St. Ives Events and Festivals

(St. Ives, Cornwall, England, UK)

There are a number of excellent festivals that take place each year in St. Ives, and many further noteworthy events just a short drive away. Festivals both in and around St. Ives are especially popular during the summer months, although there are usually plenty of things to do regardless of the time of year.

Amongst St. Ives' top festivals, the St. Ives Feast is always a crowd puller and features a civic procession and many other activities relating to the founding of the town, while St. Ives May Day revives a range of traditional Cornish customs over the bank holiday. Also worth noting, you may be lucky enough to witness the dancing and celebrations around the Knill Monument, which only take place every five years.

National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• Good Friday / Easter Monday - late March or early April
• First and last Monday in May
• Last Monday in August
• 25th December - Christmas Day
• 26th December - Boxing Day

Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• January Sales - traditional shops discount their stock following the busy Christmas season, although many stores now begin the 'January' Sales at the end of December

February

• St. Ives Feast - early February, held on the first Sunday in February and celebrating the actual founding of the town by St. Ia, with a parade and many traditional events, which even include Cornish Hurling

March

• Easter Festivities - late march / early April, local religious festivals take place at the town's churches, while there are plenty of chocolate Easter eggs to go round in all of the confectionary shops and supermarkets

April

• There are no significant festivals in the St. Ives area during the month of April

May

• St. Ives May Day - early May, a true modern revival of the most historic May Day customs, with side stalls, refreshments and attractions for all the family
• Helston Flora Day - early May, an extremely historic event in the nearby town of Helston, close to St. Ives, with floral decorations and displays of locally grown bluebells all over the town centre

June

• Golowan Festival - mid-June, celebrating the Feast of St. John and close to St. Ives, with a programme of events lasting around ten days and including film screenings, firework displays, markets, workshops and the Mazey Day parade

July

• RNAS Culdrose Air Day - mid-July, close to Helston and one of the largest annual events in the whole of Cornwall, with stunning flying displays and visiting aircraft from around 20 different countries

August

• West of England Steam Rally - mid-August, an enormous celebration of steam, with more than 200 working steam engines and fairground rides for children of all ages, held at Tywarnhayle Farm in the nearby village of St. Agnes

September

• St. Ives September Fringe Festival - mid-September, a relatively recent addition to the town's annual calendar and one of the year's true highlights, with many free events, live music, films, poetry readings, pub quizzes and more, lasting around two weeks in total

October

• There are no significant festivals in the St. Ives area during the month of October

November

• Bonfire Night - November 5th, fireworks, sparklers and bonfires, held at various events both in and around the St. Ives area

December

• Tom Bawcocks Eve - late December, a famous event in the nearby village of Mousehole, celebrating the tale of Tom Bawcock and his famous fishing trip during a storm, with plenty of the seven-fish 'Starry Gazey Pie' to go round