Penzance Gears Up for St Piran’s Day: Hundreds of Schoolchildren to Dance Through Town

Preparations are in full swing for this year’s St Piran’s Day celebrations in Penzance, with over 500 schoolchildren set to take part in the traditional St Piran Furry dance through the streets. The event, organised by St Piran in Penwith, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025 and will be held on Wednesday, 5th March.

A Celebration of Cornish Identity

St Piran’s Day, named after one of Cornwall’s patron saints, is the national day of Cornwall, observed every year on 5th March. In Penzance, the celebrations will begin the evening before with a Cornish Concert at St John’s Hall on Tuesday, 4th March, at 7pm, featuring a combined choir of schoolchildren from the Penwith area.

On the day itself, the St Piran Furry will start at 10.15am from the top of Causewayhead, with schoolchildren dancing through the town towards Morrab Gardens. There, everyone will come together for a rousing rendition of ‘Trelawny’, before continuing up Morrab Road to St John’s Hall, where the young participants will be rewarded with a saffron bun.

Mayor of Penzance, Stephen Reynolds, expressed his support for the event, saying:

“As the national day of Cornwall, St Piran’s Day is a wonderful opportunity for us all to express pride in where we live – and Penzance always rises to the occasion. Penzance Council are delighted to support this celebration of Cornish identity and culture with grant funding again this year, and I look forward to joining the hundreds of schoolchildren in the parade. Gool Peran Lowen Onen Hag Oll! Happy St Piran’s Day One And All!”

Road Closures and Council Support

To ensure the smooth running of the parade, a road closure will be in place from 10am to 12 noon on Wednesday, 5th March, affecting the following roads:

• Causewayhead
• Parade Street
• St Mary’s Terrace
• Morrab Gardens
• Access to the rear of Morrab Terrace and Morrab Gardens
• Morrab Terrace
• South Parade
• Morrab Place
• Morrab Road
• Buriton Row

Penzance Council has provided £2,956 in grant funding to support the event, covering the costs of new town flags, rigging and de-rigging of St Piran flags, public liability insurance, rent of St John’s Hall, saffron buns, and other associated costs. The council regularly provides grants to local community groups and charities working to benefit residents and the parish environment.

The Penzance Council offices will be closed on 5th March for the celebrations.

With the town set to come alive with music, dancing, and Cornish pride, the 20th anniversary of St Piran in Penwith’s celebrations promises to be a memorable one for Penzance.

St Piran’s Day is celebrated in Penzance on Tuesday, March 5, with the St Piran Furry procession through the town, organised by St Piran in Penwith and involving children from 16 local schools.