What’s On

Join us for a day packed full of exciting guest speakers, workshops, and stalls from a wide range of retailers selling everything you and your rabbits could want. Plus, you’ll get to meet rabbit rescues from up and down the country and get to know other rabbit guardians too.

Festival map

A bit more about our talks and workshops

Bonding Workshop with Heather Medley
Heather, our popular 2023 speaker, is back with a workshop on bonding rabbits ethically and successfully. Heather has bonded thousands of rabbits as manager of The Bunnyjackpot Foundation and is a leading voice on companionship and making bonding more approachable for us all. You will learn about rabbit-led bonding, how we can bond ethically and reduce the stress on our rabbits and the key behaviours and personalities that you may see in the bonding pen. There will be an opportunity to pick Heather's brain with a Q&A to get to the bottom of some of your bonding difficulties.

The Remarkable History of Rabbits in our Home with Mark Hawthorne
Mark's ethics and passion for rabbits make him the perfect the speaker for The National Rabbit Festival. His wonderful book The Way of the Rabbit is much loved by many, giving a fascinating insight into rabbits habitats and evolution, their role in legend and literature, their place in popular culture, their fascinating biology, and their significance as household companions. The book takes us on an entertaining journey through myth and history, celebrating the rabbit’s spirit, courage, friendships, and playfulness. Mark Hawthorne is proud to serve on the board of directors of Save the Buns, a non-profit providing sanctuary and loving homes for rabbits who have been rescued from product-testing and research labs.

Garden Plants Workshop with Twigs Way
We’re thrilled to have Twigs back at the festival for a second year. Author of Gardening with Rabbits, Twigs is an esteemed horticulturist and rabbit owner. Twigs will be hosting a workshop throughout the day where you will be able to discover and get up close with rabbit-safe garden plants. Learn how to grow them, how to identify them, and what's best to plant!

Rabbits and EC with Molly Varga
EC is a topic all rabbit guardians should be aware of so we’re thrilled to welcome Molly for this fascinating talk. Molly gained her Certificate in Zoological Medicine in 2001 and her Diploma in Zoological Medicine in 2007 and has been the head of the Referral Exotics Department at a large multidisciplinary hospital in Merseyside. Outside of clinical work, Molly is the author of the Textbook of Rabbit Medicine. She has contributed to many other titles as well as being the Veterinary Advisor for Supreme Petfoods. Molly is an absolute wealth of knowledge - we can’t wait to hear this special talk.