In the height of fall, spore-loving scavengers are at the peak of their hobby. But it turns out, there’s more to these fun-guys than just puns and alliteration. The Central Oregon Mushroom Club hosted the eighth annual FungiFest in Sunriver on Oct. 11, 2025, now bigger than ever, with over 500 attendees.
Started in 2017 under a few feet of snow, the now annual FungiFest has attracted all kinds of attendees, with the goal of educating people about — you guessed it — mushrooms! According to the National Library of Medicine, society has a large distrust and fear of mushrooms, called mycophobia, and spread rumors about their deadly toxins. This comes despite only 2% of known mushrooms being toxic. The Central Oregon Mushroom Club aims to set this record straight through their mushroom talks, presentations and museum-like exhibits all featured at FungiFest.
The first thing many notice at the Fungi-Festival — or rather, before the fest — is that there’s nowhere to park. It was hosted at the Sunriver Homeowners’ Aquatic and Recreation Center, which offered 200 parking spots. However, overflow parking was still required at a nearby church. Volunteers said it’s the most people they’ve seen at the event yet. One volunteer, Don Carter, discussed the changes they made this year to accommodate.
Carter has volunteered at the festival for the last five years with his daughter. Back then, the festival ran out of the Sunriver Observatory, “but obviously it outgrew that location,” he said. This year, Carter was in charge of running an art station for kids to paint, teaching them that mushrooms are friends and not to be feared.
But why has the FungiFest been such a hit with locals? It is truly a mushroom-lover’s paradise, with mushroom coffee, mushroom ice cream and even a mushroom marketplace. However, Carter believes there’s more to it than just excitement.
“People are curious,” he said. “And I think now more than ever people are trying to play more of a role in where their food is coming from.”
The quality of the food available in stores is becoming a growing concern for Americans across the country. People have been calling into question the dangers of using pesticides and other chemicals. Just last year, the Charles Boggini Company recalled three different sodas from businesses because several of their additives, including preservatives and dyes, were linked to cancer.
Redmond High School student Lyric Campbell attended the event with their father and said that chemical processes are important to prevent food from going bad but the manufacturers “don’t have anyone’s best interests at heart.”
Clearly, people have concerns about the use of preservatives in their food, but don’t have an alternative. Campell stated that organic foods are too expensive to be a reliable option, especially for people in low-income situations.
Popular retailers like Safeway typically demand an extra 40 to 60% for organic produce. Therefore, if someone wanted to save money, get outside, and be more confident in the quality of their food? Then going mushroom foraging seems like a great alternative! Carter believes this fits with “Central Oregon’s unique outdoor culture” and is part of the reason why FungiFest is bringing in so many people year after year.
Ultimately, Sunriver’s FungiFest is a place where outdoors hobbyists and people looking to learn can gather. While there, one would be hard pressed to find a place where a kid wasn’t running around having fun painting or playing with a magnifying glass. The event cultivates a sense of curiosity for all ages. While at first the lectures can seem boring, the level of passion these people have for fungus is enviable. With such big numbers this year, it’s clear FungiFest won’t be going anywhere and could be a Central Oregon tradition for years to come.
