St Ives will be holding its annual 2024 Feast Celebrations this weekend - including the historic Hurling of the Silver Ball event.

The events, organised by the town council, are held to commemorate the anniversary of the consecration of the parish church in 1434.

They start this Sunday, February 4 and continue on Monday, February 5.

On the first day of festivities, proceedings kick off at 11.15am with the Mayor’s Parade and Church Service.

The Parish Church, the focal point of the event, will be the destination of a procession involving the Mayor’s Party, town councillors and their guests, led by the Pendeen Silver Band.

Local organisations are encouraged to join in the parade under official colours.

The historic Silver Ball Hurling will then take place on Monday.

Guests are to gather at the Guildhall from 9am before accompanying the Mayoral Procession to the Venton Ia Well at Porthmeor at 9.30am. 

After a short ceremony and blessing, the procession will then return to the Parish Church by 10.30am.

Local schools will provide ceremonial dancers, with music from Bagas Porthia.

Falmouth Packet: The event starts on Sunday, February 4 and continues on Monday, February 5

One of the most important activities of the festivities will be the hurling of the silver ball from the wall of the Parish Church by the Mayor at 10.30am.

This year, due to the high tide and potential lack of beach, the Mayor will release the ball from the north corner of the churchyard in the direction of the juncture of Lifeboat Hill and Wharf Road.

Following the silver ball's retrieval by one of the waiting crowd, it will be passed through the streets until noon.

At this time, the person left holding the ball will present it to the Mayor at The Guildhall, with a silver coin bestowed as a reward.

At 11.30am there will be the distribution of pennies to children under the age of seven, from the steps of St Ives Guildhall by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

Following the return of the silver ball to the Guildhall at noon, pennies will then distributed to young people aged seven and over, from the balcony.

There was much debate back in December over the safety aspects of the event, with a suggestion to the town council that chocolate coins should replace the pennies and the silver ball instead be a tangerine wrapped in tinfoil - although this was described by some councillors as “health and safety gone mad”.

You can read more from the discussions here: Silver ball at historic Cornish event could become a tangerine wrapped in foil

Residents should be aware of the rolling road closure between 9am and 11am to allow the procession to take place safely. 

Traffic will be permitted to flow when it is safe to do so and the maximum time the road will be closed for will be two hours.

Further information about the affected roads is available on St Ives Town Council's website and social media platforms.

Other events on Monday include the Friends of the Edward Hain Memorial Hospital Coffee Morning at The Western Hotel from 10am to 12.30pm.

The Feast Monday Rugby Match has also been scheduled, with further details to be confirmed.

St Ives Town Council invites anyone with queries about the arrangements to reach out via the Council website for further information.