Mansfield Mushroom Festival on the horizon

It is almost time again to get to Mansfield for the annual Mansfield Mushroom Festival. 

This year's event will be held April 26 and April 27 and will feature the Morel Mushroom Auction, various contests including the Biggest Morel, a car show, tours of the Mansfield Mill, and plenty of food and handcraft vendors with an emphasis on morel mushrooms and the spring season. 

"The Mushroom Auction began to bring people together, give them a chance to get out from the cabin fever of Winter and enjoy one of Spring's hidden charms, the Morel Mushroom," Angie Cook told The Parke County Post. 

For Cook, her favorite part of the festival is bringing the community together, seeing what the mushroom hunters bring and the excitement of the auction, as well as getting to know and enjoy what items vendors bring. 

"The festival had gone downhill the last few years, and this year, we are starting to come back alive and have over 40 vendors, which is doubled from last year. These vendors all bring something special from hand painted hunting bags, chainsaw carved morels, morels made from Gourds, an acrylic artist who paints magical forests with mushrooms as the focal point, a new author who will be doing book signings and I am super excited to have the Chuckwagon join us this year with those delicious fried biscuits and apple butter, and, of course, all the other delicious food," Cook acknowledged. 

Cook said people can get involved in the festival by coming out and supporting the mushroom hunters by attending the auction, and purchasing from the vendors, who, she said, have worked hard to get ready for the event. 

"While we have filled our vendor space this year, we have big changes coming next year to accommodate even more vendors. We will have fried morels once again and more fun things to do," Cook said. 

Anyone wishing to get involved can call Cook at 765-562-3815 or email her at mansfieldvendors@gmail.com.