Welsh book town to welcome autumn with fungi festival

A Welsh town famous for its abundance of secondhand and antiquarian bookshops will welcome in the autumn with a weekend festival dedicated to the world of fungi.

On 3, 4 & 5 October, Hay-on-Wye will celebrate the weird and wonderful world of mushrooms, toadstools, lichens, moulds and yeasts.

The celebration will take place at Hay Castle on the weekend of UK Fungus Day.

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.

Music and poetry

As Hay is transformed into the UK’s first ever Fungi town – local shops will be dressing for the occasion, restaurants and cafes will be serving up mushroom delights and visitors can immerse themselves in fungi-inspired music and poetry.

Hay’s popular Saturday market will have plenty of treats in store for fungi lovers, from handmade foraging baskets, to specialty fungi and delicious yeast products, such as cheeses, organic wine and award-winning cider.

On Sunday, Head of Nature at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, and self-declared “mushroom tickler” Dan Ryan, will lead a family-friendly fungi hunt through the hills above Hay.

Visitors are urged to dress for the weather, wear sturdy boots and bring a basket, small containers, penknife and hand lens.

Cocktails

The festival will also include fungi infused cocktails served at Hay Distillery and a mushroom madness trivia night at The Globe.

A spokesperson from the Hay Castle Trust said: “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.”

For more information or to book tickets please click here.