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GO TO THIS: SANTA CRUZ FUNGUS FAIR
My love of Santa Cruz’s mushroom culture is well-documented, from sharing the stories of passionate foragers and culinarians to discovering boutique varieties at local farms. Starting Friday afternoon and running through the weekend, my fellow fungus nerds will gather at the county’s most longstanding mycological event: the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair.
After more than a half-century, the fair organizers know how to put on a show, with two and a half days of arts, crafts, presentations, speakers and exhibits on display at London Nelson Community Center in downtown Santa Cruz. There are also more than a half-dozen vendors with mushroom-focused foods for purchase, like The Penny Ice Creamery’s ice cream made with maple syrup-scented candy cap mushrooms, and popsicles from Benni Pops (formerly Santa Cruz Fungi) infused with medicinal mushrooms like lion’s mane and reishi.
The fungus fair, hosted by the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, runs Friday from 2 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 on Friday, and $15 on Saturday and Sunday. Children under 12 are free.
Fungus fans can also explore mushroom specials at 12 participating restaurants and retail shops throughout downtown Santa Cruz for the month of January. Find the full list at downtownsantacruz.com. I have my eye on grilled maitake mushroom pita at Ibiza, and a chanterelle quiche at Chocolat.
NOTE
New year, new newsletters! In 2026, we’re making changes to Friday’s Eaters Digest and Thursday’s Weekender newsletters.
Starting Jan. 15, the best of Eaters Digest – dining tips, best bites and food events – will combine with Weekender’s top arts and entertainment news for one weekend-focused guide, delivered on Thursdays. That means this is the final edition of Eaters Digest on Fridays.
If you already subscribe to both, you don’t need to do anything! Stop by the Newsletter Center to make sure you’re getting the newsletters from Lookout you want each week.
BEST OF THE WEEK AHEAD
Below, find a curated list of the best food and drink events in Santa Cruz County for the coming week. At the top, I share my picks of unmissable local happenings.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
ICYMI – here are food news stories from Lookout that you might have missed.
- Abbott Square seeks two new food tenants as popular downtown market shuffles stalls
- Newsmakers 2025: Seabright, harbor business owners reflect on challenging year, community support and their fears for 2026
- Seaside’s Other Brother opens cozy taproom in Aptos with award-winning beer, standout sandwiches
- Newsmakers 2025: Barista who helped unionize Verve says the experience changed how she saw herself
