TREVITHICK DAY 2025, A FREE ONE-DAY FESTIVAL IN CAMBORNE TOWN CENTRE THAT CELEBRATES A GREAT MAN AND SHOWCASES CORNISH VINTAGE VEHICLES, TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY 26 APRIL 2025. HERE’S THE LOWDOWN…
Richard Trevithick was no ordinary dude. He was a genius. Born in 1771, his 62 years on this planet were spent inventing stuff that would basically transform the future of mass transportation and Britain’s place at the forefront of the industrial revolution. He also helped transform Cornwall’s fortunes as an important cog in the globe’s mining industry.
Trevithick’s inventions – such as the first-ever steam-driven vehicle, the ‘Puffing Devil’, that both mesmerised and terrified the people of Camborne when it first took to the streets in 1801 – were quite simply revolutionary.
Trevithick was born and lived on the edge of Camborne and Redruth in the heart of the county’s mining industry lands, so it’s deeply fitting that it’s the town of Camborne that pays tribute to the great man, his inventions and his importance to Cornwall’s mining heritage.
Trevithick Day is traditionally held on the last Saturday in April every year. Trevithick Day 2025 takes place on Saturday 26 April 2025. Expect steam engines, parades, singing, dancing and so much more.
During the annual Trevithick Day, the streets of Camborne are closed to traffic and are replaced by the rumbling and tooting of scores of steam engines while onlookers enjoy sideshows, stalls, choirs and bands throughout the day. Many of the town’s museums, attractions and galleries also get in on the act with exhibitions, talks and events on and around the day.
Expect: steam engines and a steam parade. Sound stages with local bands and choirs. Street entertainers. Stalls. Buskers. Street food. A fairground. A load of historical exhibitions. A schools competition. Stationary engines. Vintage vehicles. Trips on vintage buses. Morning and afternoon dances led by the Camborne Town Band. Fun. And plenty of history.
The first Trevithick Day was held in 1984 and it’s been rapidly building up steam from there, attracting up to 30,000 people from Cornwall and beyond with every edition.
It’s also a day to turn the spotlight on Camborne itself. The landscape of the town and its community are pockmarked by its industrial past so events throughout the day revive and relive the old traditions of mining life. Examples of this include school children dressing up in traditional garb in the morning and performing the ‘Bal-Maidens and Miners’ dance. In the afternoon, it’s the adults’ turn to troop the streets in Cornish black, white and gold, and in the evening there’s a parade of steam engines, all a legacy of Trevithick’s ‘Puffing Devil’.
The Puffing Devil will be based in Basset Street throughout the day, with steam engines from all over the country lining up in Basset Road before parading through Camborne at approximately 3.30pm. There will be a fairground in Rosewarne car park, vintage vehicles in Union Street, and tractors on Chapel Street.
New for 2025, there will be four sound stages featuring live music from local bands, choirs, and entertainers performing throughout the day. There will also be indoor exhibitions, including the schools competition and art exhibition at the Masonic Hall, model exhibitions at Camborne Community Centre, the Centenary Chapel flower festival, and performances from choirs in both Wesley Chapel and the choir stage on Church Street.
Transport enthusiasts can take a ride on a vintage bus provided by the Cornwall Bus Preservation Society, running from Cornwall College and stopping on Wesley Street near Tesco. The park-and-ride service will run from 8:30am to 5:30pm, with a fare of £7 per car and £10 per minibus.
The best way to enjoy Trevithick Day 2025 is to get there early and just wander the town as there’s something going on absolutely everywhere. Make Trevithick Day in Camborne a real special one. This one’s for you, Richard!