The Chester County Press salutes the pageantry of mushrooms
In the farmlands of southern Chester County, the staple crop that drives the local economy may be a surprise to some. It’s not corn, wheat or soybeans; it is the mighty mushroom. In fact, Pennsylvania ranks first nationally in mushroom production. To honor the region’s celebrated superfood, visitors gather every September for the annual Mushroom Festival, a weekend-long street party dedicated to the formidable fungi. At the forefront of the festivities is the mainstay local newspaper, the Chester County Press.
A staple of the community in its own right, the Chester County Press has worked closely with the Mushroom Festival for 39 years, producing an informative guide that helps people navigate the weekend. What started as a small special section in the newspaper has morphed today into a glossy, tab-sized brochure that includes community-focused editorial content, recipes, a street map of the festival in Kennett Square, vendors, sponsors and more. Under the supervision of Director of Advertising Alan Turns, the guide contains a plethora of local advertisers eager to promote their services.
Besides information on the festival itself, the brochure also doubles as a visitors guide to the Brandywine Valley, an area of southeast Pennsylvania that includes world-famous gardens, historic battlefields, museums and parks. With 100,000 people expected to attend the celebration, the Mushroom Festival & Visitors Guide make the perfect pairing.
The product is distributed as an insert within the Chester County Press to all subscribers, as drops at various stores, shops and other locales throughout the Brandywine Valley and at the festival itself.
The genesis of this product started three decades ago. As the Mushroom Festival grew over the years, so did the idea to expand the festival guide into what it is today. That vision began with Chester County Press publisher Randall “Randy” Lieberman who passed away in December 2023 after decades at the helm. He forged strong ties with other community leaders and became a fixture in numerous local organizations, from conservationist groups to local school boards, all while publishing a trusted source of local news and information in southern Chester County.
Lieberman grew operations at the paper to include event publishing; creating guides and brochures similar to the Mushroom Festival & Visitors Guide. Other community organizations soon began to utilize the event publishing services as a way to market their own events.
Under the leadership of Randy’s children Avery Lieberman Eaton and Stone Lieberman, the Chester County Press remains a strong partner for the annual event. “It is a farm-to-table publication. We watch it grow and nurture it the whole way through,” said co-publisher Avery. Her brother and co-publisher Stone explained the importance of producing the guide for the festival. “The mushroom industry and festival has left such a positive impact on the community,” he said. “Our official guide serves to cultivate local involvement in the festival and to honor the rich agricultural legacy the mushroom has left on Southern Chester County.”
Event publishing guides are in the works for annual events such as the Unionville Community Fair, celebrating 100 years in 2024 and dedicated to the memory of Randy Lieberman, as well as the Mushroom Cap Half Marathon in November. As for the Chester County Press itself, the Lieberman family remains dedicated to carrying on their father’s legacy producing a strong, independent and valuable resource for a community and newspaper so deeply intertwined.
2024 Mushroom Festival & Visitors Guide by Ad Pro Inc. – Issuu