Sunshine and Celebration: Penzance Celebrates St Piran’s Day

Penzance was filled with music, dance, and Cornish pride today as hundreds of schoolchildren took to the streets to celebrate St Piran’s Day, the national day of Cornwall. The event, now a cherished annual tradition, was blessed with glorious sunshine as children from local schools performed the St Piran Furry through the town.

Two Decades of Tradition

This year marked 20 years since St Piran in Penwith first stared organising the event. With support from Penzance Council, the celebration has grown into a highlight of the year for the community. The council contributed £2,956 in grant funding to cover essential costs, including new town flags, rigging and de-rigging of the St Piran flags, public liability insurance, venue hire, and saffron buns for the children.

Dancing Through Penzance

The procession set off from the top of Causewayhead at 10:15 am, weaving through the town before reaching Morrab Gardens, where the crowd joined in a rousing rendition of ‘Trelawny’. Addressing the large gathering, Mayor of Penzance, Stephen Reynolds, spoke about the importance of togetherness in an ever-divisive world.

“We’ve come here today to celebrate St Piran, but also, more importantly, to celebrate who we are, where we come from, where we are going, and this amazing place – Cornwall / Kernow – that we all call home.

In a world where there is a lot of division, and anger, and noise, it’s really important that we all remember and cherish this moment we have spent here together in the gardens, in the sunshine, with the magnolias flowering. With the music, and the band, and the dancing. We must remember what it is like to have this spirit of togetherness, and have this feeling that we belong somewhere.”

A Sweet Reward

From Morrab Gardens, the schoolchildren continued up Morrab Road to St John’s Hall, where they were treated to a well-earned saffron bun—a fitting end to a day of music, dance, and Cornish pride.

Penzance Council continues to provide funding for local community groups and charities, ensuring that events like St Piran’s Day remain a vital part of the town’s culture.