The event is organized by the San Martín de la Virgen del Moncayo Mycological Center, the San Martín de Moncayo Mycology Association and the San Martín de la Virgen del Moncayo City Council, with the support of institutions and organizations such as the Zaragoza Provincial Council.
The event schedule was unveiled during the presentation of the program. Photo: AD
OUTINGS INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES
The traditional countryside outings will once again be one of the main features. Participants will be able to search for and collect mushrooms accompanied by experts and then learn how to classify and identify them. There will also be courses and educational activities to learn about the species that grow in the area and promote responsible foraging. Jesús Lamata, president of the San Martín del Moncayo Mycology Association, highlighted the area's variety: “We are going to see a great diversity of mushrooms, but in small quantities.”
MUSHROOMS ALSO TAKE CENTER STAGE AT THE TABLE
Food will also play an important role during the event. The program includes tastings, vermouth, workshops and other culinary activities in which mushrooms will take center stage. These include the mycological pastry workshop, an initiative that was well received last year. “People are surprised; they think mushrooms are only good for scrambled dishes,” Lamata said during the presentation.
Children will also have specific activities to introduce them to mycology in a simpler and more engaging way, including countryside outings, workshops and activities designed to help them discover the world of fungi. There will also be exhibitions about mushrooms and the Moncayo forests, as well as various hiking routes to enjoy the autumn landscape.
Poster for the 22nd Mycological Days
AN EVENT THAT ATTRACTS VISITORS TO MONCAYO
A market, musical performances and other cultural activities will round out a program that aims to combine nature, education, food and leisure. After more than two decades, the event has become one of the main mycological attractions of autumn in the area and a draw for tourists to San Martín de la Virgen del Moncayo and its surroundings.
Mayor Jacob Ramírez emphasized the impact these kinds of initiatives have on a small municipality and noted that mycological tourism attracts between 2,000 and 3,000 people every year. “We must continue to support this type of tourism so that the event and our town continue to grow and remain vibrant,” he said.
