St Ives at Christmas
When it comes down to the festive season, St Ives is most famous for its carnival-style New Year street party. However, this is just the culmination of a calendar packed with magical events throughout December. These are some of our favourite things to do if you’re on a Christmas break in and around St Ives:
See Santa Arrive by Lifeboat
Father Christmas makes his arrival in St Ives in a unique fashion: ditching his old-fashioned sleigh for an RNLI lifeboat, he zooms into the harbour to switch on the Christmas lights and kick off the festive season. Swarms of children follow Santa in a musical parade through the town, ending up at his snowy grotto for gifts and goodies.
Carols in Carbis Bay
Nothing conjures up that Christmas feeling better then an evening of carols, mince pies and mulled wine. Which is why, each December, the Carbis Bay Hotel invites everyone to join a gathering of local choirs for a festive sing-a-long in their beachside conservatory.
Party Train into St Ives
As if taking the train into St Ives wasn’t already an enchanting experience for a winter’s day out, on Saturdays in December the St Ives branch line puts on a special Christmas party train for this magnificent journey. Hop on-board the decorated carriages for music, a children’s entertainer and festive goody bags.
Christmas Panto
Hailed as one of the best pantomimes in the county, the Kidz R Us Christmas show rounds up another year of award-winning performances from this St Ives-based youth theatre company. Last year it was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that brought modern hits, dance, drama and comedy to the St Ives Theatre stage – we can’t wait to hear what’s in store for Christmas 2016.
Christmas Food Trail
If the previous year’s festive food trail is anything to go by, this will become a staple event in the St Ives Christmas calendar. A unique and flavoursome way to undergo your Christmas shopping, it encourages you to taste your way around some of the town’s favourite foodie hotspots. Gathering gifts and clues on route, at the end of the trail you are entered into a prize draw.
New Year’s Eve Party
The culmination of the Christmas season, this is the biggest, most dazzling party in the St Ives annual calendar. The entire town takes on a carnival ambience and folk come from far and wide to join the fancy dress celebrations. Streets are packed with revellers sporting crazy costumes, live music spills out of harbour-side venues and the skies over the ocean light up with fireworks at midnight.
To find out about all the events happening in St Ives over Christmas, see www.stivesindecember.co.uk and www.stives-cornwall.co.uk.
Carbis Bay Holidays offer a range of self-catering holiday cottages perfect for a Christmas holiday in St Ives. Whether you’re looking for a cosy cottage with a wood burner, or a family pile footsteps from the sea, checkout our luxury holiday accommodation in and around St Ives.
NOTE: this article will be reviewed and updated closer to Christmas to ensure that all dates and events are running.
