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
Come along and try some board games out with Dylan.
There is a great selection of games - many of which you may not have seen before. Have a go and if you have fun there are even some to buy too.
Session runs from 11am to 2pm in our Clore Education Space.
Tickets: Adults £17.50 / under 25s £8.50.
A limited number of free tickets for under 25s are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
For full details and to book please go to www.haymusic.org
Doors open at 7:30pm
Print Club costs £6 per session - Some materials will be provided and there will be access to the printing press supervised by seasoned members of Print Club.
This club will develop according to the needs and requirements of the members of the group - so why not come along and become a part of Print Club.
Aiden is now off on his travels so the group is self-led - if you have never done lino printing before you are still welcome to come along and joinin - just let one of the group know your level of knowledge and they will help you.
As an extra bonus every ticket holder will receive a free fossil from Matthew.
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
Come and meet some of the animals from The Small Breeds Farm Park near Kington.
They will be bringing guinea pigs, pygmy goats, sheep and long-eared goats along to Hay Castle lawns where you can say hello.
This was due to take place earlier in the summer but was postponed due to the very high temperatures.
Join Dan Ryan for a fungi hunt. 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 at Hay Castle Lawn for 12:00 departure
Ever wondered where our knowledge of fungi came from? Dr Nathan Smith, FLS, senior mycologist for the National Museum of Wales, explores the histories of fungi and the people that study them. Expect stories of drinking, betrayal, and a fair bit of mushroom-eating. There may even be a song or two!
After last year’s sell-out talk, we’re delighted to welcome Ali Mac — AKA The FUNgi Guy — back to Fungi Town for another fungi-filled adventure, delivered in his own wonderfully inimitable style. Expect games, puppets, questionable props and plenty of audience participation. In Ali’s world, learning about fungi is anything but a chore.
Join artist and printmaker Yuli Gates for a hands-on introduction to the art of lino printmaking, with a mushroom twist. In this workshop, you’ll learn traditional carving and printing techniques while exploring the fascinating process of creating natural printmaking inks from mushrooms, as detailed in the book and website which Yuli illustrated:
The Mushroom Color Atlas.
https://www.mushroomcoloratlas.com/
Yuli will walk you through the process of designing, transferring, and carving the block , and you'll be able to print one of her designs, or create and print your own. You will learn how to print on paper or fabric. If you wish to bring your own fabric item to print on, it is 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 recommendation is a light colour, and a smooth fabric with minimal texture, cotton, silk, polycotton, or smooth polyester fabrics are all great choices).
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.
Discover why your garden might be hiding more fungal life than you think. RHS expert and author Dr Jassy Drakulic asks whether typical gardening habits are silently suppressing an ecosystem that is already there.
Drawing on recent field evidence, Jassy reveals what is really going on beneath our feet, and why it matters for tackling problems like Honey Fungus.
Come away with practical, low-effort changes for your own garden: what to leave alone, what to avoid, and how to invite fungi in as allies rather than threats. No mycology degree required, just curiosity about the hidden half of your garden.
Join Aimee Cornwell for a fungi hunt. 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 at Hay Castle Lawn for 12:15 departure
Join Jassy Drakulic and Lorin Von Longo-Liebenstein for an outdoor workshop on Hay Castle lawn.
Against popular belief, mushroom growing in gardens does not only work behind the house, tucked away in the shade. There are many ways to include fungi into gardens and even more good reasons to do so. Fungi play an incredibly important role in most ecosystems and including them in your garden can bring a variety of benefits to your green space that go beyond a delicious harvest. As a direct food source or in the form of wood decomposed by fungi that functions as breeding or hunting grounds, a lot of creatures depend on fungi in different stages of their lives. While growing plants for pollinators in gardens is very common these days, having deadwood with fungi growing on it to provide homes for them is still quite niche.
Join Professor Lynne Boddy from Cardiff University for a masterclass introduction to the amazing hidden kingdom of fungi - a kingdom with more species than plants and vertebrates combined. Working unseen, fungi are essential to Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems, and without them we could not survive.
Lynne is a prominent scientist, prolific author and ardent communicator of the mysteries and importance of fungi.
Open 10am to 4pm,
seven days a week.
Hay Castle
Oxford Road
Hay-on-Wye
HR3 5DG
01497 820079
info@haycastletrust.org