What’s it Like to Attend the Telluride Colorado Mushroom Festival?

The picturesque mountain town of Telluride, Colorado is known for a lot of things. However, one particular event seems to stand out and that is the annual Telluride Mushroom Festival.

What is the Telluride Mushroom Festival?

The Telluride Mushroom Festival is a large gathering that has taken place in the town of Telluride, Colorado for the last 43 years. The festival celebrates all things mushrooms including recreational and medical use of psychedelic mushrooms, as well as mushrooms without psychedelic properties.

While much of the festival focuses on what one might consider to be "magic mushrooms," there is just as much focus on things like the scientific properties of mushrooms, health benefits, personal use, cultivation, and cooking, to name a few.

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The festival offers free activities that are open to the public and include things like workshops and presentations, yoga, a virtual reality mushroom lounge, poetry reading, panel discussions, book signings, and even an open mic.

Some of the other events at the festival that require a ticket include numerous lectures and workshops as well as movies, and even something by the name of the Wild Mushroom Puppet Theater.

Last year's Telluride Mushroom Festival took place between August 16 and 20 and, per usual, culminated in the annual parade down Telluride's Main Street which is truly a sight to be seen.

The parade is special in numerous ways, including the fact that everyone in attendance is encouraged to walk in the parade and the vast majority of those in the parade are dressed to the nines in impressive costumes.

Next year's Telluride Mushroom Festival will take place between August 14 and 18, 2024, but in the meantime, check out some highlights from last year's festival below: