Some of Cornwall's best festivals cost nothing to enjoy. Its great calendar customs happen in the open street, its harbours celebrate for free, and the winter lights are a gift to anyone passing through. Here are some of the best free festivals in the county.
The Celtic customs
Cornwall's oldest festivals are free to watch and join. St Piran's Day plays out across Perran Dunes, the Padstow 'Obby 'Oss dances through the streets on May Day, and Helston Flora Day fills the town with the Furry Dance.
Harbour celebrations
The sea gives Cornwall some wonderful free days out, from the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival to Mevagissey Feast Week and the heritage of Trevithick Day in Camborne.
Midsummer and midwinter
Penzance bookends the year with two free spectacles: Mazey Day at midsummer and the torchlit Montol at the winter solstice. Add the Mousehole harbour lights and Truro City of Lights, and the colder months are far from quiet.