When is Padstow Christmas Festival 2018?
Over the last 10 years Padstow Christmas Festival, with its Christmas Market, has grown to become a major attraction for the Cornish town and it now helps generate around £5m for the local economy. Padstow Christmas Festival 2018 will be the 11thevent, from 6th to 9thDecember.
In its early days, there was just a few chef’s demonstrations in Padstow Seaman’s Mission and Padstow Institute. Today the festival takes over the town, has 2 enormous marquees on the quayside and in 2017 there were around 50,000 visitors over the 4 days.
What’s on at Padstow Christmas Festival 2018?
Sponsored by the local Sharpe’s Brewery, The Padstow Christmas Festival really is one of a kind. What makes it so special and authentic is the wide range of local producers, businesses and celebrity chefs that all come together to take over the town and make the festival happen. Top quality locally produced food, drink, arts, crafts and gifts together with many demonstrations, activities and entertainment make it a very fun long weekend for visitors. People come from all over the UK to enjoy the unique atmosphere around Padstow’s streets and harbour. The festival includes:
- Christmas lights – will be turned on at 6pm on 2ndDecember, with a carol service at the bandstand
- Padstow Christmas Market – seasonal shopping and artisan stalls with local food, drink and handmade gifts and products. The organisers say ‘Padstow Christmas Festival has earned a reputation for showcasing a tempting selection of food ranging from artisan breads and cakes, chocolates, meats, cheeses, and preserves and pickles, not to mention award-winning craft beers, ciders, and locally-produced gins, rum, brandy, and vodka’.
- Free cookery demonstrations by over 60 acclaimed chefs from across the UK– including some from the local area and the South West, like Paul Ainsworth, Nathan Outlaw and Rick Stein, big supporters of the event from the start
- Charity Fun Run and Cycle Ride – in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care, open for everyone to register and join in, just bring your Santa Suit
- Live music – in various venues throughout the town
- Santa’s Grotto – strictly for the kids
- Children’s workshops – doing stuff, making stuff and smiles
- Dining offers – in Padstow restaurants and pubs
- Lantern Parade – through Padstow town
- Food Forums – where you’ll be able to ask questions of panels of food experts and debate the big food issues
You can find out all about the Padstow Christmas Market and Padstow Festival on their website. A video of the 2017 Padstow Christmas Festival is here.
Please help save environment from plastic pollution
Being so close to the sea the Padstow festival team are very aware of the damage being done by plastic waste in the oceans. They have asked everyone to help by:
- Bringing reusable bags for shopping or buying a canvas bag at the event
- Taking a reusable water bottle rather than buying bottled water
- Carrying a reusable coffee cup
- Understanding that over the next few years plastic packaging, single serving sachets, plastic cutlery and all other polluting plastic are being phased out
Padstow Christmas Festival 2018 is one to visit
Many see the festival as the start of the festive season, stocking up on Christmas food for the family and interesting gifts. Why not make your way down, you’ll be very welcome and very impressed? How to get to Padstow Festival here.
At the time of writing Glen Valley Holiday Cottage in nearby St. Minver is available to stay over the Padstow Festival weekend.
