Louise D’Amico is congratulated by Tommy Lafferty when she was announced as the 31st Annual Mushroom Festival’s Honorary Chairman.
KENNETT SQUARE — Louise D’Amico’s support for the Mushroom Festival is undeniable over the past 30 years. Her enthusiasm is contagious. For all that she does to support and promote the Mushroom Festival, D’Amico was named the 31st Mushroom Festival’s Honorary Chair.
D’Amico’s name appears throughout the early records of the Mushroom Festival taking on committee chair roles. In the recent years she’s led the effort to organize the staffing of the Mushroom Sales Booths and Mushroom Pick-up Trucks.
She was the first to bring Fun Gus, the Festival’s mascot, to life. She could be found walking the streets of town during the Festival sweating inside the furry, 8-foot tall and wide costume or holding on for dear life on a float or in the back of a car for a parade.
Her family’s business, ToJo Mushrooms, is a strong supporter of the Mushroom Festival. Their trucks can be found throughout the Festival filled with all the area growers’ mushrooms ready for guests to take home.
D’Amico was completely surprised and speechless (a rarity) when her name was announced at the Grant Recipients’ Reception in April as this year’s Honorary Chair. She recovered quickly and asked, “So what do I need to do as the Honorary Chair?” The answer: Be yourself.
