Secret All Things Fungi Festival

  • Multiple sessions available from 25 Oct 2024 to 27 Oct 2024
  • Careys Secret Garden

Another FIRST for Careys Secret Garden! 

We are super excited to be teaming up with Max Mudie, Jana Nicole and Andy Knott to bring you the first ever Secret All Things Fungi Festival on the Careys Estate. 

Max and Jana already run a successful All Things Fungi Festival in East Sussex, which takes place in mid-September, and we're delighted to be able to host a 'lighter' version of this brilliant event here at the Secret Garden this October. Our local mycology enthusiast Andy (The MushyMentor/Jurassic Coast Mushrooms) is helping us curate the event with Guest Speakers, Art Installations, Forays, and even a "Mushroom Market" where visitors can shop for grow-kits, fungi themed arts and crafts, clothing and health supplements. 

This eco-conscious event will be educational and community-oriented involving local and national fungi groups. The festival aims to cover Mushroom identification, cultivation, microscopy, and topics surrounding the soil food web, composting, permaculture & and rewilding.

Most importantly, we will celebrate the people at the forefront of mycology in the UK and beyond.

On both Friday and Saturday, there will be an offering of FREE demos, displays and talks for you to explore as part of your general admission ticket, plus opportunities to join expert-led forays and workshops (priced individually and pre-bookable before the event, tickets coming soon). After a day packed full of myco-focused activities, we'll relax with some gentle entertainment by the fire, or why not join Max's UV walk around the forest to explore the fluorescent fungi? (Limited spaces available)

Please note that all visitors will require a General Admission Ticket. Additional workshops, forays and presentations may incur an additional cost to participate, 100% of the profit from these tickets is paid directly to the workshop leader/host. 

Whether you're new to fungi or an experienced mycologist there will be something for everyone.

On Sunday 27th the Dorset Fungi Group will be taking pre-booked visitors on a foray around the Careys Estate and Purbeck Film Festival will host two fungi-themed film screenings; The Biggest Little Farm (PG) and Fungi: The Web of Life (U). Tickets for the film screenings are available via the Purbeck Film Festival website. 

About your hosts:

Jana Nicole

Jana Nicole is an award winning contemporary artist that cares deeply about Kingdom fungi. Using a cacophony of hand drawn images and photography to create her artworks and large scale installations, she strives to bring focus and attention toward the growing and powerful movement of those, including herself, who believe that fungi have a crucial role in the future of science, medicine and beyond.

Jana Nicole is the current recipient of the highly prestigious Prix Puvis De Chavannes, bestowed upon her by Société Nationale des Beaux Arts, the historic arts society of Paris in recognition of her work on the subject.

During the festival, there will be opportunities for both adults and children to create their own beautiful fungi-themed collages under Jana Nicole's expert guidance. Please pre-book your tickets for these sessions. 

 

Max Mudie

A life long love for mushrooms and move back to a rural area sparked an obsession documenting, cultivating and identifying Fungi.

Max's lens has been focused on Fungi & Myxomycetes. His imagery posted mainly on Instagram @allthingsfungi has gained him recognition with international platforms and magazines, last year he was shortlisted for Close up Photographer of the year.

His deep dive into mycology means he's found and identified hundreds of species, many of which we know little about. He's contributed to the Darwins tree of life project at Kew Gardens with wild clones and is an active member of the Sussex Fungus group. 

During the festival, Max will be running several events which can be pre-booked now, including his incredible UV walks - not to be missed! Spaces are limited; please book in advance to avoid disappointment. 

 

Andy Knott

Andy is our local fungi enthusiast, known as the MushyMentor. Andy has a passion for foraging and cultivating a variety of mushroom species and has recently set up Jurassic Coast Mushrooms where you can purchase your own cultures of both wild and commercial strains of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. 

 

Additional Info:

Free Entry for under 12's. All under 12's must be accompanied by a full-paying adult. Children must be supervised at all times. 

There is no camping at this event, day tickets only. 

Refreshments will be available to purchase from the Secret Salt Pig Coffee Shop and vendors in the 'Mushroom Market' area. Please note Careys is a vegetarian/vegan venue. Our licensed bar has a small selection of local beers and ciders. Please support the gardens and the event by buying food/drink from our vendors rather than bringing a picnic. 

All admission tickets must be pre-booked, this event has limited capacity and therefore tickets may not be available to purchase on the day. 

Our workshops, talks and 'mushroom market' are hosted in the gardens (grass and gravel pathways) but the Forays (Mushroom ID walks) will be on some uneven ground and difficult terrain. If you have any concerns please email us, we advise all visitors to read our Accessibility Guide before purchasing tickets. 

What to Wear: Walking shoes or boots will be essential for the forays as some of the terrain is uneven and steep. Be prepared for the Autumn British Weather, warm outdoor clothes and wet weather gear in the event of rain.

Strictly no drug policy.

In the event of severe wet/windy weather the organisers may cancel the event.

Any questions please email hello@careyssecretgarden.co.uk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tickets

Friday 25th October

  • 25 Oct 2024
  • 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

General Admission Tickets are now available. Pre-bookable UV trail and other expert-led events coming soon . . .

Ticket typePriceQuantity

Adult General Admission

£15.00incl tax

This ticket includes admission to the Secret All Things Fungi Festival on Friday 25th October. Gates open at 10am and close at 8pm. Adult Ticket (12yrs+).

Available until 21 Oct 2024

£15.00incl tax

Child General Admission

FREE

This ticket includes admission to the Secret All Things Fungi Festival on Friday 25th October. Gates open at 10am and close at 8pm. Child ticket under 12yrs. There is no charge for children to attend this event but we still need to keep track of numbers therefore please add enough child tickets to your basket to cover any children joining you.

Available until 21 Oct 2024

FREE

Willow Weaving Workshop Various Times Available

£25.00incl tax

Learn the ancient art of basketry in this magical Willow weaving workshop, for little and big foragers alike. Parents accompanying children welcome. Sessions at 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 4pm (subject to availability) - sign up on the day for the time slot you'd like. Please pre-book tickets in addition to General Admission.

£25.00incl tax

Family Friendly Foraging with Liam 10.15am - 12.15pm

£5.00incl tax

Join Liam O'Brien from Walking Pace Only on a morning's forage through the wider Careys Estate. This gentle walk will be suitable for all ages. Please book tickets in addition to General Admission. All children attending must be accompanied by a full paying adult. Under 5s can join this event for free.

£5.00incl tax

Growing Mushrooms with Andy 10.30am - 11.30am

£10.00incl tax

Join Andy Knott (The MushyMentor) for a one-hour workshop on growing mushrooms. Andy will show you how to inoculate logs with fungi spores to grow mushrooms in your gardens at home. This session is pre-bookable in addition to normal admission. You will be using drills, and therefore the workshop is suitable for ages 16yrs+.

£10.00incl tax

Botanical and Fungi Collage Workshop with Jana Nicole 11am - 1pm

£15.00incl tax

In this fungi-based collage workshop participants immerse themselves in the fascinating world of fungi through art. Beginning with a brief introduction and run through the materials that we'll be using. A demonstration explores different types of fungi and botanicals. Using layers of images, participants start building their fungi-inspired collages. Drop-in session, book + normal admission.

£15.00incl tax

Mushroom Foray with Andy Knott 12.30pm - 2pm

£20.00incl tax

Join Andy Knott (the MushyMentor) for 1.5 hour's foray around the wider Careys Estate, identifying and learning about different fungi species. Please book tickets in addition to General Admission. Limited spaces available.

£20.00incl tax

Macro Photography Session with Max Mudie 12.30pm - 2.30pm

£20.00incl tax

Join Max Mudie from "All Things Fungi" for an exciting photography workshop at the Secret Garden. Max will take you on a journey around the garden in search of specimens to photograph, and he'll also share with you his top tips on getting the very best from your photos, whether on a smartphone or professional camera equipment. Suitable for 16yrs+, in addition to normal admission.

£20.00incl tax

Talk: Fly Agaric - unravelling the myth of our spotty friend. Medicine, magic and story.

£5.00incl tax

Join Fiona from the Seed Sistas for this fascinating talk on the infamous Fly Agaric! 2.45pm - 3.45pm. Please pre-book your seats in addition to General Admission.

£5.00incl tax

Botanical and Fungi Collage Workshop with Jana Nicole 2pm - 4pm

£15.00incl tax

In this fungi based collage workshop participants immerse themselves in the fascinating world of fungi through art. Beginning with a brief introduction and run through the materials we'll be using. A demonstration explores the different types of fungi and botanicals. Using layers of images, participants start building their fungi-inspired collages. Drop-in session, book + normal admission.

£15.00incl tax

UV Night Trail 6pm - 7.30pm

£20.00incl tax

Join Max Mudie on a UV Night Trail to explore the fluorescent fungi at Careys. Please bring along your own UV torch if you have one. Alternatively we will have a few for sale on the evening. These trails are suitable for ages 12yrs+, anyone under 16 must be accompanied by a full paying adult at all time. Evening Event ONLY.

Available until 24 Oct 2024

£20.00incl tax

Saturday 26th October

  • 26 Oct 2024
  • 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

General Admission Tickets are now available. Pre-bookable UV trail and other expert-led events coming soon . . .

Ticket typePriceQuantity

Adult General Admission

£15.00incl tax

This ticket includes admission to the Secret All Things Fungi Festival on Saturday 26th October. Gates open at 10am and close at 10pm. Adult Ticket (12yrs+).

Available until 21 Oct 2024

£15.00incl tax

Child General Admission

FREE

This ticket includes admission to the Secret All Things Fungi Festival on Saturday 25th October. Gates open at 10am and close at 8pm. Child ticket under 12yrs. There is no charge for children to attend this event but we still need to keep track of numbers therefore please add enough child tickets to your basket to cover any children joining you.

Available until 21 Oct 2024

FREE

Willow Weaving Workshops Various Time Available

£25.00incl tax

Learn the ancient art of basketry in this magical Willow weaving workshop, for little and big foragers alike. Parents accompanying children welcome. Sessions at 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 4pm (subject to availability) - sign up on the day for the time slot you'd like. Please pre-book tickets in addition to General Admission.

£25.00incl tax

Growing Mushrooms with Andy 10.30am - 11.30am Family Session

£5.00incl tax

Join Andy Knott (The MushyMentor) and learn how to grow mushrooms in egg cartons! This family-friendly session is suitable for ages 8yrs+ (all children under 16yrs must be supervised by an Adult at all times). Tickets for this session are £5 per child, in addition to normal admission.

£5.00incl tax

Flora, Fauna and Funga Collage Workshop with Jana Nicole 11am -1pm

£5.00incl tax

Join Jana Nicole for a fun hands-on collage workshop where young artists can explore the beauty of nature through art. In this session, children will be able to create a collage using plants, animals and fungi as they create vibrant collages using colourful materials. Please be aware that scissors will be used in this session. Drop-in session, book in addition to normal admission, under 5's free.

£5.00incl tax

Foray with Andy Knott 12.30pm - 2pm

£15.00incl tax

Join Andy Knott (The MushyMentor) for a fungi foray in the wider estate of Careys Secret Garden. This is a family-friendly foray and is suitable for ages 8yrs+, all children must be accompanied by a full paying adult. Please book this session in addition to normal admission (under 12 yrs free)

£15.00incl tax

UV Night Trail 6pm - 7.30pm

£20.00incl tax

Join Max Mudie on a UV Night Trail to explore the fluorescent fungi at Careys. Please bring along your own UV torch if you have one. Alternatively, we will have a few for sale on the evening. These trails are suitable for ages 12yrs+, anyone under 16 must be accompanied by a full paying adult at all times. Evening Event ONLY.

Available until 24 Oct 2024

£20.00incl tax

Sunday 27th October

  • 27 Oct 2024
  • 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

On Sunday, the Dorset Fungi Group will be hosting a foray on the Careys Estate, spaces will be limited and must be pre-booked. We will also be showing two fungi-themed films, tickets to be booked via the Purbeck Film Festival website. There is no general admission on Sunday.

Ticket typePriceQuantity

Dorset Fungi Group Foray 10am - 12pm

£20.00incl tax

Suitable for ages 12yrs+, 50% of ticket sales donated directly to the Dorset Fungi Group

Available until 25 Oct 2024

£20.00incl tax