The 15th Great Lakes Foragers Gathering Returns to the Irish Hills
The largest wild food gathering in the Great Lakes region returns to Michigan's Irish Hills June 18–21, 2026, with four days of foraging walks, hands-on classes, and meals made entirely from wild ingredients.
The largest wild food gathering in the Great Lakes region is back.
The details
- What: The 15th Great Lakes Foragers Gathering
- When: June 18–21, 2026
- Where: Irish Hills, Brooklyn, Michigan
- Host: Will Forage for Food
From June 18 to 21, 2026, Will Forage for Food hosts the 15th Great Lakes Foragers Gathering in Michigan's Irish Hills, on a farm field near Brooklyn.
Expect four days of plant and mushroom walks, hands-on classes, and meals built entirely from wild ingredients. More than 25 instructors lead sessions on foraging, cooking with wild foods, herbal medicine, plant and mushroom identification, ecology, sustainability, and bushcraft. There are classes and activities for kids, too.
The food is as much the point as the teaching. Organizers forage all year to stock the kitchen, then run a group forage on site for fresh seasonal ingredients. Wild foods turn up in every dish at every meal. (Note: only breakfasts and dinners this year, no lunches.)
This year's keynote is Gabrielle Cerberville, author of the new book Gathered: On Foraging, Feasting and the Seasonal Life.
New for 2026 are three off-site field trips on Friday morning, each capped at 15 people. One is an introductory fishing trip on a private lake, where you learn to cast, clean, and cook your own catch. Another visits a restored Oak Barrens habitat to explore the glacial geology of the Irish Hills, with a stop at an artesian well to forage wild water. The third heads into a bog for plant ID, where the highbush blueberries should be starting to ripen. Trips are for ages 14 and up.
The Gathering is also a community. Beyond the walks and classes, there's a potluck, a scavenger hunt, cooking contests, an open mic, and space for participants to vend and shop each other's wares.
Weekend passes start at $275 for an individual, with rates for couples, kids, and families. Day passes and a Thursday potluck-and-keynote pass are also available. Camping is primitive, farm-field style. Bring a tent or a hammock, and a swimsuit for the beach five minutes down the road.
Registration is open now. Full details, pricing, and field trip sign-up are at the event page.