Midlands Festival of Nature

The Midlands Festival of Nature is Kettering Nature Group’s flagship event, a relaxed, free, family-friendly weekend celebrating the natural world right here on your doorstep. Part of the wider #NaturallyKettering programme, developed over the past four years, the festival reflects a joined-up, local approach to supporting nature and connecting people with it.

Join us at Wicksteed Park for two days of gentle exploration, creativity, and connection. You might find yourself pond dipping and discovering what lives beneath the surface, joining a guided walk, or taking part in small mammal surveying on Sunday morning. At the heart of the festival is a field of conservation stalls, each run by organisations working locally to support wildlife. These are active, hands-on spaces. You might be identifying species, exploring habitats, handling natural materials, or simply having a conversation that leads somewhere meaningful. For many visitors, this is where most of the day is spent.

Around the site, there is always something to step into. Join a guided walk, spend time pond dipping, take part in invertebrate exploration, or drop into a more focused session in the Learning Centre. The Wild Words tent offers a quieter space for storytelling, poetry, and reflection.

As Saturday draws to a close, a limited-capacity bat walk offers the chance to experience local wildlife in a different way.

Across the weekend there will also be live music, storytelling, and informal talks on the main stage, creating shared moments throughout the day. Alongside this, you’ll find a small selection of ethical traders, craft stalls, and local food, all chosen to complement the feel of the festival rather than dominate it. You’re welcome to bring a blanket, settle in, and enjoy the atmosphere.

All of this sits alongside the park’s existing food and rides, making it easy to spend the whole day here.

This year’s featured conservation group is the Northamptonshire Badger Group, with a main stage talk and an exhibition about badgers created by local children. The festival is also a chance to meet the people already working to support nature locally, ask questions, and discover simple ways to take part in your own space.

The weekend culminates in a screening of the National Emergency Briefing, exploring the nature and climate crisis and, importantly, what can be done at a local level.

Whether you come for an hour or stay all day, the festival is designed to be open, welcoming, and easy to step into.

30th & 31st May 2026, Wicksteed Park