Hay Castle Events

Fungi Town is a free, family-friendly event taking place in Hay-on-Wye on the weekend of UK Fungus Day (3–5 October 2025) dedicated to the unbelievable, weird and wonderful world of mushrooms, toadstools, lichens, moulds and yeasts.

Led by a team of volunteers and enthusiasts, the event will bring together leading experts, growers, artists, and businesses for an exciting lineup of talks, workshops, films, exhibitions, feasts, art and more.

Fungi Town is the first event of its kind in the UK - a fungal takeover of an entire town! Hosted in the beautifully renovated Hay Castle, and by shops and venues across Hay, this is a community-led and playful celebration of mushrooms in all their amazingness.

Whether you're a curious newcomer or a lifelong fanatic, join us for a weekend of discovery, creativity and connection — all inspired by the magic of fungi.

Fungi Town 2025 | Explore Fungi Events Now

Join seasoned guide, Head of Nature at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, and self-declared ‘mushroom tickler’ Dan Ryan, for a family-friendly fungi hunt through the hills above Hay. Whether you’re a curious beginner or experienced mycologist, all are welcome.

Dress for the weather, wear sturdy boots and, if you have them, bring a basket, small containers, penknife and hand lens.

NB: This isn't a forage for food, but a chance to get a closer look at Hay's rich fungal diversity, and collect specimens to display in the castle.

Meet in Oxford Road Car park for 11:30 departure - FREE

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye.

How did you get into this?

An informal discussion with emerging mycologists, artists and fungi folk, tracing the unusual and often winding paths people take into the world of fungi. Presented by The Culturing Dish.

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye.

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A short film telling the incredible story of a five-year mission to convert former Norfolk chicken sheds into a mushroom farm. Using less water, space, and minimal resources, this breakthrough method could reshape the future of food production.

This film will be on a loop in the Richard Booth Room at Hay Castle.

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye.

From fungi leather to packaging, discover how scientists and designers are working with nature’s secret engineers to tackle real world problems, with Dr. Peter Wellham (Really Clever Co.) and Adam Davies (Ty Syml).

Discover how the humble fungi is revolutionizing modern design and technology at Hay Castle's Fungi Town. This talk will showcase how people are harnessing nature's secret engineers to create sustainable solutions for real-world problems. Explore the incredible potential of mycelium—the intricate root structure of fungi—to replace environmentally harmful materials like plastic foam and animal leather. Learn about the science behind these innovative biomaterials, which can be grown quickly and with minimal environmental impact, offering a compostable alternative for everything from high-end fashion to protective packaging.

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye.

Join James Scrivens from Coed Talylan for a hands-on workshop exploring simple, low-tech ways to grow your own mushrooms at home or in the garden. Together we’ll make cardboard spawn and learn how to cultivate oyster mushrooms – one of the easiest and most rewarding varieties to start with. Whether you’re curious about fungi, keen to grow your own food, or just want to get your hands on a practical skill, this session offers an accessible introduction to the world of mushroom cultivation.

FREE Event - but ticketed (only 10 places)

UK premier of new film following fungi experts Stephen Axford and Catherine Marciniak on a stunning journey through Australia’s wild landscapes. With breathtaking imagery and a soundtrack of symphonic proportions.

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye

As this event is now Sold out we have organised a 2nd screening on Sunday at 4pm

CLICK HERE for tickets

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Dive into the past, present and future of nature’s forgotten kingdom with Professor Katie Field from Sheffield University.

As a Professor of Plant-Soil Processes at the University of Sheffield, Katie Fields is an expert on the ancient and vital relationship between plants and fungi. Her research explores how these symbiotic partnerships, known as mycorrhiza, were instrumental in the colonization of land by the first plants over 450 million years ago. She studies how fungi continue to shape our ecosystems, influencing everything from nutrient cycles to global climate. Her talk would likely delve into the history of these interactions and their potential for addressing modern challenges like climate change and food security.

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye.

Join artist and printmaker Yuli Gates for a hands-on introduction to the art of lino printmaking — with a twist. In this workshop, you’ll learn traditional carving and printing techniques while exploring the fascinating process of creating natural printmaing inks from mushrooms, as detailed in the book and website: The Mushroom Color Atlas.

Yuli will guide you step-by-step through designing, transfering, carving, and printing your own lino block. You will learn how to print on paper or fabric.

If you wish to bring your own fabric to print on, it it encouraged: go home with a new t-shirt, tea towel, tote bag, or pillow case (This will not be provided, so if you'd like to bring your own, please do so. The reccomendation is a light colour, and a smooth fabric with minimal texture)

Along the way, you’ll also discover how to forage or source fungi for pigment, prepare them for ink-making, and use their earthy, organic tones to create truly unique prints.

Whether you’re an absolute beginner or looking to expand your creative toolkit, you’ll leave with your own hand-printed artwork, an understanding of mushroom inks, and the confidence to continue printing at home.

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye.

Fungi Town invites everyone to join our joyful closing ceremony, the family-friendly Puff Ball parade. Wonderbrass, Wales’s biggest fun-loving community brass band, will lead the parade, from the Market Square to the Castle lawn, bringing the outdoor party with a mixture of jazz, pop, ska, funk and fun. We'd love to see some fungi fancy dress or just come as yourself and get in the fungi-groove to red hot interpretation of songs you know and love. Remember mushrooms dance best in the rain!

Join local writer and yeast expert Simon Poffley from The Fermentarium for a deep dive into the fizzy, flavoursome world of yeast-based drinks. Learn about the cultural journey of kombucha from Tibet to California, wrap your taste-buds around different yeast-derived items, and create your own kombucha.

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye.

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Hear Marlow Renton of Wild Food UK describe and introduce wild edible fungi and answer your questions.

FREE BUT TICKETED

Please note that this event takes place at The Globe in Newport Street and not at Hay Castle

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye.

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Marlow Renton demonstrates some amazing mushroom recipes from the new Wild Food UK Forager’s Cookbook.

FREE BUT TICKETED

Please note that this event takes place at The Globe in Newport Street and not at Hay Castle

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye.

Second UK screening of new film following fungi experts Stephen Axford and Catherine Marciniak on a stunning journey through Australia’s wild landscapes. With breathtaking imagery and a soundtrack of symphonic proportions.

This event is part of Fungi Town, a celebration of all things fungi in Hay-on-Wye

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Life Drawing is back for the Autumn term - beginning at 11am and finishing at 4pm

The model for this session will be Jessika.

This takes place in the Clore Learning Space every other Monday from 11am until 4pm.



Please bring your own materials

The sessions cost £18 for the full day from 11-4pm and £12 for a morning or afternoon session only.
The morning session starts at 11am so please arrive at about 10.45am
The afternoon session starts at 1:45pm so please arrive at least 10 mins beforehand

11 - 12 - Drawing
12 - 12.15 - Break
12.15 - 1.15 - Drawing
1.15 - 1.45 - Lunch
1.45 - 2.45 - Drawing
2.45 - 3pm - Break
3 - 4pm - Drawing

We are proud to announce the birth of a new two act Americana show featuring the undeniable talents of Home Of The Free and Chuck Micallef.

Home Of The Free is a collaboration between Dave Luke and Alex Valentine, two Londoners who relocated to Presteigne (nicknamed ‘home of the free’) in Mid-Wales. Lush harmonies and virtuoso guitar playing combine to create a unique blend of Country, Contemporary Folk and Americana. Dave Luke served his musical apprenticeship in award-winning London-based Country Rock band The Coyotes.

Since relocating to Mid-Wales in the 1990s Alex has toured Europe extensively in a variety of bands and played at legendary USA institutions such as the Grand Ole Opry, The Ryman Auditorium and Kerrville Folk Festival. Alex was born and grew up in Camden, now living off-grid in a small wooden house surrounded by an ancient oak woodland. To date he has made eight albums on the Struck Dumb Records label.

First discovered by Bob Harris on GLR he has since been featured by Johnnie Walker, Jonathan Ross and Dermot O’Leary on BBC Radio 2 and on 6 Music. Chuck Micallef paid his dues in the Coffee Houses of his native Toronto, an experience that provided him with a first-hand education in the craft of the Singer-Songwriter. In the early 1980s he recorded a clutch of 45s of his own songs, produced by Ron Dann and engineered by Bob Federer, which scored in both the Canadian and U.S.A. national charts. His 30 year tenure in the U.K. has yielded a live recording in 1996, the acclaimed 2007 album The Moon, The Stars & The Sun, and an enthusiastic involvement with the British roots music community, having organised two Community Music Festivals, Festival in the Forest Barton under Needwood 1996-2001 and One Day In May Newcastle-under-Lyme 2009-2010.

Home of the Free