Organizers hope to see the public at the 41st annual festival scheduled for May 28-29, 2022

By Staff Report

With the uncertainty of holding large events due to COVID-19, the board of directors of the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras, Inc. have made the decision to cancel the 2021 festival, optimistically to resume May 28-29, 2022.

Taking into consideration the scope of work, size, attendance and the upfront costs of the Mushroom Mardi Gras Festival, and the evolving developments with COVID-19, the final decision to cancel the festival was made at a special board meeting via conference call, said Festival Director Sunday Minnich. After much discussion regarding the decline in revenue due to inclement weather in 2019 and the cancellation of last year’s festival, the board members requested Minnich to research other smaller scale event opportunities to help support the organization’s scholarship fund.

Mardi the Mushroom is the festival’s mascot.

To date the festival has awarded more than $1.2 million in scholarships to public and private high school seniors who reside within the Morgan Hill Unified School District. The festival has also awarded tens of thousands of dollars in mini-grants to elementary and middle schools in Morgan Hill, and has contributed significant stipends to volunteer organizations from schools such as Grad Night, sports teams, booster clubs and  from other community nonprofit organizations. Last year was the first time in the festival’s 40-year history the organization was not able to provide any awards, grants or stipends.

“The board sincerely regrets the disappointment these decisions will create for so many, and are sad that so many who were looking forward to joining us this year will not be able to participate in the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras,” according to a press release. “This is a difficult decision and the directors do not take it lightly. We hope all our neighbors are in good health and are safe during these unprecedented times. We hopefully look forward to seeing everyone at the 41st Annual Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras Festival, May 28-29, 2022.”

For more information, please contact Executive Director Sunday Minnich at [email protected].