Have you ever found a four-leaf clover?  Then you know the thrill and the excitement of the quest.

Love that feeling?  Then you need to go on a shroom hunt.  More specifically, a morel mushroom hunt.  According to Wikipedia, the morel is a type of edible cup fungus.  It produces a highly porous fruiting body, this fruit is prized by chefs state wide.  So prized that they decided  to celebrate it with its very own festival.  For the past 46 years folks in and around Boyne City have popularized the Morel mushroom as not only a delicacy, but an Icon of Northern Michigan.  When you speak to someone who has been lucky enough to go on a morel hunt, they fall short of licking their fingers, in desperation for the next expedition.  They talk as if they have just eaten the best steak ever and can't wait to head out into the woods again. 

Every year Boyne City opens up their woods to the rest of the world to learn about  their pine cone shaped friend the morel.  The morel is indigenous to cool, mountainous, wooded areas around the world.  However, the challenge of actually finding a morel or a patch of morels becomes somewhat of a scavenger hunt.  Many hunters venture into the deep woods of Northern Michigan and wade through brush and fallen leaves to discover their treasure.  Afterwards,  these hunters rush home to prepare the mushrooms in their own special way.

Intrigued?  Then you must take a quick jaunt to one of the greatest fungi festivals on earth.   The Boyne City Morel Mushroom Festival.  the festival is primed for all of you beginner 'shroom' hunters. The festival is held from Thursday, May 18th through Sunday, May 21st in Boyne City.  The festival begins on Thursday afternoon with a carnival in Veteran's Park.  Followed by an early evening Morel Challenge race.  This race is consists of cars that are handmade of fruits and vegetables.  That's right,  come check out the shroom shroom shroom!

On Friday, the afternoon begins with a craft show added to the Carnival.  For all of the connoisseurs, attendance to  the Morel seminar is required.  A mushroom lecture with a local expert will be consist of valuable morel hunting and picking information and free sample of scrumptious creamy morel soup.  For dinner, saunter over to Garrett's on Water Street to "Wine and Dine."  After you see, sniff and sip the best wines on earth, you board the busses for the guided mushroom hunt.  Space is limited to the first lucky 100 registrants.  For this event you may register with the Boyne City Chamber of Commerce.  To close out the near perfect evening, you can dance under the breathtaking Northern Michigan sky to the hot Cajun rock band The MudBogz. 

It's a bright and early start on Saturday morning at Woody's Wagon, serving up hot scrambled eggs with morels and cheese in a pita with coffee.  YUM!  If you are a competitor at heart you can attend the morning mushroom hunt, the busses will leave at 9.m. sharp.  Winners of the hunt will be announced at 3p.m. 

If you decide to venture out around town, you must check out the Annual Mushroom Pole, with a display of small and unusual morels on display in Downtown Boyne City.  Take a free tour of the Historical museum, shop one of the best farmer markets around and if you are feeling lucky you must enter the Boyne Valley Garden Club 50/50 raffle.  If you are more a sports enthusiast, the Disc Golf or softball tournament will guarantee you a great time.  By this time, you will be starving for a  marvelous Michigan Morel mushroom meal.  The New "Morel Taste" of Boyne will feature food tasting from the finest restaurants, displaying their famous recipes through cooking demonstrations from 12:30p.m. until 3:15p.m.  Admission is only $6.00 and includes two drink tickets.

Have you ever attended a Sesquicentennial Anniversary celebration?  If not this may be your once in a lifetime opportunity.  Boyne City will be celebrating their 150th Anniversary of its first non-native  settlers.  The festivities begin with a parade and various activities in Downtown Boyne City.  The Parade will begin at 3:30p.m. at the cross streets of Lake and Water Street and the activities will continue throughout the evening until 7p.m.

To finish out Saturday evening the right way you can hit "The Morel Mother Lode." This includes food, folks, fun, raffles, and a blast from the past with a performance by the Yellow Submarine Band (featuring Beatles tributes).

On Sunday, stop by the craft show and the carnival, but don't forget to stop by and grab a bag of those exquisite morels for you to take home and experiment with your new found fungi friend.

 For more information about Morel Mushroom Hunting check out Bill Semion's article in  Happenings  of MichiganToday.net.  to find out more about the 46th Annual Morel Mushroom Festival log onto www.morelfest.com.

Located near the vacation communities of  Charlevoix, Bay Harbor & Petoskey,  Boyne Cityis surrounded by thousands of acres of state forest lands. Stay extra days and take advantage of spring's beauty, sightseeing, shopping, area fine dining and cultural activities. 

We welcome your comments, suggestions and interest. Please contact us anytime. Thank you for your interest in MichiganToday.net!