By The Cordova Chamber of Commerce
Every year the lucky salmon that make it past Cordova’s keen fishermen head upstream, spawn, and leave abundant nutrients on the creek shores that are transported by fungi to nourish the entire forest. And every fall, Cordova’s land-based foragers venture into the wilderness to hunt nature’s delicacies like wild berries, yellow-footed chanterelles, and king boletes. Cordova’s lush forests offer the perfect environment for these natural treasures to thrive and the perfect setting for anyone interested in nature’s wonders to learn about the interconnectedness of fungus, the forest, and the sea. Come celebrate with fungus-pluckers and lichen-lovers from near and far at the Cordova Fungus Festival! Our 19th annual festival will take place in Cordova from Sept. 12-15, 2024. Festival headquarters will be located at the Cordova Center in downtown Cordova.
Festival attendees will have opportunities to explore the natural world in the northernmost coastal temperate rainforest and learn more about local mushrooms; participate in art and handcraft workshops; and celebrate mushrooms, salmon, and other wild-harvested foods in a variety of ways. This three-day event will celebrate Cordova’s rich wild harvesting culture and the unified life-cycle of fungus, salmon, and the forest with guided forest forays, presentations, art classes, kids’ activities, and more!
Registration for the festival is open and is $20. Registration is available on the Cordova Fungus Festival website at www.cordovafungusfest.com. Children 12 and under are free but must still be registered. If you are between the ages of 13-18 or 65+, you qualify for our student/senior rate.
A partnership between many local Cordova agencies, the Cordova Fungus Festival offers something for everyone.
“The Fungus Festival is a great opportunity to learn more about the mushrooms and lichens in your backyard. The event hosts exhibits, field trips and talks with experts in the field. If you are interested in getting to know your mushrooms, this is the event for you,” said Erin Cooper, program manager, Wildlife, Ecology and Vegetation Management.
“Understanding local ecosystems starts in youth, which is why the Prince William Sound Science Center is proud to partner with the Cordova Fungus Festival to provide enriching and educational activities for kids and adults alike. Join us for the children events Fungus Among Us, the Family Fungus Scavenger Hunt, and a fungus-themed Nature Yoga session,” said Kate Trudeau, education specialist at Prince William Sound Science Center.
Known for its vibrant array of art and handcraft classes and supplies, The Net Loft looks forward to offering a variety of woodland-inspired handcraft workshops at this year’s Cordova Fungus Festival, built to complement your mushroom education and foraging activities.
“We’re grateful for the diverse partnerships that come together to produce this event, adding vibrance and building community resilience in a way that aligns with Cordova’s regenerative tourism destination strategy,” said Cathy Renfeldt, executive director of the Cordova Chamber of Commerce. We can’t wait to see you at this year’s festival! It’ll be a FUNgus time!
The Cordova Fungus Festival is brought to you by the Cordova Chamber of Commerce along with partners Chugach National Forest-Cordova Ranger District, Prince William Sound Science Center, and The Net Loft, and with support from Alaska Airlines, the City of Cordova, Conoco Phillips, Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., The Cordova Times, Bayview Communications Inc., Prince William Sound Economic Development District, Cordova Electric Cooperative, Cordova Telephone Cooperative, Camtu’s Alaska Wild Seafood, Trident Seafoods, Edible Alaska, IBEW Local #1547, and many other small business sponsors as well as local volunteers.
This sponsored content was created in partnership with the Cordova Chamber of Commerce. If you’d like to learn more about sponsored content with The Cordova Times, email [email protected].
