Madeline Hecker of Oklahoma, 2017-2018 Miss Czech-Slovak U.S., is shown with the best mushroom display winner Saturday, May 19, 2018, during Houby Days in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
CEDAR RAPIDS – It was nearly a clean sweep in the morel contest during this year’s Houby Days, a three-day festival that celebrates the springtime mushroom and the city’s Czech heritage.
Mike Haugsted was the winner of the largest morel category in the Houby Days contest. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Mike Haugsted of Cedar Rapids won the largest, smallest and best mushroom displays in the annual contest. Brody Driscoll of Hiawatha broke Haugsted’s streak by winning the most unusual category.
With a particularly late morel season in Iowa, it appeared that mushrooms on the small side were in abundance, but the large-sized morels – only one was entered in the contest – may be scarce this year. The winner looked several inches shorter than the nearly foot-long morels of past years.
The smallest morel winner was barely big enough to see. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Houby Days 2018 also featured live music, food, a carnival, parade, street vendors, crowning of the Czech Royal Court and more.
While last year’s festival was dampened by cold and wet weather, most of this year’s Houby Days was warm and pleasant until Sunday, when temperatures dropped, but the rain mostly stayed at bay.
Czech Village serves as the host of Houby Days, centered along 16th Avenue SW, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library also hosting several events during the festival.
View images of morel mushrooms and other photos from the 2017 Houby Days and more from this year’s festival, below. (photos © Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan)
Winners of the Houby Days mushroom contest are displayed at Lion Bridge Brewing Co. on Saturday, May 19, 2018. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Brody Driscoll won the most unusual category in the Houby Days contest. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Houby Days is centered on 16th Avenue SW, in the heart of Czech Village in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Czech Village restaurants in Cedar Rapids feature a variety of Czech foods during Houby Days. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Community groups, such as the Cedar Rapids Czech School and the Czech Heritage Foundation, promote their organizations during Houby Days. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Sykora Bakery featured mushroom tarts during Houby Days 2018. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The 2018 Houby Days Parade began on Third Street SE, in New Bohemia. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Knights of Columbus get ready to lead off the Houby Days Parade. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The Cedar Rapids Corvette Club provided convertibles for the Czech queens and Czech Royal Court during the Houby Days Parade. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The Houby Days Parade makes its way down 16th Avenue SW on Saturday, May 19, 2018. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
CRASH entertains the crowd during the Houby Days Parade through Czech Village in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library featured kolache costumes during the Houby Days Parade. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa, Saddah Hadish, and Czech Little Sister, Danika Robe, wave to the crowd during the Houby Days Parade. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The Czech Plus Band was one of several groups that performed live music during Houby Days 2018. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa celebration featured modeling of kroje – ethnic folk costumes – during Houby Days. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Visiting Czech queens and other royalty from surrounding states made the trip to Iowa for the Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa Houby Days celebration. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa 2017-2018, Saddah Hadish, and Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa 2014-2015, Janna Waters, co-hosted the Czech Royal Court crowning on Sunday, May 20, 2018, during Houby Days. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library was the site of the Czech Heritage Foundation’s crowning ceremony for the Czech Royal Court. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
A new Czech princess is crowned during the ceremony. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The ceremony also featured crowning of Czech Little Sisters, Little Brothers and a new Czech Prince. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Visiting Czech royalty join with current and past members of the Cedar Rapids-based Czech Royal Court after the crowning ceremony. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Members of the Czech Heritage Foundation’s past and current Czech Royal Court are shown after the crowning ceremony during Houby Days 2018. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
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