What’s on in Cornwall: October to December

The summer’s over and things start to take a slower pace.  There are fewer traditional Cornish festivals as those are mostly in the spring and summer.  More events need to be indoors during these months due to the changeable weather!Events in Cornwall

October:

  • Boscastle has a Food, Art and Craft Festival running for a weekend at the start of October. Stalls, chefs and exhibits, with approximately 3000 people expected.  No dogs are allowed (except guide dogs). Local produce for sale.
  • Falmouth Oyster Festival is a huge town-wide festival of oysters, over four days, with plenty going on around the National Maritime Museum area at Events Square.  This is a traditional Cornish Festival with free events and ticket gigs. Daily cookery demonstrations and lots of local Cornish produce.
  • Falmouth Beer Festival is in October, running from a Thursday to the Saturday, with over 200 real ales, this CAMRA-focussed event has been running for many years.  Drink, food, entertainment.
  • Lostwithiel has a Cornish Cider Festival, running since 2009 there’s food, drink and entertainment.  This is a 1-day ticket event, under 18s are free. Entry includes a free glass and a drink.  Entry is under £10.

November:

  • Newquay holds the annual Lowender Peran Festival, a celebration of Cornish culture. It’s a ticket event in a hotel, although some of the action is available free of charge.  This festival and event have been growing over many decades to become what it is today.  Highly music-focussed with Ceilidh, dance workshops and concerts.
  • Truro City of Lights procession and festival is an evening-time torch-lead procession around Truro that marks the start of the Christmas season.  It’s been running since 1995.   The usual date is mid/late November.  There is a different theme each year.  When the procession reaches its end, the Truro Christmas lights are turned on.

December:

  • Padstow has a Christmas Carnival at the start of December.  There’s a Christmas Market, food demonstrations and the Christmas lights are turned on.
  • Mousehole has its famous lights in the Harbour, the big night there is Tom Bawcock’s Eve on 23 December each year with a lantern parade and street food/entertainment throughout the town.  Tom Bawcock’s Eve is a traditional Cornish Festival.  You can eat the famous Stargazey pie which is cooked and served at the Ship Inn.  The lights are on from mid-December to mid-January, a feature of Mousehole’s celebrations for over 50 years.

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