Mevagissey Feast Week

A form of the festival has taken place in Mevagissey for hundreds of years and was originally held in December. However this coincided with a busy time out at sea for local fishermen , so in 1752 the town adopted St Peter as its patron saint and has held a festival on the saint’s feast day ever since. This wonderful festival thought to be the longest surviving in Cornwall, owes its success to the blend of traditional and contemporary events which brings the whole community together and welcomes hundreds of visitors to share in its unique celebrations.

The weeklong event features exhibitions, demonstrations, live music and lots of fish dishes to eat. Along with choirs and bands, flora dances, children’s entertainment and competitions, plus colourful parades, boat and raft races, a fete and a huge firework display.

From early afternoon every day there is a program of events you can take part in. There’s crab catching on the harbour, a pavement artist competition and a children’s tea for the kids, you can watch fishing boat races on the water, dance along the street in the traditional flora dance, swing your partner at the ceilidh or simply find a seat and enjoy listening to the many choirs and bands that perform during the week. The festival ends with a colourful carnival parading through Mevagissey’s ancient streets and a spectacular firework display from the outer harbour. Most of the festival events are free of charge.