Sonoma Mycological Association plans first annual Mushroom Art Fair in Sebastopol
SOMA’s first Mushroom Art Fair will mix local fungi art, workshops and dye talk in Sebastopol, with free entry, a suggested donation and paid workshop tickets.
Sonoma Mycological Association will bring mushroom culture out of the woods and into Sebastopol Grange Hall with its first annual Mushroom Art Fair, a free family-friendly gathering built around local mushroom art, hands-on activities, presentations and workshops. The fair is set for Sunday, June 21, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 6000 Sebastopol Ave., and SOMA is positioning it as a public-facing entry point into the mushroom world, not just another club meet-up.
The keynote presentation will come from Wilder Herbertson, who will speak about mushroom dyes and where to find the mushrooms that provide the color. That theme lands squarely in the overlap between foraging and craft, where field knowledge becomes a material skill. SOMA also says Herbertson teaches mushroom dye-making with species including Phaeolus schweinitzii and Hypomyces lactiflorum, also known as lobster, and uses changes in pH and mordant to produce four colors.
The art fair’s emphasis on dye work fits neatly into SOMA’s own history. On its art page, the group says Miriam C. Rice popularized the idea in the 1970s that fungi could be used for natural dyes and for paper-making, and says those practices spread from nearby Mendocino County and helped lead to the creation of the International Mushroom Dye Institute. SOMA also names Dorothy Beebee and Catherine Wesley as teachers of dye and paper-making classes at fungus fairs, SOMA Camp and mushroom workshops, underscoring that the fair is drawing from an established local lineage rather than inventing a new trend.
SOMA describes itself as a nonprofit group of professional and amateur mushroom enthusiasts in Northern California dedicated to educating the public about wild mushrooms and their uses, and the fair reflects that broader mission. Donations from the event will support mycological scholarship efforts and fungal DNA sequencing projects, while workshop tickets are priced at $25 and include entry to the full event on SOMA’s Humanitix page. The fair is listed as free to attend, with suggested donations posted at $20 on SOMA’s ticket page and $15 on the Sebastopol Grange listing, and workshops will have materials fees.
Food will be part of the draw too. One listing says the local mushroom taco truck Lucha Sabina will be on hand with food, including mushroom-forward specials, turning the Grange Hall into a place where art, foraging, and community gathering meet under one roof. With public programming that already includes SOMA Camp, seasonal forays at Salt Point State Park, and other educational events, the art fair looks set to become a recurring stop for anyone entering mushroom culture through the door of creativity first.
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