THE ST AGNES CARNIVAL 2024 TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY 3 AUGUST 2024, WITH THE ANNUAL PARADE STARTING AT 5PM. TAKE PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE MOST CREATIVE FLOATS AND COSTUMES IN CORNWALL IN THIS VILLAGE CELEBRATION…
There’s nothing quite like a traditional Cornish carnival. And there’s nothing quite like watching a parade that snakes its way through a Cornish village and boasts some of the most creative floats and costumes for miles around. But where can you watch such a carnival in August 2024? Hmmm, let’s think…
Ah, of course it’s the St Agnes Carnival 2024! And it’s on Saturday 3 August 2023 in the village on Cornwall’s north coast between Perranporth and Portreath. This is a tradition that dates back more than 100 years and, thanks to a vibrant local community, the carnival is no less fun today than the days when there would have been miners, bal-maidens and fishing folk lining the streets.
There’s some fun around the village during the day but the big event begins at 5pm. And that’s the annual parade. It starts from the carnival field on Goonvrea Road and then winds its way through Church Town and along Trevaunance Road before finishing at the St Agnes Sports Club in Enys Park. Prizes for the best floats and costumes will be given out at the club and there’ll be live music, food and a bar too.
The St Agnes Carnival procession is known for its creativity in these parts of Cornwall. Some of the local residents go all out with their fancy dress and clever floats. Expect local bands, singers, dance routines and performers of all ages interacting with the crowds along the way whether from their floats or in the streets. Judging actually opens in the carnival field at 4.30pm before it moves off at 5pm.
And who leads the St Agnes Carnival parade 2024? Why, it’s the famous giant Bolster, who, according to legend, lived around the cliffs near St Agnes, snacked on local sheep and unwittingly killed himself after a local woman convinced him to pour his blood into a cliff pool. Not the sharpest giant but a local legend who will always be remembered by the St Agnes community.
Hundreds of locals and visitors on their holidays experience this carnival every year. Some call it the best carnival in Cornwall 2024. It costs up to £6,000 a year to put this event on, according to the team behind it, so any donations to the running of the event while you’re there would be greatly appreciated. Teams will carry donation buckets around the procession.
Parking, say the organisers, is available on a field on Penwinnick Road, which is just a short walk from the carnival route. The streets that sit along the parade route and the surrounding roads are expected to be closed for a few hours in the afternoon and evening but watch this space for details on that closer to the time.
The St Agnes Carnival 2023 was a big success, by the way. The judges ruled that the ‘Best in Carnival’ was Spaceport St Agnes (SLOBS), the ‘Best Under-16s with a Float’ was Madagascar (Chapel Porth Cafe) and the ‘Best Musical Contribution’ was Rocky Horror (The Miners Arms and Red Lion) among a bucketload of other prizes.
We can’t recommend the 2024 St Agnes Carnival enough. It’s colourful, it’s creative, it’s popular, it celebrates the rich legends around the village and it’s a true slice of Cornish carnival tradition. Take a few quid for those donation buckets and take your camera on 3 August 2024. You’ll have enough great images for Instagram to keep you going all week!