Events
Feast week
Mevagissey has celebrated the Feast of St Peter since 1754 and it has evolved into afantastic week long community event. The village invites locals and visitors to join in the celebrations which take place during the week in which the 29th June falls.
It starts with Fish Sunday when delicious local food is cooked for you by our resident chefs at stands placed around the harbour, followed by an auction of freshly caught fish. Events In the week that follows will include brass, dance and rock bands performing live on stage, children’s entertainments, colourful parades, local choirs, traditional hymn singing around the village, a fishing boat race in the bay, a raft race in the harbour, several flora dances and an RNLI display!
On the final Saturday there is a wonderful traditional village fete. Great fun and games for kids and adults with more food including cream teas and strawberries, plus a brass band. This is followed by the great Carnival parade through the village, with beautiful costumes, dancers, bands and floats of all kind. Live music onstage In the evening brings us to the grand finale, a firework display over the harbour with stirring musical accompaniment.
The dates for 2024 are 23 to 29 June
TOSHER’S RACE
The race takes it’s name from the local term given to the small traditional wooden boats which used to be commonplace in days gone by. Held on the first Sunday of Feast Week. Today many of the 64 strong Mevagissey fishing fleet take part. The boats make a fine spectacle dresed as they are in coloured bunting and flags of all description, loaded with their skippers and many friends, sounding their horns. The only true Tosher involved is Petrel, skippered by long standing timekeeper and race controller
Rod Ingram, who keeps an eagle eye on proceedings from his position inside the last marker buoy. Rod calculates the handicapped start times and sends the fleet on their way at specific times. The three mile race comprises two laps of the bay, following a course around laid marker buoys.
The race ends in full view of the hordes of spectators gathered along the pier heads ofMevagissey outer harbour.
The date for 2024 is 23 June
CRABBING COMPETITION
This is an annual competition for youngsters to see who can catch the most crabs in a given time. It’s great fun for all the family and the winner gets to keep the Crabbing Cup for one year! Which is he best method and bait? Where is the best place to go?
Held in the late afternoon on the Wednesday of Feast Week, competitors each give their name to the Harbour Master and receive a numbered ticket. Then on a signal, the competition begins. About an hour later the Harbour Master collects the tickets and counts all the crab catches. Sometimes a crab nips his fingers in the process! But eventually, he comes to a decision and declares the winner!
Of course this is no charge to enter, it’s a completely free event.
The date for 2024 is 26 June
SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL
Mid October sees Mevagissey (and Portmellon/Pentewan) taken over by hundreds of shanty singers from across the UK & Europe all of whom are taking part in the annual Mevagissey Shanty Festival. The festival boasts that it is centred on keeping the seafaring tradition of shanty singing alive, whilst also generating funds for local organisations. Since the initial festival in 2018 the event has more than doubled with 60 groups across 16 venues helping to promote and educate this Cornish/seafaring tradition of music.
The dates for 2024 are 11 to 13 October
OTHER
There are lots of other activities held around the harbour during the year including the Meva male voice choir who perform on the harbour at 7pm throughout August.
