A festival bursting with mushrooms

First, is it because Kamouraska is particularly fertile ground for chanterelles and other oyster mushrooms that it has become their kingdom?

Not really. There are no more mushrooms here than elsewhere in Quebec, and the same species are found here. But 15 years ago, Kamouraska was looking to forge a territorial identity. A project to evaluate edible forest products, conducted in the Haut-Pays region, revealed the potential of mushrooms as a flagship product. Inspired by other successful mycological industries around the world, the region decided to give it a try. Today, an ecosystem of 470 businesses, institutions, and organizations revolves around this industry.

It certainly deserves a festival named after it! How did the idea come about? 

The industry is very active, but much of the work is done behind the scenes, in product development, business support, research projects, etc. The festival was born out of a need to connect with the general public. It aims to introduce people to mycological gastronomy, scientific advances, nature and, of course, Kamouraska.

Since the Smurfs are a little too small to participate, who is the festival aimed at? 

It will always be a niche festival. We’ll never attract 300,000 people! Nevertheless, people come from all over to participate. Half of the festival-goers come from outside the region. We attract families as well as outdoor enthusiasts and foodies. There’s also a segment of the audience that consists of mushroom freaks, young people studying biotechnology, chemistry, environmental science, etc.