MUD CIC bring a full-scale May Day Garden Fayre to Chorlton with music, food and folk traditions

A proper community celebration is landing in Chorlton this May, as MUD CIC take over their Forever Fields garden for their first ever large-scale public event – and they’re doing it in collaboration with natural fragrance makers Ffern.

Taking place across the full stretch of the day, The May Day Workers Garden Fayre For Peace is less of a single event and more of an open invitation – to gather, to slow down, and to reconnect with the idea of “folk” in a modern Manchester context.

The day is rooted in something bigger, too. Earlier this year, MUD were awarded the Ffern Folk Foundation Grant – a national initiative supporting the next generation of British folk arts and traditions. Rather than keeping things small or inward-facing, they’ve used it to throw the doors open and bring people together.

Expect a packed programme that moves between music, workshops, food and hands-on activities. There’s a strong DIY spirit running through it all — from willow weaving and arts and crafts to a dehydration masterclass, plus the slightly more leftfield addition of maypole dancing.

Food comes from a mix of local favourites and independents, including Tibetan Kitchen, Jerk Junction, Grounded and Exclusive Scoop, alongside a bar run by the MUD team themselves. There’ll also be the MUD Market, where you can pick up organic produce, artisan bread, cheeses, juices and more — essentially an extension of what they’ve already built with Platt Fields Market Garden.

Music runs throughout the day, weaving everything together into something that feels less like a scheduled event and more like a living, breathing space you can dip in and out of.

It’s completely free to attend — you just need to register in advance — and whether you stay for an hour or the full day, it’s set up to feel like a proper escape into something slower, greener and more connected.