By Kim Chiomento, Staff Writer, The Times
Gov. Tom Corbett and his wife Susan were among a large number of dignitaries to join the local community for The Mushroom Festival this past weekend.
KENNETT – Delighted festival-goers were treated to a home-town parade, dining and dancing in the streets, tasting events, great shopping and mushroom exhibits this weekend.
Dignitaries — including Gov. Tom Corbett and his wife, Susan, marching bands, community clubs, sports teams and an appearance of the giant illuminated “Midnight in the Square” mushroom helped kick-off the well attended parade Friday evening.
The weekend’s special events included culinary presentations, “Cute as a Button” baby contest, the popular soup and wine tasting tent, fried mushroom eating contest, live music, Mushroom Run 5k, and a growers exhibit all set amidst shopping and food vendors.
The Mushroom Festival is one of the nation’s top street festivals with crowds nearing 100,000 people annually. Festival proceeds benefit local charities with $72,000 donated to the local community last year.
Some of the sights and scenes of the weekend, as photographed by Kim Chiomento:
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The Mushroom Festival, Inc. would like to thank the many volunteers and businesses who support this event and make this level of charitable support possible. Visit their home page at mushroomfestival.org to learn the winners of the Festival’s amateur cook-off, best local mushroom soup & wine, “Cute as a Button” baby contest and Mushroom Run 5k.
The Mushroom Festival, Inc. also plans the “Midnight in the Square” family New Year’s Eve celebration. This popular event features live entertainment and culminates with the “drop” of a giant illuminated mushroom at midnight. Organizers are pleased to announce that the planning is already well under way; but need your support to make it happen. To get involved -or- to help sponsor this popular community-wide event, please contact Director, Kathi Lafferty: 610-925-3373.
Corbett, Pileggi, Ross . . . Any reason why you didn’t have at least one picture of the Democratic candidates in the parade? Tom Houghton, Whitney Hoffman, MaryAnn Balchunis were there as was an energetic group of Kennett Area Democrats. How about some fairness here?