The traditional Golowan Festival in Cornwall (Photo: John Stedman)
When: 15th – 24th June 2018
Where: Penzance, Cornwall
£: Free
What is it?
The 28th annual Golowan Festival will take place in Penzance, Cornwall, from Friday 15th to Sunday 24th June, with processions, art, music and fairs.
Golowan, the celebration of midsummer, is a Cornish tradition that was revived in Penzance in 1991. Golowan has grown over the years from a one day event to the present day festival.
The Golowan Festival now includes the revived traditions of the Feast of St. John with the Golowan Band, Serpent Dances, the Quay Fair, a Mock Mayoral Election, and a colourful parade.
This year’s event has a ‘Goes Wild about all Creatures Great and Small’ theme, aiming to get people inspired by Cornish nature and to think about our environmental impact. As part of this year’s event there will be a concerted effort to eliminate single use plastics.
The quirky Election of the Mock Mayor event will take place on Thursday 21st June, when visitors can hear the comedic candidates (usually in fancy dress) discuss their manifestos and vie for your vote. The event is free to attend and all are welcome. The event will also feature live music from El Nino, Hanterhir and The Odd Folk.
Parades are a big part of the Golowan Festival (Photo: John Stedman)
The highlight of the festival for most is Mazey Day, on Saturday 23rd June. Launched each year by the Mayor of Penzance and the newly elected ‘Mock Mayor of the Quay’, the event sees artists, schools and other community groups fill the streets with music and giant sculptures in a series of parades. A Mazey Day Fair with stalls selling Cornish products ranging from locally produced foods to handcrafted gifts, also takes place.
This year’s Mazey Day parades will begin at 10am with the Civic Procession, followed by the Crowst Parade at 11am, the Dinner Parade at 1pm, the Crib Parade at 3pm, and finishing with Men and Maids dancing the Serpent Dance through the streets of Penzance with the Golowan Band at 4.45pm.
But Mazey Day isn’t just about parades, there will also be a Pop-up Kernewegva (a Cornish speaking flash mob), a folk stage with plenty of live music, and music and dancing in Festival Square.
Sunday 24th June is Quay Fair Day with entertainment and music taking place at the harbourside, Penlee Park and on the Prom. There will be live music all day with various venues offering an array of music including a Folk Stage, acoustic sessions and DJs. There will also be children’s activities, markets and model boat displays.
More info: www.golowanfestival.org