Top Picks
September Top Picks
Autumn is almost upon us, but the flurry of events continue in Cornwall. Here are 22 festivals, fairs and featured events you can enjoy this September.
The summer season may be coming to a close, but there is still plenty happening across Cornwall’s arts and cultural scene this autumn. With more than 14 festivals taking place this month – there’s a celebration for everything, from our local food culture including the famous Cornish pasty, seafood and produce from the Isles of Scilly to the drinking delicacies of cider, beer, pimms and of course – tea! We’ve got festivals of literature, live music and art, festivals of clay and craftmanship, movement and yoga and even a special day just for dads!
So read on for our selection of autumn activities.
1. Gorsedh Kernow Esedhvos Festival
Weds 29th Aug – Sun 2nd September, 2018
Hotel Bristol, Newquay
Gorsedh Kernow’s Esedhvos Festival is a programme of cultural events celebrating Cornish identity and real Cornish culture. It will be held this year in Newquay and includes the iconic annual blue-robed bardic ceremony where new bards are initiated into the College of Bards, plus concerts, talks, Cornish language events including a taster workshop and Evensong in Cornish, a ceilidh, a Cornish market, a Conference “Cornwall’s Cultural Assets – Time for Change?” and a Literary Festival featuring Holyer an Gof “Meet the Authors”.
2. 3 Daft Monkeys in Concert
Sat 1st Sep, 2018
Penlee Park Open Air Theatre, Penzance
With Celtic and eastern influences, the 3 Daft Monkeys’ dynamic style of world-influenced folk music and infectious dancing rhythms will leave you breathless, enthralled and exhilarated. With their quirky and original approach to music, and their passion, intensity and sheer joy of life, they have gained themselves a large and loyal cult following.
3. Taste of Scilly Festival
Sat 1st – Sun 30th Sep, 2018
Various locations across the Scilly Isles
The Taste of Scilly programme for 2018 is packed with events sharing the unique low-food miles, slow-food culture of the famously unspoilt archipelago, 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall. There’s a fresh foodie experience to savour every day, many from award-winning producers – from lobster feasts and surf and turf beach barbecues to pop-up crab shack evenings, paella nights, chowder chowdowns, Scillonian taster menus and wine pairing dining experiences.
4. Redruth International Mining and Pasty Festival
Fri 7th – Sun 9th Sep, 2018
Multiple venues across Redruth
A three day event celebrating the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site; through pasties, mining and music! Focussed around Redruth town centre, the event is completely free to attend and runs from Mining Day on Friday to Saturday’s Pasty Day and finishes on Sunday with Memorial and Redruth Fun Day. The festival will feature cookery demonstrations, classic cars, live music, exhibitions, family activities, story telling. fancy dress competitions, fairground rides and more.
5. Newquay Fish Festival
Fri 7th – Sun 9th Sep, 2018
Newquay Harbour
The Newquay Fish Festival showcases the stunning seafood available within local eateries against the backdrop of one of the town’s hidden gems, it’s 300 year old harbour.Top chefs from across the region show how to make the most of this bounty, with a chance to watch, learn and try some delicious seafood. Alongside the food will be a full programme of entertainment including bands, choirs, singers, dancers and even a band of pirates complete with canons!
6. St Ives September Festival
Sat 8th – Sat 22nd Sep, 2018
Multiple venues across St Ives
The St Ives September Festival aims to deliver a diverse programme of cultural events throughout two weeks which showcases the best that this unique area of Cornwall has to offer. Together with art, music and literature events, this year introduces an Artist in Residence program to the festival which brings international artist Zsuzsanna Ardó to St Ives to highlight the subject of Climate Change and the potential effects on the Cornish coastline.
7. Third Light
Mon 10th – Fri 14th Sep, 2018
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno
Imagine a Cornish village whose men all came home from the trenches. Imagine a war memorial honouring the living, not the dead. Imagine a place symbolising hope amid horror. Welcome to Herodsfoot in East Cornwall. Every one of the community’s thirteen men who went to war came home, and their names are recorded in stone on the village green. Through immersive drama, a live brass band and contemporary dance, Third Light tells the moving story of one of Britain’s 53 ‘thankful villages’ – and the only one in Cornwall.
8. Little Orchard: Cider & Music Festival
Fri 14th – Sun 16th Sep, 2018
Healey’s Cyder Farm, Penhallow
Welcome to the sixth year of The Little Orchard Cider and Music festival. A charming Cornish party with some big live bands, a groovy silent disco, BBC Introducing stage, camping and glamping, secret cider walks and cider tasting featuring a huge range of delicious ciders from across the UK plus lots, lots more.
9. Breeze Art and Makers Fair
Fri 14th – Sun 16th Sep, 2018
Trereife Park, Penzance
This autumn sees the launch of the Breeze Art & Makers Fair at West Cornwall’s beautiful Trereife House, an event which will showcase the very best designer-makers and artists in the region, with three days of exhibitions, workshops, talks and demonstrations. Previously known as the Cornwall Design Fair, Breeze will profile the finest craftsmanship and contemporary art, presenting the work of over 45 selected artists and makers and exhibiting collections from twelve of the South West’s leading art galleries.
10. IMS Prussia Cove Autumn Concerts 2018
Fri 14th – Sun 30th Sep, 2018
Multiple venues across the south-west
IMS brings together many of the finest musicians from across the globe to explore the rich legacy of chamber music in the inspiring landscape of West Cornwall. With thirty different works performed each year over nine concerts, the autumn series has become one of the greatest chamber music celebrations in the world. During the series, IMS will perform in Falmouth, St Buryan, St Hilary, Penzance, Marazion, Penryn, Paul and on St Michael’s Mount.
11. Physical Postcards: A Moment's Notice
Sat 15th Sep, 2018
Calstock Arts, Callington
This chatty and playful dance performance brings messages to life in unexpected ways. With dance choreography and in the moment improvisation, A Moment’s Notice is a great way for new audiences to experience dance.
Dancers will share postcards and messages from the landscape they live in and during the interval the audience is invited to write their own postcards and pop them in the tombola of surprise. Audience members then pick out a postcard and the dancers immediately dance an improvised response.
12. Looe Music Festival (CANCELLED)
Fri 21st – Sun 23rd Sep, 2018
East Looe Beach, Looe
Looe Music Festival is three days of superb live music in a magical setting on the stunning Cornish coast. A ‘grown-up’ music festival where camping isn’t a prerequisite, where you can visit for the day or the weekend, stay in comfort and eat like a king. This year’s event will be headlined by The Stranglers, The Waterboys, Steve ‘N’ Seagulls, with support from The Quireboys, The Correspondents, Mad Dog Mcrea, P.P. Arnold and many more.
Please note this event has been cancelled.
13. Fowey Valley Music's September Festival
Fri 21st – Sun 23rd Sep, 2018
St Fimbarrus Church, Fowey
Fowey Valley’s classical music weekend kicks off on Friday with the winners of the 2016 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, performing a programme of songs from across Europe. Saturday will follow with the Young Musicians’ Concert and evening with world famous pianist Freddy Kempf, performing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, Chopin and Rachmaninov. The final day will showcase music by Bach and Telemann, played by well-known Annabel Knight and Robin Bigwood who will give insights into the works they’ve chosen from their rich repertoire and a cream tea will secure a celebratory atmosphere for everyone.
14. Newquay Beer Festival
Fri 21st – Sun 23rd Sep, 2018
Hendra Holiday Park, Newquay
Organised and run by Newquay Towan Blystra Lions Club, this charity event features over 75 real ales and ciders from throughout the UK – lagers, wines, food and soft drinks, plus live music throughout the three days. Since it began six years ago, the festival has raised over £30,000 to support good causes locally and further afield.
15. Henry's Little Big Gig
Fri 21st – Sun 23rd Sep, 2018
Henry’s Campsite, Lizard
Henry’s Little Big Gig is a fantastic live music and ale festival based at the award winning Henry’s Campsite. As well as the music on stage, festival goers are invited to share and explore their creative talents at various workshops and jamming sessions on site throughout on the weekend. The atmosphere at Henry’s aims to inspire people of all ages and talents to enjoy and even join in with the musical mayhem! During the day there are a variety of workshops and activities including yoga, alternative therapies, dance, drumming, arts, crafts, pottery, thatching, green woodworking and wildlife walks making the event an extraordinary mix of Cornish culture.
16. Coastlines Exhibition
Sat 22nd Sep – Sat 20th Oct, 2018
Circle Contemporary Gallery
A fine art photography show, Coastlines profiles the work of two distinctive artists – Joni Sternbach from the US and Caroline Marrack from Cornwall – both inspired by the north Cornish coast, concentrating on contemporary analogue photography. In a world of digital media, taking photographs with older, slower tools enables both artists to work within the limitations of the camera, making a space for poetry.
17. Yoga Hub Fest
Sat 22nd Sep – Sun 23rd Sep, 2018
Coastal Valley Camp & Craft, Newquay
Yoga Hub Fest is about friendship, creativity, passion, love, controversy, bold actions, nature and community. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and neither do the people who descend on site each September. The event embraces pure, unadulterated fun in all its forms and aims to inspire, challenge and enrich your lives. Yoga shouldn’t be a practice confined to a rectangular mat – come and breakdown your yoga barriers and be inspired by new ways of moving your body and mind!
18. Pimms & Picnics Garden Party
Sat 22nd Sep – Sun 23rd Sep, 2018
Mount Edgecumbe Country Park, Torpoint
Imagine mystical woodlands, smugglers’ coves and a historic mansion built nearly 100 years before the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth to America – it’s the perfect setting for a magical garden party that will charm and delight during every moment of the day. Around every corner there will be something new to experience, whether it’s a daring circus performer, a selection of different dance groups positively fizzing with energy, a story teller enthralling the children with tales of mystery and suspense or a magical character popping out to say hello!
19. DadFest Cornwall 2018
Sat 22nd – Sun 23rd Sep, 2018
Badger Forest School, Bodmin
Awarded ‘Best Small Event’ in the UK in 2015, DadFest is the only festival in the country for dads and children. Come and enjoy a weekend away at Badger Forest School and learn bushcraft skills, build water rockets and dens, sing round a campfire, go on a bat walk, take a fishing trip, meet live lobsters, try spoon carving, circus skills, star gazing, drumming workshops, archery and much much more.
20. Gyllyngdune Tea Festival
Sun 23rd Sep, 2018
Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
This celebration of all things tea and the heritage of the Gardens, is an eclectic mix of pop-up theatre performances, tea tasting, tea dances, live music throughout the site, ‘craft-tea’ activities, cream teas and afternoon teas, all with a serving of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
21. Bec Applebee: Darke Women
Fri 28th – Sat 29th Sep, 2018
Mawgan Porth Village Hall, Redruth & The Poly, Falmouth
Nick Darke was one of Cornwall’s most prestigious playwrights. Darke Women is a new show by Bec Applebee that celebrates the feisty female characters found within his writing. Performed with Mary Woodvine and Sharon Andrews, this will be a rambunctious encounter of strong minded women, from dynamite makers and smugglers to wetsuit and brandy experts. It’ll be a Riot!
22. Whitegold Festival
Sat 29th Sep, 2018
St Austell Town Centre
The 2018 Whitegold Festival celebrates all-things clay from Cornish craft artists to brass bands, street performances, workshops and artist demonstrations, dramatic kiln firings, and cooking in a traditional clay oven. The Festival kicks off at 11 and runs throughout the day. It’s FREE and for all the family.
