Read on for Part 2 of our Top Picks for the summer holidays in Cornwall.
Take a step back in time for Grand Medieval Joust at Pendennis Castle, join in the fun at the Mithians Miniature Steam Fair, or become a scientist for the day at the amazing Science in the Square with University of Exeter in Penryn.
Enjoy a family day out at the Holifair Family Festival, ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ at a Firework Spectacular at Flambards, or get creative at the Falmouth Art Gallery… Or enjoy some top-class theatre and storytelling from Miracle, Kneehigh and John Brolly at some incredible venues across Cornwall.
Get inspired and try something new with Get Active Truro with a week of activities from climbing to cycling to cheerleading!
Rogue Theatre wrap up our Top Picks with their enchanting Wild Woodland Summer Ball. The perfect excuse to get dressed up and lose yourself in magical wonderland in the woods.
There is so much to see and do that we have only included a smidgen of what’s on offer; visit www.whatsoncornwall.co.uk or www.visitcornwall.com for more!
PS. You can find Part 1 of our Summer Holidays Top Picks here.
The Magnificent Three
Miracle Theatre
5th August Indian Queens Pit
7th August Telegraph Museum, Porthcurno
9th August St Mawes Castle
10th & 11th August Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis
12th August Hannahs Seale Hayne
13th August Gyllyndune Gardens, Falmouth
16th & 17th August Penlee Park, Penzance
18th August Caerhays Beach Café, Gorran
19th August Restormel Castle, Lostwithiel
21st August Perranporth School
24th August The Castle, Bude
25th August Carlyon Beach, St Austell
26th August Boscawen Park, Truro
27th & 28th August Enys Gardens, Penryn
31st August Plen-An-Gwary, St Just
2nd & 3rd September Trebah Amphitheatre
It’s back by popular demand!
‘Wholesome yeehaw humour dotted with sweet songs and as many stetsons as you can count on one stage!’ The Stage
Gather up your posse it’s time to head out to the Wild Frontier for a rootin’-tootin’, side-splittin’, finger-clickin’, toe-tappin’, saloon-door-swingin’, double-cross-dressin’, Hoe-down dancin’, quick-draw slinging, Spaghetti Western adventure….YEEHAW!
Heading west across Dead Man’s Prairie, the trail hits a watering hole called Hope Springs. Not a lot ever happened here: mostly lonesome strangers, minding their own business, passing on through but then word got out that the railroad was coming and the town got a whole lot wilder. Seems even most trusted folk can’t always be counted on when there’s money to be made…
When times are bad, salvation can show up in darned unexpected shapes.
No one in Hope Springs will ever forget The Magnificent Three.
Visit the Miracle Theatre website.
FUP
Kneehigh Theatre
The Asylum
Saturday 6th – Sunday 21st August 2016
The Santee family are unconventional, to say the least.
One hundred year old Grandaddy Jake and his enormous grandson Tiny live life on the fringes, drinking whiskey, building fences, boasting of immortality. But then, Fup arrives – an ass-kicking, web-footed, feathery sonofagun. See, Fup is a duck. A very big duck. A very big duck indeed… And she is going to change their world forever.
FUP is a big-hearted, uproarious modern fable about family, love and nature set in a weird and wild Cornwall not so different from this one. Featuring live, foot-stomping music, quacking puppetry and Kneehigh’s infamous eccentricity and charm, FUP is a story like no other.
Visit the Kneehigh website.
Firework Spectacular
Flambards
Monday 8th – Wednesday 31 August (Mondays and Wednesdays)
Watch the sky light up above Flambards in their Firework Spectacular! Rides & Attractions close 30 minutes before firework display. Last admission is at 6.30pm, with the fireworks starting at dusk around 9pm.
Take a look at Flambards’ summer entertainment on their website.
Captain Pugwash’s crew with Beano cartoonist Nick Brennan
Falmouth Art Gallery
Wednesday 10th August
Come and create your own masterpiece in a workshop with Beano cartoonist Nick Brennan. Drop-in between 11 and 3pm.
For more information on Falmouth Art Gallery’s summer family fun, visit their website.
Holifair Family Festival
Gweek
Friday 12th – Sunday 14th August
Family friendly community festival with over 30 bands, talks, cabaret and more!
Line up includes Beans on Toast, Echo Town, 3 Daft Monkeys and more, including some fabulous Cornish acts. The kids area runs through the day and is packed with interactive crafts and workshops. There really is a party for everyone at Holifair Family Festival.
Visit the Holifair Family Festival website.
Science in the Square
University of Exeter Penryn Campus
Friday 12th August
Join scientists from the University of Exeter’s Penryn campus for a fun, free day out for all the family!
Become a scientist for the day with hands-on activities and experiments at our seven interactive zones, and listen to exciting science talks about the research that is happening right on your doorstep! This year’s theme is ‘What if…?’ Come and find out what it would be like if dinosaurs still existed or if there were no bees!
Visit the Science in the Square website for more information.
The Two Wizards
John Brolly
The Minack Theatre
Friday 12th August
The Two Wizards is a new show by master storyteller John Brolly.
If you go up to the cliffs today you had better go in disguise…
Keep your eyes open for the two grizzly old wizards who haunt the cliff tops above the tiny Cornish cove of Porthgwarra.
There is only one thing that is more trouble than a grumpy wizard – Two grumpy wizards.
Can no one save the village?
John Brolly tells this enchanting original tale of wizard wars and magic in the Cornish mist. Packed full of comical and interactive madness.
Visit the Minack Theatre website for more information.
Mithian Miniature Steam Fair
Miners Arms, Mithian
Sunday 14th August
Join in the fun at this annual Mithian Miniature Steam Fair, with children’s rides on miniature steam engines, stationary engines, raffle, stalls, games, BBQ and much more.
Raising money for Parkinson’s Disease research, enjoy a fun day out for all the family with free parking and free entry!
Visit the Mithian Village Association website.
Get Active Truro
Lemon Quay, Truro
Monda 15th – Friday19th August
Lemon Quay will be transformed into a sports and activity hub as the ‘Get Active Truro’ festival presents an abundance of FREE activities including ‘come and try’ sessions, demonstrations and exciting displays. You don’t need to be super sporty to join in; it is about getting active but also having fun.
Each day is themed to promote a different sport.
Monday 15th – ‘Get Outdoors’, with walking, golf and an epic climbing wall.
Tuesday 16th – ‘Dance & Fitness’ with cheerleading from West Coast Academy, and dance with Us Two, Embrace Dance Fitness and 4funxsake Youth Dance.
Wednesday 17th – #ThisGirlCan day, encourage women and girls of all ages to get into sport!
Thursday 18th – ‘Wheels Day’ with Mount Hawke Skate, Truro Cycling Club, Aggie Cycles and Andrei Burton and his team.
Friday 18th – ‘End of Term Business Sport’s Day’, where businesses of Truro will compete in traditional games including ‘egg-and-spoon’ and the three legged race! To enter a team email nhoward@cornwall.gov.uk.
See more on the Enjoy Truro website.
Grand Medieval Joust
Pendennis Castle
Tuesday 16th – Wednesday 17th August
Feel the heat of the contest as magnificent knights on horseback clash at the greatest event of medieval life. Cheer on your favourite in this thundering battle of bravery and honour. Soak up the medieval way of life in the colourful encampments and be entertained by the naughty court jester while your budding young knights test their strength in the field.
Visit the English Heritage website for more.
Campervan of Love
New Art Club
Wed 17th & Thursday 18th August, kARANdAVE, (by the mini golf ) Mawgan Porth. Pay what you can: no amount to small or large!
Fri 19th August, Hawksfield, nr Wadebridge (PL27 7LR) FREE
A family show that comes out of a bright pink 1970s VW campervan- what more could you want? New Art Club are notoriously witty, riotous in fact. They’ve made a name for themselves as a company who’ve turned contemporary dance on its metaphorical head. But they are more than two blokes who occasionally wear spandex, they’re smart too: smart, funny and they can dance – a winning combination. This is a show for all the family… and all of your friends too! Bring a blanket or similar to sit on.
Visit the Dance Republic 2 website for more.
Wild Woodland Summer Ball
Rogue Theatre
Tehidy Woods, Portreath
Thursday 18th August – Friday 4th September
Multi award winning Rogue Theatre returns to the woods this august with a new call to the wild, a festival of summer and a book full of fantastical new stories.
Wild Woodland Summer Ball blends stories of fantastical realism with a carnival atmosphere of escapism and a dance at the wild heart of the woods, with stories for boys, girls and grown-ups who still hear the call of the wild.
Join the King of the Woods on the paths of your imagination, and Moon, the Queen of the Sky as they tell tales of adventurous girls and curiosity pop up shops, of enchanted journeys, of love, beasts, and a thousand new moons, of growing old, magic and wise, and of fire crows that light up the dark night skies.
There will be enchanting live music, thrilling stories, otherworldly performance, explosive acrobatics, fire, dancing, free face painting, and the chance to create something wild and wonderful in a free woodland craft workshop.
Forest creature costumes, faerie Dress, otherworld outfits, party frocks, wild life masks, funny hats, forest finery, frippery, feathers and fancy hairdos are encouraged though not essential. (Grown ups as well as children!)
Visit the Rogue Theatre website.