Mushroom Mania 2025
April 19, 2025 at Stone Brewing - Richmond. 4300 Williamsburg Ave. Richmond, Virginia
Free admission!
It is a celebration of the mysterious, magical, and mouthwatering marvel – MUSHROOMS! Join us for our eighth annual fungi fest to honor the creative influence, culinary delights, health benefits, and cultural significance of the mushroom kingdom. 40+ vendors, mushroom growers, speakers, food, craft beer, costume contest, dancing and more.
2025 Presenters & Schedule TBA
We’re Richmond, Virginia’s first and only fungi fest going eight years strong! We’ll be featuring free classes, workshops, lectures, screening cartoons, dancing, costume contest, music, giveaways and much more!
SCHEDULE :
APRIL 19, 2025
12:00-6:00 PM - Richmond Moon Market - Second floor mezzanine
Check out over forty local vendors, mushrooms growers, fortune tellers, artists, plants, vintage wares, jewelry, home decor, art, ceramics, plus the Live Buena taco truck, craft beer, live music, learning and more.
Final schedule TBA
ALL DAY:
Learn: Blue Ridge Mycological Society, Baltispore, Folkish Farms, East Coast Mushrooms, Host Defense and more will join us with classes and talks all day.
Snap: Photo Booth with the Richmond Faerie Federation.
Shop: Sponsors and Vendors at the Richmond Moon Market
Tasting: with Little Saints and Host Defense.
DIY: Make and take with experts from SanJ Tamari
Drink: Stone Brewing offers craft beer, seltzer, frozen drinks, NA, sodas, kombucha and more
Eat: Live Buena Food Truck, Kay’s Kushbu and Pi’s Coffee
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT MUSHROOM MANIA?
DIY Mushroom Project with SanJ Tamari
Learn about fermenting, fungus and food with local experts from SanJ Tamari.
Try a tasty free sample of new and inventive mushroom products. Little Saints non-alcoholic cocktails and spirits boost your mood with no guilt or hangover. Experience a subtle euphoria without sugar or next-day consequences.
Tasting: Little Saints - St. Juniper
Grab a sample from Host Defense. Try an uplifting blend of organic Lion’s Mane and shade-grown, finely ground Japanese matcha. For a modern-day spin on an ancestral infusion, mix this smooth, vibrant tea blend with your favorite milk.
Tasting: Host Defense - Mushroom Matcha
Tom Dadant has spent the last 53 years of his life immersed in the Natural Foods movement and the Dietary Supplement industry. In 1970, he began as an organic farmer on the Big Island of Hawaii, went on to own and manage a vegetarian restaurant in Honolulu, and produced fresh organic fruit and vegetable juices for a DDS's and an MD's patients as well as retail outlets on the island of Oahu.
For the last 28 years, Tom has represented major supplement companies as a Science Educator and Herbal Storyteller. He joined Host Defense® education team in May of 2017 and began educating retailers and consumers nationwide on the benefits of mushrooms as dietary supplements. In 2019, Tom trained over 1,200 people in- person, traveling over 75,000 miles nationally, and presented live webinars to over 2,400 attendees!
Tom is a fifth-generation descendant of Charles Dadant, who was instrumental in developing the modern-day beehive box and who started the beekeeping supply business now known as Dadant & Sons in 1863. Tom is the grandson of MG Dadant.
His cousins and nephews continue to run the business in Hamilton, Illinois. Tom carries on the family beekeeping tradition by speaking to beekeepers nationwide about Host Defense's partnership with Washington State University's entomology department, and their groundbreaking research using mushrooms mycelium to combat Colony Collapse Disorder and the effects on Varroa mites in honeybees and Native Bees.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease
Speaker: Tom Dadant, Host Defense
Mushrooms & Immunity
(Beginner to intermediate) Learn how to use agar plates for growing out spores into cultures and eventually isolating those to grow out or preserve long term. Explore taking tissue cultures from wild mushrooms and how to clean and isolate those cultures for use. Folkish Farms will go over everything from start to finish.
Class: Agar Plates with Folkish Farms
Animated Short: 12 minutes All Ages Mush-Mush giveaways!
Director: Joeri Christiaen
Back by popular Demand! Mush-Mush and the Mushables! Connect to the world of fungi, foraging and friendship through this special screening suitable for all ages.
Mush-Mush and the Mushables follows the adventures of Mush-Mush, his best friends Lilit and Chep as they discover just how fun outdoor life can be.
Richmond screening sponsored by La Cabane Productions.
Screening: Mush-Mush and the Mushables
Documentary Short: 25 Minutes Q & A with Film maker
Director: Rose Vincelli Gustine Starring: Journei Bimwala
Imagine a green place. A river rushes by; herbs grow among chestnut and cherry trees. Now wedge this place between highrises and train tracks in the South Bronx, NYC. Still a lush oasis, just - different. Here, Journei, an herbalist, tends the Bronx River Foodway, and seeks nourishment from the earth.
Richmond Premier sponsored by Garlic Party Docs
Featured in the Athena Film Festival and the Bronx River Alliance Spring Equinox Mugwort Celebration
Screening: What We Discover Along the Way
White Witch: by The Athanor Dance Collective is a captivating 10-minute performance that explores the mystique and power of the white witch through a mesmerizing blend of dance, silks, flame, swords, and claws.
Presented by the Athanor Dance Collective, this act is an immersive ritualistic journey that showcases the strength and grace of the white witch archetype. The performance is a fusion of various art forms, including bellydance and flow arts, all infused with a dark-electronic beat that adds an air of mystery and allure.
To learn more about their classes and upcoming performances keep your eyes on our posts and stories follow them at https://www.instagram.com/athanor_dance_collective/#
original image by @murphykphoto with edits from @ethereal_ginnie_fae
Performance: Athanor Dance Collective - White Witch
Location: 2nd Floor Mezzanine Time: All Day
Richmond’s favorite craft and wellness market featuring over forty local vendors, mushrooms growers, fortunes, herbalists, artists, plants, vintage wares, jewelry, home decor, art, ceramics, clothing and more. Plus the Live Buena taco truck, craft beer, and live music.
Richmond Moon Market
Panel Talk: The State of Psychoactive Plants and Fungi in Virginia
Discuss the changing laws, local research, and social mores regarding psychoactive plants and fungi in the commonwealth of Virginia.
Panelists:
Will E. Nelson (Decriminalize Nature Virginia),
Chelsea Higgs Wise (Marijuana Justice),
Isa Bolivar (Shaman & Medicine Woman),
Maya Gaines-Smith MS (González-Maeso Lab, at MCV)
Alistaire McKemy MSW, LCSW (Calm Waters)
Will E. Nelson, Decriminalize Nature Virginia
Will Nelson, Co-Founder of Decriminalize Nature Virginia, is a key figure in driving statewide reform for psychedelics and entheogenic plants. With a talent for political and community organizing, he has traveled around the Commonwealth of Virginia to educate and discuss legislation. Will's expertise extends to conducting workshops on plant and mushroom cultivation throughout the state.
Maya Gaines-Smith, MS, Neuroscience PhD candidate in the González-Maeso Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Maya Gaines-Smith, is a two-time Hampton University alumna, working toward a PhD in Neuroscience at VCU. Currently Gaines-Smith is studying the therapeutic mechanism of MDMA, attempting to parse out the primary molecular mechanisms necessary for its potentially therapeutic action. She has designed and contributed to projects studying psilocybin, ibogaine analogs, DMT analogs, and LSD to name a few, She is researching how these compounds can be used to alter brain morphology in individuals experiencing any number of complaints, be it depression, PTSD, or substance use disorder. She has written extensively about psychedelics in general, from both a pharmacological/neuroscience perspective, as well as a socio-cultural perspective, and believes both perspectives are imperative to any worthwhile discussion about psychedelic therapies.
Alistaire McKemy. MSW, LCSW
Alistaire is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Psychedelic-Assisted Therapist. He received his MSW from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2018. In 2023, he completed psychedelic-assisted therapy training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute as a member of their 4th cohort, focusing on treatments utilizing ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA. Alistaire is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and specializes in working with clients who have experienced complex and/or developmental trauma.
Isa Bolivar, Shaman, Medicine Woman
Isa Bolivar is a traditional energy healer devoted to ancient practices that restore balance and well-being. Through sacred plant medicine, sweat lodge ceremonies (Temazcal), Reiki, past-life regression, and Family Constellations, she guides deep healing and self-discovery. Her work includes sacred plant medicine rituals, blending ancestral wisdom with modern energy work to help reconnect with one’s true essence.
Chelsea Higgs Wise, MSW, Marijuana Justice, Founder and Executive Director
Chelsea Higgs Wise is a 36-year-old Virginian who is grateful for the village of public school teachers that raised her. She is a mother, a social worker, and a community organizer, committed to unearthing Black history and who firmly believes that there will be no peace without justice.She holds a masters of social work at Virginia Commonwealth University, and proudly served her community for ten years in the mental health industry. Chelsea rallied with some of the most incredible minds to birth a Black-led platform that is rooted in historic storytelling, political education and providing a POC space aimed at collective power that benefits us all. Marijuana Justice.
Location: Tap Room
Time: TBA
Come to Mushroom Mania in your finest fungi fashions and you could win cash and prize. There can only be one Supreme Mushroom Maniac!
Categories:
Supreme Mushroom Maniac
Best Group Costume or Duo
Best Li’l ‘Shroom (12 and under)
Costume Contest
Live Music: The Embalmers
Location: Patio
Time: TBA
The Embalmers bring the reverb-drenched fuzzed out waves of sonic horror to the unsuspecting citizens of Richmond VA and beyond!
Talk: Fluorescent Fungi with Blue Ridge Mycological Society
Location: TBA
Time: TBA
ALL AGES!
Join Blue Ridge Mycological Society president, Pat Mitchell for a talk about the fluorescent behavior of forest organisms, most notably fungi. No mycological knowledge is needed. They will discuss the different types of glow that occur in the forest and explore several organisms that fluoresce.
Food Trucks
More Mushroom Events in Virginia
Location: HaaShrooms 5750 Jabez Lane Goochland, Virginia 23063
Time: Sundays from 9:30AM till 11:30AM beginning in April
Instructor: Steve Haas
Learn to locate and identify wild mushrooms and wild edible and medicinal plants with Steve Haas on their 60 acre woodland estate. The easy hike is filled with surprises and fun for all! These hunts are extremely popular and fill quickly! We do not collect any mushrooms on group hunts. If you are interested in learning more and keeping all found fungi, join Steve for a private hunt.
Price: $50
2025 SPONSORS
Thanks to the generosity of these kind folks Mushrooms Mania remains free and open for all to learn, explore and celebrate the fungi kingdom. Check them out.
FAQs
Free admission?
Yes. We love to share the fun of mushrooms and local makers with everyone. This event is free and open to the public. Donations are very welcome. We need your support to continue the mania!
How can I support Mushroom Mania?
Donate to keep the fungi fun going!
Is this a family friendly event?
Yes! There will be fungi fun for all ages. Friend under 18 are welcome with a chaperone. There will be discussion and imagery related to psychoactive mushrooms and plants there. Please use your best judgement.
Are dogs allowed?
Friendly dogs are welcome on the outside patio. Mo pets inside.
Got any “shrooms” for sale?
No. In Virginia, it is still illegal to buy, sell or possess psychedelic fungi aka “shrooms,” or “magic mushrooms,” even for medicinal use. No vendors will be selling, trading or giving away illegal items. This is a family friendly event. Be cool. Write to your state and local representatives and ask them to support changing legislation. And check out https://decrimnatureva.org/
Should I do “‘shrooms” at Mushroom Mania?
No, see above. This is for everyone’s safety. Mushroom Mania is a family friendly event.
Many harm reductionists and psychonaughts believe the safest use of psychedelics is in a familiar, safe, and controlled place with someone experienced, knowledgeable, trusted and sober to care for and/or guide you. Be cool. Be safe.
Can I be a vendor at Mushroom Mania?
Vendor applications is now closed.
Can I take public transit?
YES! GRTC is currently free to ride.
Stop: BRT East Riverfront
Stop: 4B Main at East Riverfront
Stop: 4A admiral Gravely Blvd and Williamsburg Rd.
Virginia Capitol Trail cyclists
Exit at University of Richmond docks.
Take Warf St. to 16 Nicholson St.
Bike racks are in the parking lot.
Parking info
Parking is free at Stone Brewing Richmond.
Nature loves courage.
-Terence McKenna
