Woodland Festival returns to Thoresby Park this summer

With free entry (car park fees apply), this is the perfect family-friendly festival to reconnect with nature, try new skills, and enjoy time outdoors.

Celebrating traditional woodland heritage crafts and helping keep these valuable skills alive for future generations, there will be plenty to see and do for all ages. 

Among the highlights will be Benny Shakes from the Blue Badge Bunch and his bonkers family show Slugageddon!.

Led by comedian and real-life gardener Benny, who lives with cerebral palsy, this interactive, eco-themed adventure is packed with slugs, games, mayhem and surprisingly useful gardening tips.

Bursting with humour and hands-on fun, Slugageddon! explores biodiversity while celebrating nature, difference and inclusion – perfect for curious kids and their grown-ups. 

If you prefer to slow down and get creative, take a walk with artist Martin Clarkson and have a go at sketching some of the majestic trees of Thoresby Park. 

Storytime takes a wild twist with the Wild Man of the Woods who will share tales of the forest for young and old alike.

Plus, families can join in the treasure hunt or toast marshmallows on the fire with Hairy Tom's Forest School. 

Crafts and skills workshops offer something for everyone.

Watch Peartree Garden Services carve wooden creations with their chainsaws, have a go at blacksmithing, willow weaving, and pole lathe turning with local bodgers, or test your aim with archery alongside the Sherwood Outlaws.

Most activities are free or pay-what-you-want, and some charge a small fee. 

This year also introduces a special Wellbeing in the Woods area, offering visitors the chance to slow down and reconnect with nature.

Join guided forest bathing sessions with The Nature Coach, discover the healing traditions of forest medicine with Muji, and join Hannah from Kindful and Wild on her foraging walks, where you can spot edible plants and even sample syrups she’s made from foraged finds.  

Food and drink will be available over the weekend, with Tucks Brewery on site offering refreshing local and exceptional beers. 

The Woodland Festival is made possible thanks to the generous support of its sponsors, including main sponsors Bowring Transport and B&B Tractors, alongside valued partners The Barcode Warehouse and other local businesses. 

Come for a weekend of learning, playing, or simply soak up the beauty of Thoresby Park, the Sherwood Forest Trust Woodland Festival 2026 has something for everyone! 

For more information, visit sherwoodforest.org.uk/