A two-day mushroom seminar with classroom lectures and mountain forays.

Back in 1996, Jim and Carol Sanford conceived of the King Boletus Mushroom Festival as a fundraiser for Buena Vista Heritage, combining two of their passions. Although mushroom forays and historic preservation seemed an unlikely pairing, the event has been a success in every year except 2002, when it was cancelled due to drought conditions.

More than its success as a fundraiser, however, the King Boletus Mushroom Festival has educated hundreds of participants on the fine art of hunting for and identifying mushrooms in the Upper Arkansas Valley and throughout Colorado. It has also brought together mushroom hunters of all ages and levels of experience to share their passion, tips and success stories.

Oh, and did we mention that it’s fun?

This year's Mushroom Fest will be August 25th & 26th.    The fee is  $100.00, including lunch on Saturday, a wine and cheese reception  Saturday afternoon, and a light lunch on Sunday.  There is no one-day rate. Please leave your dog at home.

BVH sells mushroom guide books, collecting baskets, knives and loupes at the event.

Schedule - Check back for updates

The seminar starts on Saturday, Aug. 25th, at 9:00 a.m. at the American Legion Hall, 338 N. Railroad Street, Buena Vista.  Check in between 8:30 and 9:00. Mushroom expert Ellen Jacobson and other members of the Colorado Mycological Society will present slides, display tables, handouts and information on locating and identifying mushrooms. In the afternoon, attendees will carpool to the local mountains to go on mushroom forays.

After the foray, everyone will gather to compare and identify the mushrooms they have collected, followed by a wine-cheese reception at the historic Turner Farm, 829 W. Main.

The festival will continue on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. There will again be forays into the mountains to find mushrooms.  Then, participants return to the Legion Hall for more identification, question-and-answers session, and a light lunch of quick mushroom-based snacks and pizza.

What to Bring:
Hiking boots
pocket knife or mushroom knife
water and snacks for the forays
bug spray
camera
hat, sun protection
a collection basket, loupe, or mushroom guide if you have them.

Registration is limited. No refunds after August 10, 2018. Register online . Request a printable form at

For more information, call 719-395-8458.  

http://www.buenavistaheritage.org/Mushroom-Fest-