With just over a week left until the beginning of December and the start of the festive season, towns and villages across Cornwall are switching on their Christmas lights in the coming days.

One of the earliest displays to go on is in Falmouth, where celebrations take place this Thursday from 5.40pm starting with the Falmouth Christmas parade involving local primary schools.

Led by Pendennis Brass band, the parade leaves Events Square and marches through the main streets to The Moor where local singers and bands will perform on the stage as spectators await the arrival of the children at around 6.15pm.

The pupils will then take to the stage to perform carols and festive songs ahead of the big switch-on at 7pm by Falmouth’s nominated community champion for 2019, with people in the town voting over the last few weeks on which person or group should have the honour this year.

Falmouth Packet:

Falmouth Christmas lights switch on last year

Performances continue on the stage by local music and dance groups between 7pm and 8pm.

The event kick-starts the town’s new Christmas events programme that runs from November 24 until January 5, including a new Festive Weekend on December 14 and 15.

The following day, this coming Friday, it’s the turn of Helston to switch on its lights.

Street trading starts at 5pm with an array of hot food available, along with children’s rides and pony rides, ahead of the entertainment beginning at 6pm. Local band ‘Cornish Roots’ will be performing by the Guildhall from 6pm to 7pm and the ‘Culdrose Military Wives Choir’ on the main centre stage from 6pm for an hour too.

Helston Town Band will then start half-hour build-up to the big switch-on at 7.30pm, playing well known Christmas carols.

Fireworks, donated by Borlase & Co Solicitors, will be let off in front of the Grylls Monument to signal the switch-on.

The main streets of town are closed to town are closed to traffic from 3.40pm to 10pm.

Falmouth Packet:

Helston's switch on will be followed by fireworks again

Also taking place on Friday is Camborne’s lights switch on, where children from ten local schools will be showing off their handmade lanterns when they follow Father Christmas through the streets at 5.30pm.

Accompanied by the Combined Schools’ Samba Band and the Combined Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade Band, the parade sets off from Rectory Road and makes its way through Commercial Street, Cross Street, Union Street and Trelowarren Street before ending up in the town square for the official Christmas tree and Christmas lights switch-on at 6.30pm.

In addition to the lantern parade, BID Camborne has teamed up with Camborne Town Council and Camborne Parish Church to provide a variety of events and entertainment throughout the day.

This includes the Camborne Produce Market taking place in the square from 9am to 2pm, Master of Ceremonies Keith Sparrow relating a selection of Cornish mining stories before Camborne Youth and JC Band performs from 3pm, Holman Male Voice Choir taking to the stage at 4pm, stilt walkers getting into the spirit of the theme dressed as the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future at 4.45pm and a dramatic enactment of A Camborne Christmas Carol at 6.15pm.

The Churches Together Choir will also be performing at Camborne Church at 5pm.

There will be free parking in both Rosewarne car parks all day, as well as every weekend through December up until Christmas between 4pm on Friday and 9am on Monday.

Falmouth Packet:

Penryn's switch on event last year

In Penryn the big day is Saturday, November 30. Events begin at 9am, when St Gluvias Church will hold a Christmas Bazaar in the Temperance Hall until midday.

At 5pm Tanya’s Courage will be hosting a Christmas craft and gift fayre in the Temperance Hall and the shop will also be open for Christmas shopping, with Santa in his grotto all evening.

At 6pm Father Christmas, guests Camborne 2nd Boys and Girls Brigade Band and the lantern parade will assemble at the Memorial Gardens on Quay Hill to parade to the Methodist Chapel.

Then at 6.30pm the chairman of the Christmas Lights Committee, Mark Snowdon, will give an introduction, before the mayor announces the winner of the Shop Window Competition.

The Reverend Robbie Bowen will say prayers and the switch-on will follow with guest Benji Thomas.

Penryn Academy will lead the carol singing with the band and Father Christmas will be outside the Temperance Hall throughout the evening.

The Chorus will be performing in the Town Hall, where festive refreshments will be available, and there will be food stalls and children’s entertainment in the street and the Methodist Chapel will be open.

Roads will be closed from 5pm to 9pm, with free parking available in the car parks.

Porthleven will be celebrating Christmas the following Friday, December 6, starting at 6.30pm at the Harbour Head.

Porthleven Town Band will be playing carols and other Christmas songs, there will be a visit from Santa and fireworks after the switching on of the lights.

There will be similar celebrations taking place in villages across the area.