If you are planning a trip to Cornwall, its festivals are one of the best ways in. They take you beyond the beaches and the honeypot towns to the customs, food and music that make the county what it is, and there is something on in almost every month.
Spring: customs and coast
Spring is the season of Cornwall's great customs. Time a visit around St Piran's Day, the Padstow 'Obby 'Oss or Helston Flora Day and you will see a side of Cornwall the summer crowds miss.
Summer: music and the sea
Summer pairs big music weekends with the water. Catch Boardmasters and the surf at Fistral, an open-air night at the Eden Sessions, or a regatta week like Falmouth Week, one of the biggest sailing events in the country.
Autumn: food and words
Autumn is for eating and reading. The Falmouth Oyster Festival opens the oyster season, while literary festivals in Fowey and Penzance fill the shoulder season.
Winter: fire and light
Cornwall does midwinter beautifully, from the solstice guising of Montol in Penzance to Tom Bawcock's Eve and the Mousehole harbour lights.