diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 67d2b0f..cc5791a 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -6,7 +6,12 @@ that way.
 
 If you want to work on something bigger than a bug fix, open an issue first so
 we can agree on the shape before you write it. Issues labelled
-`good first issue` are a decent place to start.
+`good first issue` are a decent place to start, and `help wanted` is for
+bigger work, mostly performance. Comment on an issue before you start on it
+so two people don't write the same fix.
+
+During Hacktoberfest the [pinned issue](https://github.com/CanReader/FastNN/issues/56)
+explains what gets the `hacktoberfest-accepted` label.
 
 ## Setup
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 17f68ae..3261f08 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 [Releases](https://github.com/CanReader/FastNN/releases) ·
 [Contributing](CONTRIBUTING.md)
 
+**Hacktoberfest 2026:** FastNN is taking part. [Start here](https://github.com/CanReader/FastNN/issues/56).
+
 </div>
 
 FastNN is a from-scratch deep learning library: tensors with reverse-mode
@@ -147,6 +149,10 @@ curl -o shakespeare.txt \
 cargo run --release --example char_lm -- shakespeare.txt
 ```
 
+Want to see it without writing any code? [fastnn-visualizer](https://github.com/CanReader/fastnn-visualizer)
+trains an MLP on MNIST with FastNN and lets you draw a digit in the browser
+and watch the network light up as it predicts.
+
 ### Prebuilt binaries
 
 Every [release](https://github.com/CanReader/FastNN/releases) ships all of the
@@ -437,7 +443,13 @@ for `relu` is in `tensor/ops/activation.rs` and its derivative is in
 Bug reports, ideas, and pull requests are all welcome. [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md)
 covers the setup, the conventions, what CI checks, and how to add an op. Issues
 labelled [`good first issue`](https://github.com/CanReader/FastNN/labels/good%20first%20issue)
-are a good place to start.
+are a good place to start. Each one points at the file and line and says what a
+fix looks like.
+
+During Hacktoberfest, read the [pinned issue](https://github.com/CanReader/FastNN/issues/56)
+first. It explains how claiming an issue works and what counts.
+
+If FastNN is useful to you, a star helps other people find it.
 
 Please report security problems privately, as described in [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md).