Join us for the 2026 Mushroom Festival! Presented by Mount Pisgah Arboretum, Cascade Mycological Society, and Lane Community College on Sunday, October 25th 10 AM to 5 PM.

The Festival will feature hundreds of fantastic fungi on display, mushroom walks with local experts, live music, fresh apple cider, hayrides, a scarecrow contest, craft vendors, kids activities, community organizations, and delicious treats (with and without mushrooms)!

Tickets go on sale on Friday, September 25th!

Arboretum members always get free Festival admission, become a member anytime before the festival and get in free.

We are simplifying Festival admissions for members this year. Arboretum members will no longer need to claim tickets, instead, we will check you in at the Festival entrance. Check your email for more information about this change. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Volunteer at the Mushroom Festival and get free admission, a commemorative poster, and be a part of our incredible community who makes these events possible.

Enter the Mushroom Festival's Scarecrow Contest!

Make the Mushroom Festival a little spookier (or sillier) with your very best scarecrow.

Festival attendees will vote on the best scarecrows and winners will be announced at the end of the Festival.

Competition Categories:

Hay-larious (Funniest)

Most Likely to Scare a Crow (Scariest)

Pick of the Pump-Kid Patch (Youth ages 12 and under)

Out-Standing-in-its-Field (Best overall)

Competitors set up the Saturday before the Festival. Contestants get free entry to the Festival. To enter, email education@mountpisgaharboretum.org.

And remember, have a gourd time!

Parking Lot Paving is Underway

Lane County Parks has kicked off construction for major parking lot improvements which include paving, installing accessible parking, new walkways, and a bus loading zone.

Construction is planned through October. Paving will be done in stages, so parking will remain open throughout construction as it is safe and available, but parking spots are limited and open parking is shifting frequently. We will continue sharing more details of the project and the construction timeline as information is available.

Questions can be directed to Lane County Parks at 541-682-2000

Upcoming Nature Tours

All guided tours start at the Mount Pisgah Arboretum Education Building. Pre-registration is required. Members and kids under 4 are FREE, Non-Members $5 per person.

Insect Tour

Sunday, September 20th 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Open your eyes to the fascinating world of insects on this tour led by insect-enthusiast and Mount Pisgah blog author Karen Richards. We’ll look into the incredible adaptations of some creatures you may recognize, and no doubt learn about some lesser-known insects as well. Every insect tour is a mini-safari!

Mindful Meandering

Sunday, October 4th 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Join Julia Siporin for a 2.5-hour Awake in the Wild retreat at Mount Pisgah Arboretum. Through guided meditation, silent walking, and simple sensory awareness practices, you’ll have space to settle, listen, and reconnect with yourself and the living world around you.

Wonderful World of Trees Tour

Saturday, October 10th 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Bryan Ribelin can often be found around Mount Pisgah Arboretum taking photographs or making careful observations of whatever captures his interest. He then shares his findings on his blog, which is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in local ecology. Join Bryan to take a closer look at the trees of the Arboretum as well as the many organisms that interact with them. 

October Bird Tour

Sunday, October 11th 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Join Mieko Aoki and Julia Siporin for their monthly bird tour intended for people with all levels of birding experience. We’ll use vocalizations, habitat, and behavior clues for identification of our year-round residents and fall migrants. Come discover the Arboretum’s avian diversity!

Fall Ecology Tour

Sunday, October 11th 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Join Nature Guide Barb Stevens-Newcomb for a fall-themed tour. Together we will stroll the trails of the Arboretum exploring various habitats & their unique features during this seasonal shift.

Become an Arboretum Ambassador

Training: Tuesday, September 22nd 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM



Train to be an Arboretum Ambassador! Ambassadors table on the weekend to greet the public with a friendly face, answer questions, share information about opportunities, and sell Arboretum memberships and merch.

Weekly Office Volunteering!

Every Wednesday 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Come by the Arboretum on Wednesday afternoons to help with office tasks like mailing and prepping materials. 

No experience is required to volunteer. We will provide you with a parking pass. Volunteers should be comfortable with repetitive tasks and writing.

Upcoming Work Parties

Become a steward of the Arboretum by helping us improve and maintain our facilities and habitat during our Work Parties! 

During Work Parties, volunteers help us keep our trails, facilities, and park clean, accessible, and beautiful! No experience is required to volunteer on these days, and we will provide tools, gloves, and a parking pass. 

All work parties meet at the bottom of the parking lot near the shop. 

Tuesday Tenders Weekly Work Parties

Every Tuesday 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Help us care for the Arboretum and keep trail conditions good! At these weekly work parties, volunteers tackle tasks like light weeding, vegetation management along trails, mulching, watering plantings, and more. One Tuesday Work Party per month will now focus on maintaining our memorial garden.

Wildflower Garden Work Party

Saturday, September 26th 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Let's give some love to the Patricia Baker Wildflower Garden in the Arboretum! We will be weeding, mulching, and some light trail maintenance.

Jette Trail Work Party

Saturday, October 17th 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Come out and help us keep up the upper Jette Trail, we will be doing tread work, laying gravel, and replacing some small foot bridges. 

Get Involved

Want to make a difference in other ways? We are always looking for nature guides, trail stewards, park ambassador volunteers, and many other roles. Let's talk about how you can get involved with the Arboretum.

Learn more about some of the opportunities here.

Support the Dave Donielson Natural Emergency Fund

As we move from Summer to Fall, we are also shifting from the potential for fire to the potential for flooding and ice damage. What keeps us steady in the face of increasing seasonal events that overload and damage our site is the knowledge that we are poised to respond, and have the support to do so. The Dave Donielson Natural Emergency Recovery Fund of the Arboretum is for just that - providing the necessary support for our recovery from these certain events. Help protect and care for the Arboretum through all circumstances by supporting this Fund today. 

In-Kind Wishlist

Straw Bales

We reuse straw bales year after year for our festival seating and many of our trusty bales have worn out. Contact us if you have spare straw bales and we can let you know where to drop them off. If you anticipate having extra straw bales in the future, please let us know.

Plastic Patio Chairs

Our supply of patio chairs for our festival booths is running low. Drop off used patio chairs at the Arboretum office.

Loppers

We are in need of additional loppers for vegetation management work parties. Drop off new or used loppers to the Arboretum office.

Recumbent Bike or Tractor Seats

Next Mushroom Festival will feature a pedal-powered cider press and we need seats for it! Drop off seats from tractors or recumbent bikes at the Arboretum office. 

Common Ringlet

"From its dull, orange color and small size, you might assume the Common Ringlet is a moth. But moths and butterflies don’t always follow those rules, and this is, in fact, a butterfly.

Here’s a more reliable rule: Butterflies have knobs on the end of their antennae, while moths have various comb, feather or other non-matchstick shapes..."

Read more about common ringlets in a recent blog post by Karen Richards.