Summer’s almost over but Cornwall hasn’t got the memo…

FESTIVAL: St Ives September Festival, St Ives, 10 – 24 Sept

With the summer rush of holidaymakers over, St Ives draws down art and music lovers from all over the country for a whole host of exhibitions and cultural events. Expect music, art and poetry events, exhibitions, galleries, guided walks and open artist studios across multiple venues over the 15 days.

FOODIE: Taste of Scilly food and drink festival, Isles of Scilly, 15 – 25 Sept

Simon Stallard is the first ever chef collaboration at the Taste of Scilly festival. He’ll be cooking Scillonian grown, reared, ocean-caught produce, over fire on secluded beaches of St. Mary’s, Tresco and St. Martins as part of the festival. Other events in the programme include the ‘Safari Supper’- a jet boat that whisks guests to a different island for each course, Farm Feasts and pop-up rum bars in secret locations, to name but a few.

EVENT: North Cornwall Book Festival, St Endellion, 22 – 25 September

North Cornwall Book Festival brings together readers and writers (and a few choice musicians) for a festival of literature, narrative, craft, workshops and concerts in a site of outstanding beauty, between the holiday resort of Polzeath and the fishing community of Port Isaac. Authors include local favourites Patrick Gale and Liz Kessler, and national faces, including Kate Moss, Esther Freud and Susie Boyt.

THEATRE: Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) The Minack, 22 Sept – 6 Oct

Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story.

ART: The Cruel & Curious HEART, Stowe Barton, Nr Bude, 23 – 24 Sept

A series of art exhibitions celebrating the unusual and unsettling with HEART taking place in September at the barns in Stowe Barton. Music by James Dixon, with a host of local artists and exhibitors joining in too. Bar.

EVENT: Porthleven Arts Festival, 24 Sept – 2 October

Back for 2022, the first Porthleven Arts Festival last year was lots of fun- more than 60 events across the town including exhibitions, art, workshops, music, poetry and performance. It’s about community, about participation and, most importantly, about celebrating art in all its many and diverse forms. Highlights last year included the Salty Sisters swimming, music from sea shanties to the blues via a delightful programme of classical music in St Bartholemew’s church and poetry performed and to reflect upon. There were also mermaid days and a whole host of creative workshops.

ARTS FESTIVAL: Form, Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, 30 Sept – 2 Oct

Form is a new annual visual arts festival in Falmouth which celebrates the visual arts heritage and vibrant creative culture of the area. The events, with something for all ages and many of which are free, include exhibitions; workshops featuring pottery, printing and crocheting; demonstrations, such as wood turning and Raku pottery firing; film screenings; life drawing classes; as well as an arts trail of local school children’s work – the future artists of Cornwall – in shop windows across Falmouth.

EVENT: Rare Breeds Month at The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Heligan Home Farms’ Livestock Team are celebrating and highlighting all the rare breed residents who call Heligan their home.

ON-GOING EXHIBITIONS

ART EXHIBITION: Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and Jonathan Michael Ray, Tate St Ives

This new exhibition explores the works of two artists connected with West Cornwall. While separated by time, as well as the media and form their works take, both artists draw inspiration from the local landscape, exploring the idea that there is more to experience in nature than can be found on the surface.

ART EXHIBITION: Ad Minoliti, Tate St Ives, until October

Artist Ad Minoliti draws on the rich legacy of geometric abstraction in Latin America and presents alternative universes influenced by feminist and queer thought. The exhibition will also feature Minoliti’s ongoing project The Feminist School of Painting, transforming part of the gallery space into an active classroom. Booking recommended, free for members and locals pass holders.

ART EXHIBITION: Scene Change, LSG Rock, until October

The Lemon Street Gallery (previously Truro)’s exciting new space just outside Rock, on the Camel Estuary, is the perfect place to open their vibrant and eclectic new group exhibition, Scene Change, featuring work from both up and coming and established British artists.

EXHIBITION: Shackleton’s Legacy and the Power of Early Antarctic Photography, The Shipwreck Museum, Charlestown, until October

The Shipwreck Museum in Charlestown has teamed up with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) to present an exhibition that celebrates a pioneer of polar exploration, Sir Ernest Shackleton. This year marks the centenary of Shackleton’s death in 1922 during the Quest expedition to Antarctica, and is super timely given that the wreck of his ship Endurance has been found 107 years after it became trapped in sea ice and sank off the coast of Antarctica. The explorer’s legacy, extraordinary expeditions and the power of early Antarctic photography will take centre stage at Charlestown’s Shipwreck Treasure Museum and is included with entry.

TOO LATE … JUST MISSED

MUSIC: Bude Jazz Festival, 30 Aug – 2 Sept

Now in its 33rd year, expect multiple gigs over many locations all around Bude, from blues and ragtime to mainstream and bop with an especially rich choice of old-style New Orleans and classic jazz, Bude Jazz Festival is among the best in the UK.

ART EXHIBITION: Can You See Me? Jupiter Gallery, Newlyn, ends 3 Sept

Artists Emma Digerud-White and Penny Chivers Stanley exhibition, ‘Can You See Me?’ asks important questions about how we ‘see’ and are ‘seen’. Why do we so often limit our ‘seeing’ to what lies so precariously on the surface. When we live on the surface we hide our true selves not only from others but from ourselves too. There is very little peace here. Through these works they ask questions about ourselves and wider society and invite us to delve into the depths of our ‘seeing’ through a series of paintings and mixed media works.

KIDS: Go Wild with Beano, Eden Project, until 4 Sept

There’s an action-packed summer programme at Eden – help Dennis and friends save Eden from the dreaded CO₂-Zilla! Loaded with mischief, mayhem and crazy comic fun, an epic adventure awaits at Eden this summer.

KIDS: Heligan Lost Summer Adventures, Lost Gardens of Heligan, ends 4 Sept

Explore your inquisitive, playful and adventurous sides as you step into an experience full of horticultural highlights, outdoor play, and summer adventures in the natural world: something we may feared may have been lost with Heligan’s Summer Adventures ‘and The Trail of the Wildflower Fairies’.

As you wander through the wildflower woodlands, vibrant meadows and abundant gardens, which Flower Fairies will you discover hiding within the magical summer garden? The Bold Cornflower, Bright Marigolds, Prominent Poppies, Scented Chamomile, or the Summer Buttercup to name but a few. Which Fairy will share their enchanting story with you?

EVENT: The Alverton’s Summer Sessions Closing Party with Josh Curnow, 8 Sept

Revel in the historic beauty of The Great Hall, savour a selection of delicious dishes and listen to fantastic acoustic music with a summer cocktail in hand at our Summer Sessions Closing Party with Josh Curnow, brought to you by Offshore. The Alverton’s event bids a fond farewell to summer. Kick back with two cocktails for £10, or a refreshing pint of Offshore, served to you from the historic Great Hall bar. Whilst you sip, The Alverton’s chefs will be rustling up some tempting tapas. Dine on delicious dishes while enjoying live music as beautiful as the surroundings from local talent Josh Curnow.

EVENT: Heritage Open Days Festival, various locations, 9 – 18 September

There’s heaps to explore across Cornwall at the Heritage Open Days Festival – a fantastic way to see our ‘hoods prettiest buildings and landmarks that are free to enter for the public. Highlights include St Lawrence’s Church – a unique opportunity to explore Cornwall’s asylum church-inside and outside – you can even have a go at playing the organ and the Gribbin Daymark, at Menabilly near Fowey, sounds pretty cool for views across Cornwall.

FESTIVAL: Little Orchard Cider & Music Festival, Healeys Cyder Farm, 8-11 Sept

Feeder, Kula Shaker and The Wurzels are among the bands taking to the stage at the this festival popular with Newquay locals. Day tickets now available.

EVENT: Newquay Mini Fish Festival, The Boathouse, 10 – 11 Sept

This year, the festival will be run out of The Boathouse restaurant on the harbour, and will be sponsored by Sharps.

{Cancelled} EVENT: Eden Classic, The Eden Project, 11 September

Cornwall’s biggest home-grown cycling event the Eden Classic was set to return but low turnout has meant that it has been cancelled. The Eden Classic team are going to revitalise the event, devise new routes and bring it back on Sunday May 19, 2024.

{Cancelled} MUSIC FESTIVAL: Looe Music Festival, Looe, 16-18 Sept

Looe Live! Festival serves up 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 – the mainstage and BBC Introducing stage will be ticketed and on the beach – with a new-look free-to-enter community and food zone in Buller Quay carpark. Headliners are Soul II Soul, The Lightning Seeds, Reef, Those Damn Crows, Tankus the Henge, Mellowmatic, Ferris & Sylvester with more acts to be announced!

ARTS: DARN & Friends Pop Up, The Surfhouse, St Ives 19 ends 16 Sept

Take time to play at a creative workshop, make new connections at our Supper Clubs and browse the wares of local makers. Darn is a collaborative space, a platform of collected friends where individual talents are embraced and celebrated as part of a community.

FOODIE: Falmouth Beer Trail 2022, 16 – 18 Sept

Across 6 venues in Falmouth, 17 breweries will be showcasing 40+ beers organised by Falmouth’s own Verdant Brewing Co. Free to enter, no ticket needed, just check out the venues here and turn up.

ART EXHIBITION: A Different Story, The Byre Gallery, Millpoint, ends 17 Sept

Rame peninsula based artists Katy Brown and Heath Hearn make their debuts at the Byre Gallery. Each has created a stunning new collection of work, plus work from more established Byre Gallery artists including glass and ceramicists.

EVENT: Watergate Bay Sprint, 17 – 18 Sept

This two-day closed road speed event is retaining the new sprint format that was introduced in 2021 which replaced the hillclimb. The Watergate Sprint will provide competitors with a unique closed-road challenge and spectators superb viewing above the cliffs at Watergate Bay.

EVENT: The Alverton’s Cornish Gin and Drinks Festival, 17 Sept

Lover of gin? We’ve got just the thing. Join The Alverton for their annual Cornish Gin and Drinks Festival. From midday until late, meet the makers, attend our masterclasses and sample the very best in Cornish tipples. On the day, arrive to the first drink on us, before entering The Great Hall to meet the suppliers. Try oodles of samples as you venture over to The Oak, where live demos and masterclasses from our gin distilleries will be held. Here you’ll be able to pick up handy hints and tips to create your own top-notch tipples at home!

EVENT: Cornwall Balloon Festival, Wadebridge Showground, 18 – 19 September

The first balloon festival to grace Cornish skies for 25 years, this two day extravaganza is also a giant fun fare.

September Calling! What’s on this month in Cornwall

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