The 5th Mushroom Festival took place on Saturday, September 30th, and Sunday, October 1st, in the welcoming village of Spilia, and once again, the response from the public was heartwarming, organizers say.

The idea for this festival, which has become one of the largest mushroom events in the world, belongs to George Kyriakides, owner of Kyriakides mushrooms, the only mushroom farm in Cyprus.

Around 17,000 people visited Spilia to enjoy delicious recipes, have a great time, learn about the nutritional value of mushrooms, and witness the creation of the largest and most delicious mushroom barley ever made!

Talented chefs from the Cyprus Chefs Association (C.C.A.) once again placed a giant pan on the fire to cook a massive mushroom barley!

All proceeds from the sales of this gigantic dish will be donated to the «Americos Argyriou» Pediatric Prevention Center and the «Monadika Hamogela» Association to help our fellow citizens with rare diseases.

Once again, the guest stars of the event were our younger friends, the children, who enjoyed all the activities organized for them, while their parents enjoyed wonderful live music. Inflatable castles, face painting, magicians, jugglers, stilt walkers and the giant Transformer Bumblebee impressed everyone with their tricks!

Our menu once again highlighted the mushrooms, proving that, in addition to their nutritional value, they are the base for tasty and imaginative dishes. Mushroom burgers, gyros with oyster mushrooms and tzatziki, mexican mushroom tacos with guacamole and cream, and the classic mushroom soup excited the tastebuds of all visitors!

“Our mission was accomplished successfully this year as well, as 16.793 visitors confirmed with their presence that beyond all expectations, this Festival is here to stay, improve and support more and more noble causes” – says George Kyriakides from Kyriakides Mushrooms.