some companies have long histories with the festival, and some individuals within those companies – including South Mill Mushroom’s Director of Business Growth and Development, Mike Pia, Jr. – have personal connections to the festival as well. He answered some questions about the Kennett Square firm and his own links to the festival.

Q: South Mill has had a strong presence in Chester County for many years. Can you give a brief history of the company?

A.: South Mill’s roots in the mushroom industry go back nearly a century, to when my great-grandfather, John Pia, first began growing mushrooms in New Garden Township. Four generations later, South Mill has grown to be one of the largest mushroom producers in North America and is considered a leader of innovation in the industry, particularly in the area of mushroom substrate production. South Mill operates four distribution centers

in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia, and distributes fresh and processed mushrooms throughout the U.S. and Canada.

What are some of the production developments South Mill has made over the years?

Over 15 years ago, South Mill instituted a unique method of producing mushroom substrate (compost). With the high concentration of composting being conducted in Chester County, odors and other offensive attributes can interfere with good neighbor relations. Our European technology, which today is still the only one of its kind in North America, eliminates the nuisances associated with conventional mushroom composting by bringing the process completely indoors.

How did South Mill become involved in the Mushroom Festival?

South Mill has supported the Mushroom Festival through contributions and volunteers since it started. I was a Board member and volunteer, and have been to the festival every year since I was a child.

South Mill’s technology eliminates the nuisances associated with conventional mushroom composting by bringing the process completely indoors.

South Mill Mushroom

Continued from Page 44

What do you think is the importance of the Mushroom Festival? How do you think the public benefits from the festival?

The Mushroom Festival has created an amazing community event, not only for a great cause, but it’s an event people look forward to every fall. It’s great exposure for all things mushroom -- from health speakers, to cooking demonstrations, to the ability to buy fresh mushrooms you might never find in a grocery store. Also, we are fortunate that the Borough of Kennett Square has such a beautiful street for this event to take place.

What are some of the mushrooms you sell, and what are the best sellers? Do you have a personal favorite?

South Mill grows and sells a full line of conventional, specialty and organic mushrooms. This includes Whites, Creminis, Portabellas, Shiitakes, Oysters and other specialty mushrooms. Our best seller is the conventional white mushroom; however, my personal favorite is the yellow oyster mushroom. The yellow oyster has a sweet taste. They are very delicate and go well with everything.

What are some of the more imaginative ways which you’ve heard about mushrooms being prepared? Do you have a favorite mushroom recipe?

The yellow oyster mushroom fries up nicely with some olive oil and garlic. We also have new, innovative products such as Mushroom Crisps, Mushroom Bars, and Mushroom Jerky launched this year under South Mills newest snacking brand. – Natalie Smith

One of the latest snack foods sold by South Mill is their Mushroom Jerky.

A message of inclusion

Booking Alejandro Escovedo for the Mushroom Festival is a coup for local promoter

By John Chambless Staff Writer

When Alejandro Escovedo steps onstage with his band at the Mushroom Festival on Sept. 8, it will be much more than a concert to Andrew Miller, who runs the Kennett Flash. It will be a statement of support and unity for a community that’s been a target for division and anger.

“I’m very excited about this show, because I believe this concert helps us meet our mission,” Miller said. The show, he said, “is about the possibility of connecting the current immigration discussion with Alejandro, a first-generation Mexican American, playing a massive agricultural festival, in a town that is 50 percent Latino -- a town of immigrants and migrant workers.”

Escovedo’s heartfelt, sometimes autobiographical songs

have attracted high-profile admirers and collaborators, including John Cale of the Velvet Underground, Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey of R.E.M., Tony Visconti, Chuck Prophet and Ryan Adams. When Escovedo was critically ill with hepatitis-C, a who’s-who of musicians – from the Jayhawks to Son Volt to Steve Earle to Lucinda Williams – were part of a tribute album to raise money for his medical bills.

“Alejandro has long stressed family in his music, and that makes sense, given the size and acclaim of his own family,” Miller said. “His brothers, Pete and Coke, both played with the original Santana band. Pete’s daughter is the percussionist Shelia E, who both played with Prince and had a long solo career. Alejandro’s brother Javier formed punk bands, just as he did in the ‘70s.”

The Escovedo concert, which will take place in the Special Events tent at the Mushroom Festival, is another coup for

The Flash, which scored a sold-out concert by 10,000 Maniacs last year.

“I’ve been working on confirming an artist for the 2018 Mushroom Festival probably for the past two months, in one way or another,” Miller said. “Alejandro was on my short list for 2017. Ultimately, I did submit an offer for Alejandro last year, but he ended up not being available.

“That’s what can be tricky about booking an event like this. You either need a regional act, or you are essentially throwing darts at a board. Any artist will play a show for a price, but as a fundraiser, we need to keep expenses down as much as possible. For this year, I made a wish list of about 25 artists, and had Alejandro on that list again. I looked to see what might be possible before cold-calling agents. If an artist was in California the day before, they probably can’t do Kennett the next day. Once you inquire about one artist, however, those agents will jump to suggest others.

“The New York Times had just published an article about immigration and Kennett Square, and that impacted me,” Miller said. “I really felt the need to do something that reached beyond money for the Flash. This event is an opportunity for us to do something more important than a fundraiser. So I emailed Alejandro’s management again, and I included that article. In his announcement of the show online, he made mention of the Mushroom Festival being ‘one of the important community festivals,’ and I really think he got it, and got what we wanted to do. It wasn’t about a pay day.

“Alejandro already has a foothold in this area. He has history in Philadelphia, Wilmington and Arden – shows upon shows,” Miller said. “But he reaches beyond that with this concert. He goes deeper. And I totally think he gets that, and that’s why he wanted to do this.”

Continued on Page 50

Andrew Miller (right) with Alejandro Escovedo. ‘He’s a performer, a storyteller, and surrounds himself with some of the best musicians in the world,’ Miller says.

Live Every Day.

Alejandro Escovedo

Continued from Page 49

Moment.

Alejandro Escovedo has a long history of albums that reveal his own story, as well as that of Mexican Americans.

Miller admires Escovedo’s music and his message. “I first saw him at The North Star Bar in Philadelphia, circa 2001,” he said. “I had not heard his music until I saw him live. That show blew me away. I ended up seeing him countless more times over the years. I’ve long been turning people on to his music, often by exposing them to it live before they hear a recording. He’s a performer, a storyteller, and surrounds himself with some of the best musicians in the world.

“When Bruce Springsteen brought him out on stage with the E Street Band, a lot of people didn’t know who he was, but Bruce and his band did,” Miller said. “Countless NPR features don’t always equal widespread awareness. But I get emails from key people – phone calls and texts from people who can’t believe Alejandro is playing Kennett, with a full band. Other Philadelphia area concert producers and promoters are congratulating me on the ‘get’ and what it will mean for Kennett and the Mushroom Festival. I reached out to WXPN to have them be a part of the show, and they couldn’t agree fast enough. It’s awesome to have them involved.

“I do think it will be a successful fundraiser for The Flash, but more importantly, I think we’ve booked an artist that is going to bring something special to Kennett Square,” Miller said. “It’s a message through music of diversity and inclusion. Kinda cool stuff.”

Saturday, Sept. 8

The Kennett Flash and 88.5 WXPN welcome The 2018 Mushroom Festival Concert with The Alejandro Escovedo Band

7 p.m. doors

8 p.m. show

$35 general admission

$55 VIP seating

The Special Events Tent at The Mushroom Festival (320 E. State St.) Kennett Square Tickets are available at www.kennettflash.org.

Annual race moves to Pennock Park on Sept. 9

The Mushroom Festival 5K and Frances Ferranto 2-Mile Fun Walk: New course, new name

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

For the past decade, under the guidance of the Kennett Area Parks and Recreation, the annual Mushroom Festival 5K and its accompanying 2-Mile Fun Walk has kicked off on South Street in front of Kennett High School.

Given to the friendliness and ease of routine – basically, it was just up the road and back – it has also been the site where the races have finished. Yet, reflective of the everevolving Mushroom Festival just up the street, these two races will have a new course, and one of them has been given a new name.

The 2018 5K course and 2-mile walk will begin at Pennock Park, and meander past local mushroom houses, through rolling meadows, forested areas and over a creek, and end back at Pennock Park. The new course now gives competitors the opportunity to compete about half the race on a non-pavement course.

“It’s a better course for runners,” said John Ramagano, who will again be serving as master of ceremonies for the races. “We decided to break it up and regain some interest and also help with the time and effort that the communities are putting into the various trails around the park. The traditional course was a 5K that was run purely on roads. This year’s course is now 50 percent on the roads and about 50 percent on trails – trails that have just been refurbished and well-groomed and lined with gravel, mulch or a natural environment.”

Ramagano said that the new course is not only friendlier to the runners and walkers, but also for those who are coming to watch the races.

“For a runner, there is a lot of spirit to the new course,” he said. “It allows the runner to enjoy the sounds of a brook for instance, or catch the sight of a nearby deer, but let’s say someone wanted to see a member of their family run the race. At the old course, they couldn’t really do it. Now, you can walk toward the end of the course directly from the

Courtesy photos

This year’s Mushroom Festival 5K and 2-Mile Walk will enjoy a new location at Pennock Park.

park, near the trails or by the creek, and 15 or 20 minutes later, you can see your family member run by.”

Previously known as the 2-Mile Fun Walk, the Frances Ferranto 2-Mile Fun Walk is named in honor of an avid walker and long-time supporter of the Mushroom Festival 5K and Walk. Ferranto, who passed away in April at the age of 73, was a longtime resident of Kennett Square and a life-long parishioner of St. Patrick Church. She graduated from Kennett High School and started her career at J.B. Swayne Mushroom, where she worked for 35 years. Her love of the outdoors was evident by her small vegetable garden and her beautiful display of seasonal flowers which adorned her yard in the borough. It was fitting that she later completed her career working at Longwood Gardens. She enjoyed life as a borough resident, where she could be seen taking her morning walks, or volunteering at many events, like the Mushroom Festival.

will be managed and timed by the Chester County Running Store. Each competitor will be timed through the use of an electronic chip. In addition, each participant will receive a Mushroom Festival Run/Walk t-shirt, while supplies last; a wristband that entitles the competitor to admission to the Mushroom Festival; and refreshments throughout the race.

Ramagano, the head coach of the track and field and cross country teams at Kennett High School, will be accompanied by volunteer members of the school’s teams, and the race

Race Information

Mushroom 5K Run Divisions

Male and Female in the following age groups: 12 and under, 13 to 19, 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59 and 60 and over; and Clydesdale (male runners over 200 pounds) and Athena (female runners over 200 pounds) Prizes

Mushroom 5K Run

Overall Males and Females: $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place. Medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division.

Frances Ferranto 2-Mile Fun Walk

Participation ribbons are awarded to all walkers as they

cross the finish line.

Registration Details & Deadlines

• Early Registration by September 6, 2018 (online, mail-in or drop-off) is $25 — there is an additional $2.50 sign-up fee for online registration

• Race Day Registration — September 9, 2018 — $30 (opens 7:30 a.m. at Pennocks Park, 650 W South Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348)

• Children under 12 are FREE with no t-shirt or $10 with a Youth L T-shirt

Ramagano said that the Mushroom 5K draws competitors in three categories: Highly-competitive runners who can complete the race is as little as 15 minutes; those who compete regularly in similar races in order to break personal records, such as a 5K in less than 20 minutes; and those “who are coming to get their bracelet and walk through the community in order to see what the Mushroom Festival is all about,” he said. In the pecking order of Kennett Square races, Ramagano said that the Mushroom 5K is securely the third most popular race in the town, trailing the Kennett Run in May and the Mushroom Cap 13.1, which will take place on Nov. 3 at Kennett High School. More important than the finish

Mushroom Festival 5K and Frances Ferranto 2-Mile Fun Walk

Sunday, September 9

Time: 5K – 8:30 a.m. — 2 Mile Walk 8:35 a.m.

Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. Pennock Park, 650 W South Street, Kennett Square

For complete registration information for the 5K run and the Frances Ferranto 2-Mile Fun Walk, visit www.mushroomfestival.org.

The 5K run and 2-mile walk have long been a tradition at the annual Mushroom Festival.

This year’s trail will navigate through the Parrish Trail in Kennett Square.

Annual Race

Continued from Page 53

times and awards that highlight the other two races, the Mushroom Festival 5K and the Frances Ferranto 2-Mile Fun Walk are all about community and families, said Suzanne Geouque of the Kennett Area Park and Recreation Board.

“There’s a lot of moms who push carriages, and it’s that added and friendly component that is not always seen in many 5Ks,” Geouque said. “We don’t want our competitors to just run and walk and leave, because here, there’s things to do afterwards. You can enjoy the park, but you can also enjoy the Mushroom Festival.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

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2018 Mushroom Festival Schedule of Events & Map

Friday, Sept 7

Community Parade

Join us for our annual Community Parade on Friday evening, Sept. 7. Our theme: Mushrooms on Parade.

Dining and Dancing in the Streets

Come into Kennett Square Borough for the parade and then stay to enjoy the sounds of Good Foot, one of the area’s favorite dance bands. State Street restaurants will have special tables lining the Community Parade route where you can watch the Parade while you enjoy your dinner.

Old Fashioned Carnival

Take a trip down memory lane when summer meant the carnival came to town. Houghton Enterprises brings their carnival and midway to the Genesis parking lot (South Broad Street) with rides, games, and carnival foods bringing the sights, sounds, and scents of this great

family tradition back to Kennett Square. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Sept 8

Street Fair

Nearly 250 vendors from all over the country will line the streets with arts, crafts, food and more. Restaurants in the downtown area will prepare their mushroom specialty dishes. The Street Fair spans from Willow Street to Garﬁeld Street. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Antique and Classic Car Show

Shady and spacious Broad Street, with its numerous examples of Victorian architecture, provides the backdrop to our Antique and Classic Car Show.

Culinary Events

chefs sharing their tips and recipes on the Giorgi Demonstration Kitchen this year include:

• 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.: Melissa D’Arabian, star of Food Network’s Ten Dollar Dinners, and winner of Season 5 Food Network Star.

• 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.: Jennifer Daskevich, 2013 World Food Sandwich Champion, chef Mushroom Growers’ Exhibit

See mushrooms come to life from the tiny spore to the mature, ready to eat fungi! Walk your way through the mushroom growing exhibit, where you will see how white button, shiitake, maitake, oyster, and royal trumpet mushrooms grow. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Mushroom Soup at Masonic Lodge Everyone asks for Mushroom Soup when they attend the Mushroom Festival. Our good friends at the Masonic Lodge sell a traditional

The 2018 Mushroom Festival is dedicated to the memory of Rich Forte.

mushroom soup made from a mushroom grower’s family recipe. It’s overﬂowing with fresh Kennett Square mushrooms. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Painted Mushrooms

Silent Auction Artists become very creative with these 108 lb. toadstools – perfect for your garden or home. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three artists. Everyone can vote for their Festival Favorite-- the winning artist receives a cash prize, too! Painted Mushrooms are displayed at State and Broad Streets. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Cute-As-A-Button

(Mushroom) Baby Photo Contest Who do you think is the Cutest Button, Crimini and Portabella? Vote for your favorite contestant/

Celebrating our 33 Anniversary 2018

Everyone 12 and older is required to purchase a festival admission wristband– proceeds benefit local non-profit organizations and cancer research.

This year, the Mushroom Festival awarded $164,000 in grants to 50 local non-profit organizations.

Since 2000, the Mushroom Festival has given over $1 million to local non-profits through our Grants Program.

Bags are subject to inspection.

Continued from Page 59

photo with your pocket change in this baby photo contest near State and Meredith Streets. All proceeds beneﬁt the A. I. DuPont Children’s Hospital through WSTW’s “Help Our Kids” radiothon. 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mushroom Sales

All types of mushrooms can be purchased at the Mushroom Sales Booths (see map for locations). Refrigerated trucks hold your mushroom purchases fresh until you are ready to leave the Festival. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Last pick-up is onehalf hour after Festival closes.

Live in Kennett Square on the Community Stage

Throughout the weekend there will be continuous live music for your listening pleasure at our music

venue’s new location – South Union and Cypress Streets.

• 12:30-1:30 p.m.Nicely, Smith and Hawkins

• 2-3 p.m. - evergo

• 3:30-4:30 p.m.Tim Celfo and Joe Hillman

• 5-6 p.m. - Orpheus Supertones

• 6-8 p.m. - Andrew Lipke Children’s Entertainment

Great entertainment is scheduled on Saturday for children of all ages. Check out the Children’s Stage at its new location: Lafayette Street!

• 11:11:30 a.m. -

Dan & Galla’s Musical Show

• 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. -

Jungle Joe’s Wildlife Adventures

• 12:30-1:15 p.m. - Pittman’s Magic, Juggling and Comedy Show

• 1:30-2:00 p.m. -

Jungle Joe’s Wildlife Adventures

• 2:00-2:30 p.m. -

Dan & Galla’s Musical Show

• 2:30-3:00 p.m. -

Jungle Joe’s Wildlife Adventures

• 3:15-4:00 p.m. - Pittman’s Magic, Juggling and Comedy Show

• 4:15-4:45 p.m. -

Jungle Joe’s Wildlife Adventures

• 4:45-5:15 p.m. -

Dan & Galla’s Musical Show (wrap up celebration)

Dan & Galla will be on hand all day as the event’s Master of Ceremonies. Visit the Children’s Stage between performances for some extra fun with Dan & Galla.

Old Fashioned Carnival

Take a trip down memory lane when summer meant the carnival came to town. Houghton Enterprises brings their carnival and midway to the Genesis parking lot (South Broad

Street) with rides, games, and carnival foods bringing the sights, sounds, and scents of this great family tradition back to Kennett Square. 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday in the Special Events Tent

Amateur Mushroom Cook-off Watch the Finalists face-off in the Special Events Tent to see which dish wows the judges. This year’s theme: Mushrooms Blended with Grassfed Beef or Lamb. First prize is $1500 cash and a ticket to the World Food Championships in Orange Beach, Alabama this November! Contestants are judged on originality, taste, presentation, and ease of preparation. Starts at 10:30 a.m. Judging at 11:30 a.m.

Fried

Mushroom

Eating Championship

Buona Food’s original breaded fried mushrooms are a Festival favorite every year! But only a few have the opportunity to eat copious amounts of the crunchy, mouth watering snacks during the National Fried Mushroom Eating Championship. To beat the World Record a contestant will have to eat more than 11.5 pounds of fried mushrooms in just 8 minutes! The local amateur record was set at 4 pounds. Join us in the Special Events Tent to watch the spectacle and cheer on the contestants as they challenge the 11.5-pound World Record! Pregame entertainment starts at 2:30 p.m. Contest begins at 3 p.m.

Saturday Evening Under the Tent –

Alejandro Escovedo and Don Antonio -- The Crossing

Extend your stay at the Mushroom Festival with an evening concert. This year Alejandro Escovedo and Don Antonio comes to Kennett Square. This is presented in partnership with Kennett Flash. Tickets, if available, are purchased through the Kennett Flash’s website. Doors open at 7 p.m. Concert starts at 8 p.m.

Sunday, Sept 9

Mushroom Run and Frances Ferranto Walk

Join us for an early morning run/walk through Kennett Square. All ages are welcome. New Location: Race starts and ﬁnishes at Pennock Park, 650 West South Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348. Registration opens at 7 a.m. Race begins at 8:30 a.m. sharp!

Street Fair

Nearly 250 vendors from all over the country will line the streets with arts, crafts, food and more. Restaurants

in the downtown area will be out on the street with their mushroom specialty dishes. The Street Fair spans from Willow Street to Garﬁeld Street. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Culinary Events

The Culinary Tent, at the corner of Broad Street and Cypress Street (next to the Growers’ Exhibit), brings a wide range of chefs to Kennett Square to share their love of cooking with mushrooms. Guest chefs sharing their tips and recipes on the Giorgi Demonstration Kitchen this year include:

10:30 a.m. - Barry Crumlich, PA Governor’s Executive Chef

Noon - Eric Theiss, QVC personality and chef

2 p.m. - Nick Farrell, Sovana Bistro, Unionville, PA

3:15 p.m. - Mark Eastman, Chef’s Haven, Hockessin, DE Soup and Wine Event

Come enjoy part of your day at our annual Soup and Wine Event. Cast your vote for the “Best Mushroom Soup in the Brandywine Valley” presented to you by local chefs. Enjoy PA wines and vote for your favorite. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Special Events Tent @ State and Willow. Last admission is at 3:15 p.m.

Mushroom Growers’ Exhibit

Mushroom Judging

Top growers in the county will enter their best mushrooms for judging. There will be ribbons awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, although the growers are more interested in “bragging rights.” Prize mushrooms will be available for purchase by festival attendees. Judging starts at Noon; sales begin around 1:30 p.m.

Mushroom Soup at Masonic Lodge

Everyone asks for Mushroom Soup when they attend the Mushroom Festival. Our good friends at the Masonic Lodge sell a traditional mushroom soup made from a mushroom grower’s family recipe. It’s overﬂowing with fresh Kennett Square mushrooms. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Painted Mushrooms

Silent Auction

Artists become very creative with these 108 lb. toadstools – perfect for your garden or home. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three artists. Everyone can vote for their Festival Favorite-- the winning artist receives a cash prize, too! Painted Mushrooms are displayed at State and Broad Streets. Last bid taken at 4 p.m.

Cute-As-A-Button

(Mushroom) Baby Photo Contest

Who do you think is the Cutest Button, Crimini and Portabella? Vote for your favorite contestant/ photo with your pocket change in this baby photo contest near State and Meredith Streets. All proceeds beneﬁt the A. I. DuPont Children’s Hospital through WSTW’s “Help Our Kids” radiothon. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Mushroom Sales

Live in Kennett Square on the Community Stage

Throughout the weekend there will be continuous live music for your listening pleasure at our music venue’s new location – South Union and Cypress Streets.

• 12-1 p.m. - Campbell and Son

• 1:30-2:30 p.m. - Hot Breakfast

• 3-4 p.m. - Brian Fitzy

Children’s Entertainment

Great entertainment is scheduled on Saturday for children of all ages. Check out the Children’s Stage at its new location: Lafayette Street!

• 11:00-11:30 a.m.- Dan & Galla’s Musical Show

• 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. -Pittman’s Magic, Juggling and Comedy Show

• 12:45-1:30 p.m. – Andrew’s Big Show

• 1:30-2:00 p.m. - Dan & Galla’s Musical Show

• 2:00-2:45 p.m. - Pittman’s Magic, Juggling and Comedy Show

• 3:00-3:45 p.m. – Andrew’s Big Show

• 3:45-4:30 p.m. - Dan & Galla’s Musical Show (wrap up celebration)

Dan & Galla will be on hand all day as the event’s Master of Ceremonies. Visit the Children’s Stage between performances for some extra fun with Dan & Galla.

Old Fashioned Carnival

Steam powered cars were all the rage at the turn of the 20th century Friends of Auburn Heights is bringing one of their Stanley Steamers to the Mushroom Festival. Firing-Up Demonstrations at 11:30 am and 3:15 p.m. Corner of North Union and State streets.

Meet Fun Gus

Fun Gus, the Mushroom Festival’s mascot, makes a few appearances during the Festival. Keep your eyes open for an 8-foot, red-capped mushroom strolling down the street.

What to make:

Inspirations for cooking with mushrooms

By Carla Lucas

You were at the Mushroom Festival and purchased a box of fresh mushrooms –now what? Or you brought home some fresh portabellas or shiitakes from your local grocery store -- now what? How do you learn what to do with exotic mushrooms like maitake, royal trumpet or oyster?

Inspiration can be found at the Mushroom Festival’s Culinary Tent, at local specialty stores in Kennett Square, and online at the Mushroom Central website.

This year at the Culinary Tent, Food Network’s Melissa D’Arabian (“Ten Dollar Dinners” and Season 5 Food Network Star winner) brings her unique take on cooking with mushrooms. She will do two demonstrations on Saturday, Sept. 8. Jennifer Daskevich, 2013 World Food Sandwich Champion and ambassador for True Aussie Grassfed Beef and Lamb, returns to Kennett Square on Saturday with new insights into cooking with mushrooms and grassfed beef and lamb on Saturday, too.

Courtesy photo

Meet Food Network’s Melissa D’Arabian when she visits Kennett Square on Sept. 8. She will share a mushroom recipe in the Culinary Tent at 1 and 3:15 p.m.

Cooking demonstration at The Woodlands at Phillips

Friday, Sept. 7, 2 p.m.:

Chef Kurt Jacobson, from Lancaster County, will be in the kitchen making blended meatballs. Free.

Saturday, Sept. 15, 11 a.m.:

William Padilla Brown will teach “How to make mushroom tinctures” (There is a $10 registration fee and you must register in advance by emailing woodlandspa@gmail.com or calling 610-444-2192)

Sunday features Barry Crumlich, executive chef at the Pennsylvania Governor’s residence, and Eric Theiss, chef, author, and host at QVC. Check the Schedule of Events for dates and times. The Culinary Tent is located at Broad Street and Cypress streets, behind the Growers’ Exhibit.

Cookbooks are a great source of inspiration. Available at the Mushroom Festival are two cookbooks dedicated to cooking with mushrooms. The 30th Anniversary Mushroom Festival Cookbook is filled with recipes collected from recipe competitions over the last 30 years. The Mushroom Lovers Cookbook is published by the American Mushroom Institute and features pages and pages of traditional mushroom recipes. Both cookbooks are sold at the Mushroom Sales Booths, the Souvenir Booth, and at The Mushroom

Saturday, Sept. 22, 11 a.m.:

Chef Natalie Jenks will be in the kitchen making a delicious mushroom soup. Free.

Saturday, Sept. 22, 11 a.m.:

Phillips Mushrooms’ mycologist, Tina Ellor, will be talking about the nutrition and health benefits of mushrooms. Free.

Cap (114 W. State St., Kennett Square). Also available at the Mushroom Sales Booths are free recipe cards and information about mushrooms.

If you live close to the area, The Woodlands at Phillips, on Kaolin Road in Kennett Square, offers cooking demonstrations based on mushrooms. Guests gather in their demonstration kitchen to watch and learn from regional chefs throughout the year. They sample the dish and receive free recipes to try at home. Demonstrations are listed on The Woodland’s website, or you can sign up for their email newsletters for up-to-date reports. Their website (www.thewoodlandsatphillips.com) also features mushroom recipes such as Portabello Taco with Mushroom Avocado and Corn Salsa, Mushroom Pot Pie with Mashed

Continued on Page 66

Guests learn to cook with mushrooms from Mark Eastman, of Chef’s Haven, during a cooking demonstration at The Woodlands at Phillips.

What to Make

Continued from Page 65

Potato Crust, and Mushroom and Spinach Egg Cup. (See box on page 65 for September demonstrations.)

Anyone worldwide can find inspiration for cooking with mushrooms at the Mushroom Council’s “Fresh Mushrooms” website: www.mushroomcouncil.com. There are video tutorials for choosing mushroom varieties, preparing mushrooms, storing mushrooms, and even cook-along recipe videos. The Mushroom Council’s blog features more recipes and information about mushrooms. The recipe tab takes you to hundreds of recipes. (See box on page 68 for a sample recipe from the site.)

With all of these resources available, there are plenty of ways to find inspiration for cooking with mushrooms.

Continued on Page 68

The 30th Anniversary Mushroom Festival Cookbook and the Mushroom Lovers Cookbook are both sold at the Souvenir Booth and the Mushroom Sales Booths during the festival.

What to Make

Continued from Page 66

Mushroom, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart

(courtesy Fresh Mushrooms website: www.mushroomcouncil.com)

A flaky pastry crust is filled with seasoned eggs, fresh asparagus, creamy goat cheese and a roasted medley of mushrooms. The use of pre-made puff pastry makes this tart easy to put together for a weekend lunch or quick appetizer.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 pound fresh mixed mushrooms (crimini, shiitake, oyster)

• one 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in refrigerator

• 2 large eggs

• ½ tablespoon Italian herbs

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2-3 ounces softened goat cheese

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 15 asparagus spears, ends trimmed

• 1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled (for topping)

Instructions

In a large pan, add olive oil. Cook mushrooms over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes, or until moisture has been released.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

On a lightly floured surface, roll out both pastry sheets. Transfer to parchmentlined baking sheet. Fold over edges all around pastry sheet to make a raised crust. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, softened goat cheese and milk. Divide mixture between both pastry crusts.

Place asparagus spears across the top of egg mixture. Spoon cooked mushrooms over asparagus. Crumble remaining goat cheese evenly over entire tart. If desired, brush the crust with egg wash*.

Bake tart for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set, asparagus is tender, and crust is golden.

Serve warm or cooled.

* Tip: Brushing the crust with an egg wash will produce a nicely browned crust with a slightly glossy finish. To make egg wash, whisk together one large egg and one tablespoon of water until frothy. Use a pastry brush to apply egg wash to crust.

Continued on Page 70

What to Make

Continued from Page 68

Where to buy fresh mushrooms

Local mushroom growers donate lots of fresh mushrooms to the festival each year for guests to purchase and bring home with them. Varieties include white button, crimini, portbella, shiitake, maitake, oyster, and royal trumpet. These are among the freshest mushrooms you’ll find.

There are two sales booths. One is located near the East Entrance to the festival at State and Willow streets. The other is located at Broad and State streets, just outside the entrance to the Growers’ Exhibit. The booths are staffed with representatives who know all about the various types of mushrooms and how to prepare them. Be sure to ask for recommendations when deciding what types of mushrooms to buy.

The mushroom are stored in refrigerated trucks to keep them fresh. Take your receipt from the Mushroom sales booths to the To-Jo refrigerated trucks to pick up your mushrooms. Hint: wait until just before you are ready to leave for home to get your mushrooms; the longer they stay in the cold truck, the fresher they will be when you get home.

To-Jo’s refrigerated trucks are on Willow Street, just outside the East Entrance to the festival, and on North Broad Street behind the Kennett Square Inn. The trucks stay open a half-hour after the festival closes.

interesting facts about mushrooms

By Steven Hoffman and Maggie Horgan

The Mushroom Festival is celebrating its 33rd anniversary in Kennett Square in 2018, so to commemorate the special occasion, here is a list of 33 interesting facts about mushrooms.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the average American eats about four pounds of mushrooms every year.

J.B. Swayne is credited with starting mushroom growing in the United States. Swayne started to cultivate mushrooms in Kennett Square.

Mushrooms are a fungus and, unlike plants, they do not require sunlight to make energy for themselves.

Almost any mushroom, except for the regular white mushroom, is considered to be an exotic mushroom.

Mushrooms are low in calories and contain no fat or sodium. Consequently, they are a very popular ingredient in salads.

Portabella mushrooms, which are known for their meat-like texture and flavor, can reach a size of six inches in diameter.

One portabella mushroom has more potassium than a banana.

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of certain fungi—the equivalent of the apple, not the tree. Fungi, including those which produce mushrooms, are not plants. They are related to molds, mildews, rusts, and yeasts, and are classified in the Fungi Kingdom.

Traditional Chinese medicine has utilized the medicinal properties of mushrooms for centuries.

In ancient Egypt, only Pharaohs were allowed to eat mushrooms because it was believed that the mushrooms appeared magically overnight. It was speculated at that time that lightning may have created the mushrooms.

Mushrooms have been eaten for thousands of years and can grow almost anywhere.

The first recorded effort to cultivate mushrooms occurred around 1700 in France. Mushroom growing in the U.S. began after the Civil War and the growing seasons were very short at first.

Mushrooms are useful not only as food and medicine. Some mushroom varieties are being used in bioremediation to absorb and digest substances like oil, pesticides and industrial waste in places where these substances threaten the environment.

Continued on Page 74

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In 1990, the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act was passed by the U.S. Congress to strengthen the mushroom industry’s position in the marketplace, maintain and expand existing markets and uses for mushrooms, and develop new markets and uses for mushrooms. In 1993, the Mushroom Council was established to achieve the goals of this act.

18 Penicillin and streptomycin are examples of potent antibiotics derived from fungi.

19 Mushrooms are a superfood. They are the only food in the produce section of the local grocery store that produce Vitamin D.

20 Mushrooms contain disease-fighting properties, antioxidants, and a wide variety of important nutrients.

Mushrooms love the dark. They thrive on it.

16 The stem of a mushroom is a good source of flavor and nutrients so there is no need to remove it. When you do need to remove the stem, chop it and add to stuffings, casseroles, soups and sauces.

17 Early Romans referred to mushrooms as the “food of the gods.”

21 A mycophile is someone whose hobby is to hunt edible wild mushrooms.

22 Mushrooms contain more protein than most vegetables.

23 The American Mushroom Institute, which is now headquartered in Washington, D.C., was founded right here in Chester County in the 1950s.

Continued on Page 76

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Mushrooms are comprised of 85 percent to 95 percent water.

There are over 38,000 varieties of mushrooms available, over 3,000 in North America alone, with varying colors, textures, and flavors. There are so many varieties of mushrooms, both edible and toxic, that mass consumption is pretty much limited to those commercially grown varieties which can be trusted to be edible.

28 Mushrooms rank the highest among vegetables for protein content.

29 Some of the oldest living mushroom colonies are fairy rings growing around the Stonehenge ruins in England.

30 Mushroom production has becoming increasingly high-tech, with more and more computers being used to monitor production at each step.

Mushrooms are one of the most difficult commodities to grow. It is very labor-intensive to produce a consistent, high-quality crop.

Fresh mushrooms don’t freeze well. If it is necessary to freeze them, first saute them with butter or oil in a non-stick pan. Then cool slightly before freezing them in an airtight container.

In the Blue Mountains of Oregon is a colony of Armillaria solidipes that is believed to be the world’s largest known organism. The fungus is over 2,400 years old and covers an estimated 2,200 acres

32 Some mushroom spores can sit dormant for decades—or longer—and still grow if the conditions are right.

33 Mushrooms are available in fresh, dried, and in powder form.

Mushroom Festival reaches $1 million milestone in giving back

52

local non-profits receive grants

Photos

Carla Lucas Representatives from the 52 organizations who received Mushroom Festival grants this year.

“We are very excited to have reached the million-dollar milestone,” said Kathi Lafferty, Mushroom Festival Coordinator. “When I started volunteering for the festival and we started the grant program, $1 million was never thought about. In 2000, the first year we gave grants, we were only able to split $500 between three organizations.”

Over the last 18 years, the Mushroom Festival’s Board of Directors has worked hard to expand the festival and the ability to give back. After the success of the 32nd Annual Mushroom Festival in 2017, the Board of Directors was able to award a record $114,068 in grants and donations this year, bringing its total giving over the $1 million milestone.

“With our successful grant program, the influence of the Mushroom Festival goes far beyond the two-day festival,” Lafferty said. “The grants help local programs year-round and throughout the community’s various constituents, from infants through the elderly populations.”

The grants help a wide variety of programs for the entire community, such as the Memorial Day parade and the free summer concert series at Anson B. Nixon Park. The festival is also able to help deserving youth attend camps and help youth organizations purchase supplies for their programs and camps. Grant money is also used to purchase equipment needed to run a program.

On April 5, 50 local organizations received their grants at the annual Grants Presentation Reception, this year held at Genesis’s Michael R. Walker Building in Kennett Square. On the following pages is the list of grant winners and how the funds will be used over this year. In addition to the grants, Family Promise of Southern Chester County received a donation in the name of last year’s Honorary Chair, Carol Lowe. A special donation will also be made to a national foundation researching the health benefits of mushrooms.

Organizations receiving Mushroom Festival grants include:

ALS Association

Funds will be dedicated to the RoRo Ferranto Fund and used to provide assistance and equipment to Chester County area patients with ALS.

Avondale Fire Co. No.1

Funds will be used to purchase a thermal imaging camera for use at fire scenes.

The Barn at Spring Brook Farm

Funds will be used for supplies for Camp Geronimo, a summer day camp for children with disabilities

Bournelyf Special Camp

Funds will be used to cover transportation costs associated with their summer camp for people with special needs.

Camp Dreamcatcher

Funds will be used to send three HIV/AIDS impacted children to their therapeutic and educational camp.

Canine Partners for Life

Funds will be used to purchase supplies for the 30 graduating service dogs, such as collars, gentle leaders and leashes and replacement leashes for 15 dogs in training.

Chadds Ford Historical Society

Funds will be used to purchase shelving, boxes and additional archival materials for the care and storage of their historic artifacts collection.

Chenoa Manor Animal Sanctuary

Funds will be used toward the conversion of an existing building into a tropical environment for their tortoise and parrot residents.

The Crime Victims Center

Funds will be used to print and purchase materials for their Southern Chester County prevention programs.

Grant Recipients

Continued from Page 79

Delaware Zoological Society

Funds will be used to purchase materials to make enrichment items for the Brandywine Zoo’s animals to keep them mentally and physically stimulated.

Friends Home in Kennett

Funds will be used to enhance their exercise program for residents.

Friends of Penn Township

Funds will be used to restore, enlarge and frame photographs depicting the history of Penn Township.

Good Neighbors

Funds will be applied to a home repair project for a low-income Kennett Square resident whose house needs extensive repairs to keep from falling down.

Historic Kennett Square

Funds will be used to produce the Kennett Square Memorial Day Parade.

Ingleside Homes

Funds will be used to purchase a laptop computer for the organization’s offsite case management team that works to keep low income senior citizens in their homes in Delaware.

JAM Christian Daycare

Funds will be used to purchase six rubber mushroom climblers for their outdoor playground project.

Kennett After-School Association

Funds will be used for transportation costs associated with taking participants home at the end of each session of After the Bell.

Kennett Area Community Services

Funds will be used to purchase needed items for the Food Cupboard.

Kennett Area Park Authority

Funds will be used to produce the Free Summer Concert Series at Anson B. Nixon Park.

Kennett Area Parks and Recreation Board

Funds will be used for expenses associated with the annual Kids Cross Country Race and for a new shed to store equipment at Herb Pennock Park.

Kennett Area Senior Center

Funds will be used to purchase audio-visual accessories and equipment to facilitate programming that advances the quality of life for older adults living in SCC.

Kennett Education Foundation

Funds will be used to provide innovative educational grants to teachers throughout the school district.

Kennett Fire Co. No. 1

Funds will be used to purchase a Station CAD alerting system for the Fire Station, which will help increase response time to emergencies.

Kennett Flash

Funds will be used for needed equipment and to support We Kids Rock and Open Mic programs.

Kennett Library

Funds will be used to purchase books and educational materials for students and tutors for the English as a Second Language program.

Kennett Symphony

Funds would be used to support the Beethoven and Bellinis afternoon concert.

Continued on Page 83

The $1 million balloons were part of the celebration at the Grant Recipients’ Reception in April.

Grant Recipients

Continued from Page 80

Kennett High SchoolWalk in Knowledge program

Funds will be used to support the Walk in Knowledge after school program.

La Communidad Hispana

Funds will be used to purchase supplies such as fluoride treatments, dental sealants, and disposable gloves for their Dental Clinic.

Lighthouse Youth Center

Funds will be used to purchase computer and school supplies for the Homework Assistance and Tutoring after school program. Funds will also be used to provide incentives and rewards.

Longwood Fire Company

Funds will be used to purchase a Styker portable chair extrication device.

Luther House

Funds will be used to create a garden area for residents and to purchase a table saw for the maintenance department.

Maternal and Child Health Consortium

Funds will be used for supplies and bus transportation for their Kindergarten Transition programs.

Meals on Wheels

Funds will be used to help cover the delivery of hot meals to the elderly in the Avon Grove region.

Operation Homefront PA/DE/NJ Field Of

Funds will be used to provide urgent support through their Critical Financial Assistance Program that helps military families with housing, utilities, and food assistance.

Oxford Area Neighborhood Services

Funds will be used to purchase food for the Food Assistance program.

Continued on Page 84

Grant Recipients

Continued from Page 83

Oxford Arts Alliance

Funds will be used to support their summer camp programs.

Paws for People

Funds will be used to purchase special t-shirts and books to be used as motivational incentives for the Goldie’s Gang Summer Reading at Kennett Library.

Quest Therapeutic Services

Funds will be used to purchase an all-abilities outdoor playset.

Reins of Life

Funds will be used for routine veterinary, dental, and farrier services for the horses used in their therapeutic riding program.

Smart Drive Foundation

Funds will be used to upgrade the technology needed to deliver the five Smart Drive Courses presented to teens at local high schools.

Continued on Page 87

Canine Partners for Life brought Alice, one of their support dogs, to the grant reception.

Many remember the location as the DQ where teams celebrated wins and losses, families and friends gathered for parties or stopped at the drive thru window on a summer day.

In 2008, our family was called to serve differently; not necessarily“soft-serve”, but by“compassionately-serve” the community with honor and dignity during the loss of a loved one, family member or friend.

Today, in 2018, we plan to continue offering dedicated funeral services for our community during the next expansion and transformation of this familiar location.

Matthew Genereux and his family are grateful and devoted to being the familiar face for the community now and for future generations.

Longwood Funeral Home & Cremation of Matthew Genereux, Inc………….It is why we are here

Grant Recipients

Continued from Page 84

Southern Chester County EMS

Funds will be used towards the replacement of an eightyear-old service vehicle stationed at Jennersville Hospital.

Spanish Health Ministry

Funds will be used to support the medical outreach program.

The Garage of Kennett Square and West Grove

Funds will be used to support their Community After School Program at both locations.

Tick Tock Early Learning Center

Funds will be used for field trips and special guest appearances over the 10 weeks of their summer camp program.

Volunteer English Program

Funds will be used to purchase instructional books and resources for the students learning English in their tutoring program.

WCU Foundation

Funds will be used to purchase food and local produce for the 13th CampAbilitiesPA program for 33 children with visual impairment, and 60 volunteers.

West Grove Fire Company

Funds will be used to purchase two AED’s to replace older units in Chief’s vehicles.

Wings for Success

Funds will be used to support their Kennett Square site.

YMCA Camp Tockwogh

Funds will be used to send deserving Kennett Middle School students to their summer camp.

Young Moms

Funds will be used for supplies for their Mentoring Program, including volunteer orientation and training, parenting education materials and participant resource binders.

Meet the Mushrooms

Por·ta·bel·la (pawr-tuh-bel-uh):

a mature, very large crimini mushroom, Agaricus bisporus.

Portabellas are mature agaricus mushrooms where the veil has opened and the gills are exposed.

Beech (beech):

crisp, firm fleshed fungi with short stems, Hypsizygus tessulatus.

In nature, the beech mushroom is found high up in the yokes of trees. It is cultivated on jars filled with corn cobs.

Button (buht-n):

a usually small white mushroom in which the pileus has not yet expanded, Agaricus bisporus

Pom Pom (pom-pom):

white sphere fungi with soft spines and no stem, Hericium erinaceus

Oyster (oi-ster):

an edible fungus having an oyster-shaped cap, Pleurotus ostreatus

The yellow oyster is described as delicate like a daffodil and could be used as a centerpiece.

Royal Trumpet (roi-uhl truhm-pit):

has a trumpet shaped tan cap and thick, white stem. Also called King Oyster, Pleurotus eryngii.

The Royal Trumpet mushroom is the largest species of the oyster mushroom.

Shiitake (shee-ee-tah-key):

a large, meaty, black or dark brown mushroom, Other common names are Golden Oak, Black Forest and Oakwood, Lentinus edodes.

As both food and medicine, the shiitake has been revered in Asia for thousands of years. It grows in the Far East on fallen broadleaf trees, include the “shii” tree in Japan.

Cri·mi·ni (kruh-mee-nee):

an edible, dark-brown mushroom with a rounded cap, Agaricus bisporus.

The crimini is an immature portabella, picked before the gills are exposed. It is known by many names including baby portabella, baby bella, Roman mushroom, Italian mushroom and brown mushroom.

Maitake (my-tah-key):

rippling, tan shaped mushroom without caps, also called Hen of the Woods, Grifola frondosa. In Japanese “maitake” translates to dancing mushroom. In other parts of the world this mushroom that grows at the base of trees in the wild is called Hen-of-the-Woods, Ram’s Head and Sheep’s Head.

33rd Annual Mushroom Festival Sponsors

WHITE BUTTON

• 6abc.com

• Beasley Group: WJBR, Ben FM, WMMR, WMGK, 97.5 Fanatic

• A. J. Blosenski

• Delmarva Broadcating Co: WSTW/WDELWXCY/Faith 1510

• iHeart Radio Group: WDSD/ WLAN/Rumba 100.5

• Kennett Township

• McGovern, Inc.

• Mushroom Farmers of PA, AMI

SHIITAKE

• A Plus Metal Roofing Specialists

• Amycel / Spawn Mate

• Baccellieri Family Dentistry

• C.T. Bartoli Mushrooms, Inc.

• Buona Foods Inc.

• Chadds Ford Climate Control

• Chester County Hospital/ Penn Medicine

• Chester County Press

• Comcast/Xfinity

OYSTER

• Atlantic Tractor

• Hadley Fund at CCCF

• Jennersville Hospital

• Kennett Glass Company

PORTABELLA

• Basciani Foods, Inc.

• Challenge Butter

• Country Fresh Mushrooms

• Genesis Healthcare

• Manfredi Logistics Service

• Murray Securus

• Phillips Mushroom Farms, LP

• Scotts Canada

• Sylvan America, Inc.

• Richard M. Crossan, Inc.

• Diver Chevrolet

• Giorgio Fresh Co.

• Giorgi Kitchens

• GreenRoots Landscaping

• Greenwood Mushrooms

• Hillendale Peat Moss

CRIMINI

• BB&T Bank

• Bob’s Crane

• Exelon Generation

• M & P Custom Design, Inc.

• Modern Mushrooms/Sherockee

• Needham’s Mushroom Farm

• PA Department of Agriculture/ PA Preferred

• To-Jo Mushrooms & Food Products

• LGB Properties

• Laurel Valley Farms, Inc.

• Mid-Atlantic Waterproofing

• Kuzo and Grieco Funeral Home, Inc.

• Mushroom Supply & Services, Inc./ AgSolutions

• Regester Mushrooms, Inc.

• SECCRA

• John R. Stinson & Son, Inc.

• W.A.C. Mushrooms, Inc.

• WSFS Bank

• Winterthur Museum and Gardens

MAITAKE

• Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square

• Philadelphia Media Network

• South Mill Mushroom Sales

• Sprint

• The Mushroom Cap

• The Power Place

• Univest

• Upland Couintry Day School

• V.P. Electrical Contracting, Inc.

• WHYY

• YoSign Guy

TRUMPET

• Becker Locksmith Services, Inc.

• Blittersdorf’s Towing & Salvage

• Buck Run Builders, Inc.

• East West Label Company

• Heritage Concrete

• K. L. Madron Well Drilling, LLC

• R.L. Irwin Mushroom Company

• Masda Mushroom LLC.

• Penn Township

• Perfect Impressions

• Taylor Oil & Propane, Inc.

• The Tri-M Group, LLC

• Vallorani Mushrooms

• Wolfe Supply & Services

• Griffonetti Mushrooms

• Kennett Square Mini Storage

• Longwood Veterinary Center

• Sam’s Sub Shop

• Towne and Country Cleaners

• Umbreit Korengel & Associates, PC

2018 Mushroom Festival Amateur Cook-Off, September 8

The cooking contest that put itself on the map

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

Last September, Devon Delaney, a wife and mother of three in Westport, Connecticut, traveled to Kennett Square to enter the annual Mushroom Festival Amateur Cook-Off contest.

Using the theme of chicken and mushrooms, Delaney made what she called Bon Vivant Mushroom and Chicken Crepes and, working alongside five other finalists, she blended, folded, simmered and stirred.

For her efforts, Delaney’s recipe received the grand prize, but her victory in Kennett Square was not her first venture into the world of cooking contests. Over the past 20 years, Delaney,

a former computer education teacher, has become an accomplished cooking contestant, and has received six-figure cash prizes, more kitchen appliances than she can count, and four trips to Disney World.

“I make pottery, I write, I do needlepoint, I love robotics and programming computers, but on the flip side, I also love the creativity of cooking,” Delaney said. “My introduction to cooking contests began when I was teaching in New Jersey years ago. One winter, we were hit by a huge ice storms, and one of the times I was able to leave the house, I grabbed a bundle of womens’ magazines, and in the back of one of them was a recipe contest that asked contestants to come up with an idea for how to creatively use bread.

with maple dipping sauce, typed up the recipe, sent it off and forgot about it. Several months later, I received a $2,000 check for my recipe and thought, ‘I think I like this new hobby.’”

Having submitted her ginger snapped lamb and mushroom lettuce cups with lemon, mint yogurt sauce and buttered pistachios to this year’s contest, Delaney hopes to be entered in the 2018 Mushroom Festival Amateur Cook-Off, which will be held on Sept. 8, beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the Special Events Tent.

This year’s cook-off will be sponsored by True Aussie Grassfed Beef and Lamb, and all cook-off recipes will be made with the Australian grassfed beef or lamb, and must also include Challenge Butter as an ingredient, a variety of

“I created a recipe for orange-dusted French toast fingers

Continued on Page 92

Cooking Contest

Continued from Page 91

fresh mushrooms cultivated in the United States, as well as a limit of 12 ingredients.

Final judging will be conducted by a panel of town officials, culinary professionals and Mushroom Festival Committee members, and the winners will be announced immediately following the judging. Recipes will be judged on execution, appearance, taste and most creative use of fresh mushrooms. All entries will be screened and some will be taste-tested by an expert panel, to select the cook-off finalists.

Jen Basciani, culinary chairperson in charge of the contest and the culinary demonstration tent, tasted Delaney’s winning chicken, mushroom and crepe dish at last year’s contest and found it delicious. The idea for the entry, Delaney said, came from several sources of inspiration.

“My daughter went to college at Temple University, and on a recent trip to see her, we stopped off at one of the food trucks that are stationed outside of the student center on campus,” Delaney said. “One of them was a truck that made crepes. It had been forever since I had a crepe, so I bought one and loved it, and subsequently, Continued on Page 93

chose to include crepes in my recipe. I had a new challenge alert, however, because I then had to go home and learn how to make crepes.”

Basciani said she has seen the event evolve considerably in recent years, starting with broadening the scope of the contest menu.

“It began as a mushroom soup contest, but after several years of doing it this way, we felt it was time to make a change and not limit it to soups only,” Basciani said. “We wanted to bring in more ideas like appetizers and main dishes, like last year’s theme of chicken and mushrooms. We wanted to broaden our horizons.”

The wider array of themes has also drawn amateur chefs from far beyond Chester County. Basciani said that this year’s contest is drawing applications from as far away as California, Texas and Minnesota.

“Our larger draw was not only influenced by our decision to broaden our themes, but by the fact that we’ve added additional prizes. We realized that if people were going to come a long distance, it would be nice to compensate them for winning entries. It’s an added incentive for them

to come and compete.”

Because the cook-off is a qualifying event for the World Food Championship on Nov. 7-11, 2018 in Orange Beach, Ala., the first place winner will receive a $1,500 grand prize, as well as a travel stipend and all registration fees –valued at $1,500 – to compete at the championship.

The second prize winner will receive $300; the third prize finisher will receive $200; and the runners-up finalists will receive $100. All finalists will receive a $250 gift card and party pack from True Aussie Beef and Lamb, and a Kitchen Aid 3.5-cup one-touch two-speed chopper. There is a special prize provided by Challenge Butter for best use of butter in the recipe.

The Mushroom festival Amateur Cook-Off contest is no longer just an intimate side-tent component of a larger festival. It’s hit the big time.

“We were contacted by the World Food Championship a few years ago, because they were noting how involved we had become in kicking things up a notch, in order to bring more attention to this contest,” Basciani said. “That really

Cooking Contest

Continued from Page 93

helped in putting us on the map to be a part of a food contest.”

Delaney’s decision to submit a recipe of ginger snapped lamb and mushroom lettuce cups with lemon, mint yogurt sauce and buttered pistachios in this year’s Mushroom Festival Amateur Cook-Off contest is, she admits, a creative roll of the dice, but it’s the end result of a process.

“I love small challenges, and I always enjoy working within the parameters of a cooking contest,” she said. “It gives me a goal in sight. I’m thinking of the main products, the sponsor and the requirements. Then I think of the necessary twist I will need to have in order to give my recipe a uniqueness. Then I put what I call the ‘Devon Spin’ on the recipe.

“In cooking contests, and at the Mushroom Festival in particular, the sky should be the limit. If you’re going to enter a contest of this kind thinking that everything’s already been done, don’t bother entering. Admittedly, some of my contest entries have been a bit wacky, but in the end, I look at this as a hobby, one that’s always fun and always a challenge.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty. com.

2017 Mushroom Festival Cook-Off Winning Recipe

Bon Vivant

Mushroom and Chicken Crepes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons, divided use, more if needed for making crepes

• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in thin strips

• 2 teaspoons sea salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons, divided use

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon, divided use

• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 16 oz. Crimini mushrooms, sliced thin

• 1 tablespoon apricot preserves

• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped or 3/4 teaspoon, dried

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/4 cups whole milk

• 1 whole large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

• 5 ounce garlic and herb spreadable cheese, such as Boursin

By Devon Delaney, Westport, Conn.

Directions

Heat two tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with two teaspoons of sea salt.

Add the chicken and two tablespoons of lemon juice and cook until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate. Maintaining heat add two tablespoons of butter and Worcestershire sauce, one teaspoon of sea salt and the mushrooms to the skillet and cook for eight minutes, stirring often. Reserve 1/2 cup of mushrooms in the skillet and combine remaining mushrooms with the chicken on the plate.

Maintaining skillet heat, add the apricot preserves to the skillet with one tablespoon lemon juice and tarragon. Stir until preserves are melted and coat the mushrooms. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk in milk, eggs and one tablespoon of butter until well combined. Let batter rest for five to ten minutes. Prepare crepes by melting 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a nine-inch heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir crepe batter, then pour three tablespoons into center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry.

Dot two tablespoons of Boursin down one-third of crepe and top with a layer of chicken and mushroom blend and fold in each side to cover filling. Remove each crepe to a serving plate as it’s prepared. Add butter to skillet for each crepe preparation, as needed. Prepare four to six crepes and top each with apricottarragon glazed mushrooms. Serve warm.

Courtesy photo

Devon Delaney of Westport, Conn. Displays her winning entry in the 2017 Mushroom Festival Amateur Cook-Off contest.

Challenge Butter returns with more ﬂavor, fun and competition

Butter and mushrooms … there isn’t a better combination, and Challenge Butter is making a difference at this year’s festival with its donation of more than 250 pounds of award-winning butter to be sautéed with locally grown mushrooms for festival goers to enjoy.

This year’s Amateur Mushroom Cook-off is also sponsored by Challenge Butter. Finalists will compete on Saturday, Sept. 8 for the title, a golden ticket to the World Food Championships and $1,500 in cash.

Newly available in Pennsylvania, Challenge Butter is a leading butter brand that has won accolades including recognition in the World Dairy Awards, Saveur Magazine and San Francisco Chronicle. Its butter and cream cheese are made from 100 percent real cream from its 430 family-owned dairies.

Mushroom Festival attendees can also stop by the Challenge Butter tent to spin a prize wheel for coupons, squishy cows and other prizes.

“Challenge Dairy is pleased to support the 33rd Annual Mushroom Festival and the local community,” said Tim Anderson, SVP of Retail and Foodservice for Challenge Dairy Products, Inc. “We are excited to introduce attendees to Challenge Butter, and the real difference it makes in recipes.”

Challenge products are free of growth hormones, artificial preservatives, dyes and fillers. They are available in the dairy case Wal-Mart.

Festivalgoers can enjoy Challenge Butter and the local mushrooms in their own kitchen with the below recipe, and many more recipes that can be found at www.challengedairy.com/ recipes.

Beef Stroganoff

A classic dinner entrée of onions, garlic, mushrooms, and seared beef in a smooth balsamic vinegar and cream cheese sauce served over warm noodles and garnished with chives.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups (4 oz) egg noodles, uncooked

• 1 pound beef tenderloin or sirloin steak (about 1-inch thick)

• 2 Tablespoons Challenge Spreadable Butter

• ½ cup chopped onion

• 1½ cups sliced mushrooms

• ½ teaspoon (1 clove) minced garlic

• 1½ Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• ½ package (4 oz) Challenge Cream Cheese, softened

• ¼ cup water

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

• 1 Tablespoon fresh minced chives

Directions

Cook egg noodles according to package directions in a large pot of boiling water. Drain.

Trim steak and cut into 2x¼-inch strips.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat. Add meat slices and sauté until meat is seared but is still pink in center. Remove meat slices to a platter with a slotted spoon.

Add onions, garlic and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté until onions are soft and mushrooms just begin to brown. Transfer to platter with slotted spoon.

Remove skillet from heat and deglaze with addition of balsamic vinegar.

Blend in cream cheese and water. Return skillet to stove and heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth. Stir in salt and pepper.

Return meat slices and onion/ mushroom mixture to the pan. Continue to heat, stirring and coating meat and vegetables with sauce, until sauce is bubbly.

Serve over warm noodles garnished with chopped chives.

Serves: 4

Source: Challenge Home Economist

The Mushrooms by Flavor, Preparation and Nutrition

Mushrooms are the only source of Vitamin D in the produce aisle

Buttons

Flavor: mild; blends with anything.

Common preparations: raw, sauteed, fried, marinated

In a serving of 4-5 white buttons:

• 18 calories

• 0 grams of fat

• 3 grams of carbohydrates

• good source of the antioxidant selenium, the B vitamins riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid; and copper

• Approx. 300 mg of potassium

• 2.8 mg of the antioxidant ergothioneine

• 15 IU of vitamin D

Agaricus Mushrooms

Criminis

Flavor: deeper, earthier flavor than whites, great addition to beef, game and vegetable dishes

Common preparations: saute, broil, grill, microwave

In a serving of 4-5 crimini mushrooms:

• 23 calories

• 0 grams of fat

• 4 grams of carbohydrates

• excellent source of the antioxidant selenium, the B vitamin riboflavin and copper

• a good source of potassium, phosphorus and B vitamins niacin and pantothenic acid

• 4.9 mg of the antioxidant ergothioneine

Portabellas

Flavor: deep, meat-like texture and flavor.

Common preparations: grilled, broiled, sauteed and roasted; can also be used as a meat substitute. In one medium Portabella cap:

• 22 calories

• 0 grams of fat

• 4 grams of carbohydrates

• excellent source of the B vitamin riboflavin

• good source of the antioxidant selenium, potassium, phosphorus, the B vitamins niacin and pantothenic acid; and copper

• 4.3 mg of the antioxidant ergothioneine

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Photos by Carla Lucas

The Mushrooms by Flavor, Preparation and Nutrition

Continued from Page 97

Other Popular Specialty Mushrooms

Maitake

Flavor: distinctive aroma and a rich, woodsy taste

Common preparations: sauteed lightly in butter or oil. Use in egg dishes, pasta sauces, soups, stews, and any recipe calling for mushrooms for a richer taste. In a serving of 4-5 maitake mushrooms:

• 31 calories • 0 grams of fat • 6 grams of carbohydrates • good source of the antioxidant selenium; B vitamins riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid; and copper • more than 2 grams of fiber • more than 900 IU Vitamin D

Pom Pom

Flavor: mild, sweet taste. Common preparations: slice and saute in butter, oil, or broth; can be used as a substitute for lobster or veal.

Flavor: delicate, chewy texture

Common preparation: grilled or used in stir frys. The stems can be substituted for baby scallops.

Chatham is a proud employer in the Kennett Square community.

Specializing in ﬁnancial risk management advisory and technology solutions, Chatham serves companies worldwide. 235

Royal Trumpet

Oyster

Flavor: very delicate.

Common preparations: sauteed or stir fried then used in pasta dishes, meat dishes, omelets and soups.

In a serving of 4-5 oyster mushrooms:

• 36 calories • 0 grams of fat

• 5 grams of carbohydrates • good source of B vitamins riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid; and copper. • more than 2 grams of fiber, nearly 10 percent of the Daily Value. • nearly 3 grams of protein, 6 percent of the Daily Value.

Beech

Flavor: crisp with a mild nutty flavor.

Common preparations: sliced or served whole in sautes. Soups, pasta dishes.

Sources: A Consumers Guide to Specialty Mushrooms and The Mushroom Council (www.mushroominfo.org)

Shiitake

Flavor: rich and woodsy, meaty texture

Common preparations: best when cooked in stir-fry, pastas and soups. Can be marinated and grilled.

In a serving of 4-5 shiitake mushrooms:

• 41 calories • 0 grams of fat

• 10 grams of carbohydrates • good source of the antioxidant selenium, providing 26 percent of the Daily Value.

• a great source of B vitamins riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid; and copper

Mushroom spirit the

Photo essay by Carla Lucas

Kennett Square is the Mushroom Capital of the World and as such not only does it grow the most mushrooms in the country, but it has the most mushroom spirit. See how in the photo essay:

Mushroom Spirit at the Mushroom Festival

Each year a few new Painted Mushrooms pop up around the region, such as this one in front of Sinclair’s

Check out this year’s

Kennett Square Borough’s lamp posts are bedecked with Mushroom Festival banners, starting the month before the festival.

Kennett Square Borough’s water tower says it all, all year long.

On the western end of Kennett Square, Kennett Square Garden Center shows their mushroom spirit with giant blue and green mushroom decorations.

Sunrise Cafe.

silent auction creations near the Growers’ Exhibit on Broad Street.

Blue Mushroom upclose and Blue Mushroom kennett square garden center:

The observant person can find mushooms tucked into the landscape all across Southern Chester County.

Kennett Square way

Pick up a mushroom-shaped hat to wear at the festival.

Showing the Mushroom Spirit

The Mushroom Festival’s Community Parade kicks things off with tons of mushroom spirit!

Cheering for contestants at the National Fried Mushroom Eating Contest is one way to show your mushroom spirit.

Mushroom Spirit

Continued from Page 102

The merchants of Kennett Square know where to find unique mushroom merchandise and they are sure to have tons around during the Mushroom Festival. Pick something up before the festival and show your mushroom spirit while strolling around.

Mushroom Bling

Green Eyed Lady has a great selection of scarves and earrings that are perfect for the Festival, work, or play.

These custom-made t-shirts for adults and youths can be found at State and Union.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2018

The Woodlands at Phillips Mushrooms features all sorts of mushroom bling, including ties.

A few shoppers at The Mushroom Cap previewed some of the many mushroom-themed items available including beanie caps, aprons, tote bags, socks, shirts, books, stools, and hats.

Brandywine Prime Seafood and Chops

Atdiidtiti

A great dining destination in Chadds Ford

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

One of the things that Michael Majewski likes best about owning Brandywine Prime Seafood and Chops is the interaction with customers. On one recent evening, a couple from Chicago came in and enjoyed a meal highlighted by Wagyu beef. Some of the finer restaurants in Chicago might have this delicious, top-quality beef, but who would expect to be able to find it in a restaurant in charming Chadds Ford? The couple told Majewski that they were delighted to have stumbled upon Brandywine Prime, eschewing the more familiar chain restaurants located close by. What better compliment could a restaurateur ask for?

From the time it opened in February of 2007, Brandywine Prime has been a unique dining destination, a restaurant that brings distinctive American fare to the charming and historic Chadds Ford community. While local residents have the opportunity to enjoy the excellent American cuisine on a regular basis, the restaurant also appeals to the many visitors who are in the area to enjoy Longwood Gardens, Winterthur Museum & Gardens, the Brandywine River Museum, or one of the Brandywine Valley’s other leading attractions.

Nina Kelly, the director of marketing and communications with the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau, said that Brandywine Prime is definitely one of those restaurants that the Brandywine Valley is proud

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Brandywine Prime is in a beautifully restored 300-year-old inn along Baltimore Pike in Chadds Ford.

to have—and a destination for many of the visitors who are in the area to visit some of the attractions.

“Brandywine Prime offers everything—the food, the service, the atmosphere,” Kelly said. “It’s perfectly located with the museums and breweries and wineries nearby.”

Not long ago, Kelly explained, the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau helped a blogger from Italy plan a visit to tour some of the Brandywine Valley’s top destinations. Brandywine Prime was one of the restaurants featured.

“Even folks in Italy love Brandywine Prime,” she said.

Kelly explained that Brandywine Prime also has great spaces for large gatherings like baby showers, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and banquets, so the staff at the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau will often recommend it to people who are planning an event in the area. Brandywine Prime has private rooms that can accommodate any party from between 10 to 96 people. Brandywine Prime will also bring the party to you with a full serving catering platform.

“We have catered weddings and other events at Grace Winery, Chaddsford Winery, Penns Woods, Galer and Paradocx for years,” Majewski said.

The atmosphere in any part of the restaurant is amazing. The building was long the home of the historic Chadds Ford Inn. It has been lovingly modernized to offer a comfortable dining experience. Brandywine Prime’s rustic charm and casual atmosphere can be attributed to the fact that it is situated in a beautifully restored 300-year-old inn. But it is chef Jason Barrowcliff’s superb traditional American fare—steaks, chops, and seafood—that brings an elegant and upscale touch to the restaurant.

“Everything is made from scratch here. We make our own bread. We make our own desserts,” Majewski explained.

Just like its name suggests, Brandywine Prime Seafood and Chops places an emphasis on prime steaks and chops and seasonally changing seafood selections

that arrive daily. While the menu’s focus is beef, Chef Barrowcliff takes great pride in his nightly fish special, and the local produce he sources, sometimes from his own backyard.

Majewski himself got his first job in the food industry when he was 16. After high school, he majored in economics in college, and later taught math and served as a soccer coach. In the early 1990s, he was working at Griglia Toscana while also teaching and coaching, when he met wine expert Frank Splan. Majewski eventually apprenticed with Splan. He traveled extensively to Italy, France, Germany, and California, learning all about each stage of wine-making. Today, he uses that experience to refine Brandywine Prime’s wine lists, which are extensive.

When it comes to evaluating wines, he said, every person’s opinion is a valid one.

“I was an economics major in college,” he explained. “In economics, as long as you have an opinion and can back it up, it’s not wrong. Wine is really the same way.”

Majewski said that he enjoys running a “small family business.” He explained that when he was growing up and the family only went out to dinner for a special occasion. They would never go to a chain restaurant. The family would instead go to a local restaurant that had an owner who was almost always there to ensure the quality of the food and service.

“Today, individual owner/operator small businesses

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VISITORS GUIDE

Photo by Steven Hoffman Brandywine Prime first opened in 2007.

VISITORS GUIDE

Brandywine Prime

Continued from Page 105

must build relationships that go beyond just eating and drinking,” Majewski explained. “From the stories I hear about Dorothy Theodore, that was an idea she believed also.”

The hospitality at Brandywine Prime is befitting the building’s past as an historic inn.

When they opened Brandywine Prime, the owners knew that they couldn’t manage the restaurant in a more rural area in the same way that they would run a restaurant in a city, even though the city of Wilmington isn’t all that far away. There can be some advantages to having a restaurant in a rural area. For example, Barrowcliff can grow his own vegetables and raise chickens on a nearby farm. The flavorful bison carpaccio that is featured at Brandywine Prime is made of bison raised at the Buffalo Run Ranch in Unionville.

It’s an advantage for Brandywine Prime to have such a convenient location along Baltimore Pike, situated in close proximity to Longwood Gardens and other Brandywine Valley attractions. But the location comes with its challenges, too.

“The heavily traveled road has its good points and its bad points,” Majewski said, explaining that the motorists on that stretch of Route 1 zip by at 55 miles an hour, too fast to really be enticed by the village’s offerings.

Another one of the reasons for Brandywine Prime’s success has been the willingness by the owners to adapt and change based on what customers want and expect.

“In the restaurant business, you have to be able to two-step,” Majewski explained. “You have to keep your eye on what customers want, and on the restaurant business.”

The staff at Brandywine Prime has played an important part in the restaurant’s ongoing success. There are between 45 and 55 people employed at the restaurant,

depending on the season. Many of the staff members have been there for years, including three people who have been with Brandywine Prime since it first opened more than 11 years ago.

“I think we do a good job of finding people who fit,” Majewski explained. “And when they fit, they stay.”

Brandywine Prime is open for dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. each Monday through Saturday. Lunch is served from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Sunday dinner is from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@ chestercounty.com.

A season of musical diversity at Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens hosts a dieverse lineup of music during its annual Performance Series. Highlights of this upcoming season include a musical journey along the Silk Road, and an Earth Day celebration with a series of performances. In June, the popular Wine & Jazz Festival returns, as well as the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition where young organists from around the globe compete for the $40,000 Pierre S. du Pont First Place prize.

Tickets for this season are on sale at www.longwoodgardens.org.

Harold Lopez-Nussa Trio

Friday, October 5, 8 p.m.

Havana pianist and composer Harold Lopez-Nussa’s music reflects the full range and richness of Cuban music, with its distinctive combination of classical, folkloric, and popular elements, as well as its embrace of jazz improvisation and interaction. Tickets are $35 for Reserved Seating and $30 for Gardens Preferred and Gardens Premium Members.

Jackson Borges

Sunday, October 7, 3 p.m.

Jackson Borges is organist and director of music for The Episcopal Parish of All Saints’ Church and St. George’s Chapel in Rehoboth Beach and Harbeson, Del. Prior to his appointment in 2014, Borges held positions in New Jersey with the Morristown United Methodist Church, The Princeton Girlchoir, and American Boychoir. Free with Gardens admission.

Open Organ Console Day

Saturday, October 13, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Register to have your five minutes of fame on the Longwood Organ. Free with Gardens admission. Must be at least 5 years old to participate. Time slots are limited. Registration required by emailing: performingarts@longwoodgardens.org.

Peter Richard Conte, Organ and Jeremy Filsell, Piano

Friday, November 2, 8 p.m.

Peter Richard Conte, Longwood Gardens orincipal organist and the longtime organist at the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ at Macy’s in Philadelphia, presents a program featuring Rachmaninov’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” for piano and orchestra. Tickets are $35 for reserved seating and $30 for Gardens Preferred and Gardens Premium members.

John Walthausen

Sunday, November 11, 3 p.m.

John Walthausen is organist and choirmaster at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Glenmoore. Prior to his current position, he served as organist in residence at Sapporo Concert Hall in Hokkaido, Japan, and later as assistant director of music at the Choir School of Delaware. Free with Gardens admission.

Silk Road Performances

November 3, 10, and 16

As the Gardens showcase floral artistry inspired by the Far East during the Chrysanthemum Festival, the Silk Road performances showcase music inspired by the ancient trade network that connected the East and West.

Original Quartet – Andalusia: The Origins of Flamenco

Saturday, November 3, 8 p.m.

Original Quartet is an exploration of the roots of flamenco music, which was created through the gathering of Greco-Roman, Arab, and Jewish Sephardic cultures and the gypsies of India in Andalusia. Made up of Spanish guitar, violin, recorder, and vocals, this performance includes Iraqi poems and songs, Jewish Sephardic compositions, traditional Indian pieces, and modern compositions created specifically for this project. Tickets are $35 for reserved seating, and $30 for Gardens Preferred and Gardens Premium members.

Abigail Washburn & Wu Fei

Saturday, November 10, 8 p.m.

A unique banjo-guzheng duo bonded by their bicultural sisterhood, Grammy Award-winning artist Abigail Washburn and zither master Wu Fei sing and perform original compositions inspired by weaving together Appalachian and Chinese folk songs. Tickets are $38 for reserved seating and $32 for Gardens Preferred and Gardens Premium members.

The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia

Friday, November 16, 8 p.m.

Small ensembles of musicians from The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia spotlight music and composers influenced by and originating from musical traditions along the Silk Road.

Holiday Series

Canadian Brass

November 27 and 28, 8 p.m.

In its 47th season, Canadian Brass has performed in almost every major concert hall in the world and has sold two million albums worldwide. Tickets are $43 for reserved seating and $37 for Gardens Preferred and Gardens Premium members.

Eileen Ivers: A Joyful Christmas

Thursday, November 29, 8 p.m.

Virtuoso fiddler Eileen Ivers interweaves Wren Day songs, American carols, and even a jigging Bach in “A Joyful Christmas.” Ivers invites listeners in for a soulful celebration capturing the true spirit of the season with music for all ages. Tickets are $40 for reserved seating and $34 for Gardens Preferred and Gardens Premium members.

The Holiday Series also includes a number of free performances from local choirs and musicians. Visit www. longwoodgardens.org for the complete listing.

We Shall Overcome:

A Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Saturday, January 19, 8 p.m.

“We Shall Overcome” showcases repertoire from across the African American music traditions that electrified generations of civil rights activists and defenders, with interwoven spoken word from Dr. King’s recorded speeches. Produced and directed by Damien Sneed, this production ties together a living lineage of music and culture from gospel to jazz to spirituals. Tickets are $37 for reserved seating and $31 for Gardens Preferred and Gardens Premium members.

Todd Wilson

Saturday, February 9, 8 p.m.

Regarded as one of today’s finest concert organists, Todd Wilson is head of the Organ Department at The Cleveland Institute of Music, director of music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio, and curator of the E.M. Skinner pipe organ at Severance Hall. His program includes transcriptions by Edwin H. Lemare and Edwin Arthur Kraft, as well as “Sonata on the 94th Psalm” by Julius Reubke. Tickets are $35 for reserved seating and $30 for Gardens Preferred and Gardens Premium members.

Joey Alexander Trio

Saturday, February 16, 8 p.m.

Fifteen-year-old jazz prodigy Joey Alexander is the youngest jazz artist ever nominated for a Grammy Award. Showing great promise as both a composer and bandleader, evidenced by the worldwide success of his trio and his latest release, Eclipse, Alexander develops fresh takes on well-known tunes and presents his own compositions. Tickets are $42 for reserved seating and $36 for Gardens Preferred and Gardens Premium members.

Parker Kitterman

Sunday, February 17, 3 p.m.

Parker Kitterman is director of music and organist at Christ Church, Philadelphia, where he has led an active program in weekly choral services, monthly vespers concerts, organ recitals, and other occasions since 2010. He also serves as a piano accompanist for the Singing City Choir, and is an active recitalist, conductor, composer, and clinician. Free with Gardens admission.

Curtis Student Recitals

Sunday, February 24 and Sunday, March 24, 1 p.m.

The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia trains gifted young musicians for careers as performing artists on the highest professional level. Experience the stars of tomorrow as they perform solo and chamber music in these pre-graduation recitals. Free with Gardens admission.

VISITORS GUIDE

New wine tasting room joins area’s growing grape and grain industries

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

The business district of Toughkenamon – and ultimately, the growing winery and brewery trade in southern Chester County – added another notch on its proverbial belt recently when the Harvest Ridge Winery officially opened the doors to its new tasting room on Newark Road on May 5.

It’s the latest notch burnished in a continuous chain of entrepreneurship that stretches from Chadds Ford to Oxford and beyond – one that has begun to turn the heads of aficionados on the national wine and brew pub circuit and re-imagined the region into one where the science of beer and wine can be enjoyed with the same equal zest of sipping a new Bordeaux or nursing an ice cold IPA.

Throughout the weekend, visitors were introduced by the tasting room staff to Harvest Ridge wines, served in a 2,500-foot space that is complete with tables made from oak wine barrels, comfortable couches and a 40-foot-long bar.

“The goal for us is to deliver an exceptional customer experience,” said Harvest Ridge Winery owner Chuck Nunan. “You should feel comfortable when you’re here, like being at home with no worries. You’re going to enjoy fine wine, music and a good time. It’s about getting away from it all, and enjoying life.”

Nunan’s comment regarding the opening of Harvest Winery’s new tasting room is applicable in all directions in southern Chester County. If you and the adults in your party are so inclined, here’s your invitation to enjoy the growing tapestry of wineries, tasting rooms, breweries and brew pubs – from downtown Kennett Square to just a few minutes’ drive from the festival.

Wineries and tasting rooms near the Mushroom Festival

Black Walnut Winery

Located in a beautifully-restored historic bank barn, Black Walnut’s wines are produced, bottled and cellared on site.

3000 Lincoln Hwy, Coatesville

Phone: 610-857-5566

Web: www.blackwalnutwinery.com

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

The family of the Harvest Ridge Winery celebrated the opening of its new tasting room in Toughkenamon on May 5.

Borderland Vineyard

Tucked down a country road, the vistas at this vineyard are surpassed only by the eclectic varietals that are produced in small batch quantities every year.

332 Indiantown Rd, Landenberg

Phone: 215-436-9154

Web: www.borderlandvineyard. com

Chaddsford Winery

Located on a small country estate in the heart of the Brandywine artist community, the winery is housed in a charmingly renovated colonial barn that produces wines that have achieved a national reputation.

632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford Phone: 610-388-6221

Web: www.chaddsford.com

Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery

This boutique winery produces several award-winning wines using the best of “old world” and “new world” processes. Each glass or bottle of its varietals can be enjoyed in its beautiful tasting room that offers gorgeous vistas of the vineyard and the neighboring rolling countryside.

700 Folly Hill Road, Kennett Square Phone: 484-899-8013

Web: www.galerestate.com

Harvest Ridge Winery Tasting Room

Although its wine is grown and harvested in Delaware, the Harvest Ridge Winery’s wines can now be enjoyed at the winery’s new tasting room in Toughkenamon, which opened in May to rave reviews.

1140 Newark Road, Toughkenamon Phone: 484-915-2190

Web: www.harvestridge.com

Kreutz Creek Vineyards

This small, award-winning vineyard and winery offers some of the best wines grown in Chester County, as well as some of the best views from its tasting room.

553 S. Guernsey Road, West Grove

Phone: 610-869-4412

Web: www.kreutzcreekvineyards.com

Paradocx Vineyards

From its Barn Red to its Haywagon Chardonnay, this winery and tasting room offers a comfortable setting to enjoy a glass or a bottle while enjoying the nearby beauty of the vineyard.

1833 Flint Hill Rd, Landenberg Phone: 610-255-5684

Web: www.paradocx.com

Patone Cellars

A rustic, Italian-style winery, Patone Cellars is dedicated to making European-style wine in small batches, all under the roof of an Italian-styled tasting room. 1051 Wickerton Road, Landenberg Phone: 302-545-7388

Web: www.patonecellars.com.

VISITORS GUIDE

Penns Woods Winery

Nestled on the outskirts of Chadds Ford, this family-owned vineyard and winery offers a full menu of wines, as well as wine tastings and a unique calendar of events.

124 Beaver Valley Rd, Chadds Ford

Phone: 610-459-0808

Web: www.pennswoodswinery.com.

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Wineries & Breweries

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Va La Vineyards

A family-farmed, boutique winery, Va La offers a delicious variety of small-batch dry table wines from Northern Italy that have caught the attention of national publications and critics. The wines are complimented by its tasting room, located in a century-old barn, that opens up to stunning views of the vineyards. 8820 Gap Newport Pike, Avondale Phone: 610-268-2702

Web: www.valavineyards.com.

WAYVINE Winery & Vineyard

Begun in 2008 with 3,000 vines, WAYVINE now boasts 12,000 vines and 11 unique varieties of wine, all grown and harvested on site. Be sure to check out the tasting room! 4374 Forge Road, Nottingham Phone: 610-220-0128

Web: www.wayvine.wine

Breweries and brew pubs near the Mushroom Festival

Bog Turtle Brewing Company

Operated by five die-hard craft beer enthusiasts and Oxford residents, every drop of Bog Turtle beer is brewed with passion and dedication to craft.

14 South Third Street, Oxford Phone: 484-758-0416

Web: www.bogturtlebrewery.com

Dew Point Brewing Company

Located in nearby Yorklyn, De., this family-run business in a refurbished factory features a cozy tasting room and a wide assortment of beers with names like Nit Wit and Hopwarts Express.

2878 Creek Road, Yorklyn, De.

Phone: 302-235-8429

Web: www. dewpointbrewing.com

Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen

Rustic-chic gastropub in the epicenter of the Mushroom Festival that offers a funky menu, craft beers, great music and an upstairs seating area with great views of Kennett Square.

108 West State Street, Kennett Square

Phone: 610-444-7232

Web: www.meetatgrain.com

Hollow Earth Brewing Company

Located in downtown Oxford, this comfortable cafe serves juicy unfiltered ales, malty black beers and the occasional sours beer, all accompanied by a tasty menu of panini sandwiches, salads, sides, soups and chili.

19 North Third Street, Oxford

Phone: 610-732-3959

Web: www.hollowearthbrewing.com

Iron Hill Brewing Company

This regional brewpub chain is known for its house-made beers and American comfort fare, all a quick walk from the West Chester University campus.

3 West Gay Street, West Chester

Phone: 610-738-9600

Web: www.ironhillbrewery.com

VISITORS GUIDE

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VISITORS GUIDE

Wineries & Breweries

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Kennett Brewing Company

Levante Brewing Company

Located in the hart of Mushrooom Festival country, this family-owned and operated brewpub offers an everchanging list of brews made on premise; an eclectic and tasty menu; and a full calendar of music.

109 South Broad Street, Kennett Square Phone: 610-444-0440

Web: www.kennettbrewingcompany. com

Made by craft beer artisans, Levante’s small batch creations offer an assortment of oak barrel aged beers, complimented with eclectically brewed, aged-on-fruit, wild ales and hazy, adjunct laden pale ales and IPAs.

208 Carter Drive, Suite 2, West Chester

Phone: 484-999-8761

Web: www.levantebrewing.com

McKenzie Brew House

House-brewed beers and new American fare, all served up in a sports bar atmosphere. 451 Wilmington-West Chester Pike (Route 202)

Glen Mils, Pa 19342

Phone: 610-361-9800

Web: www.mckenziebrewhouse.com

Continued on Page 116

Wineries & Breweries

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Two Stones Brewing Company

Famed for its slogan, “Believe nothing, try everything,” this popular brewpub is a hotbed of seasonal tastes and incredible microbrews, including the Two Stones varietals, all made nearby in Aston.

843 East Baltimore Pike at the Shoppes of Longwood, Kennett Square Phone: 610-444-3940

Web: www.twostonespub.com

Victory Brewing Company

Great American food served large and paired with 30 Victory beers on tap in a bright and airy restaurant and pub that’s just down the street from the Mushroom Festival. 650 West Cypress Street, Kennett Square Phone: 484-730-1870

Web: www.victorybeer.com