Since 2022 Blystra Arts have been involved in the lantern parade activity across Newquay, running workshops in schools and joining in the parade itself, adding wonder and awe to the parade with bigger, willow lanterns made by one of our main artists, Chris Nixon. In 2024 the parade moved to Trenance Valley, and we became more of a lead partner of the parade, and on the parade organising committee alongside Newquay BID and Trenance Cottages. In 2023 and 2024 Blystra delivered all the lantern parade activity in the town, which included creative willow making workshops leading in to the parade events for these years. In 2025 the parade will return to Trenance Valley for a 2nd year running.

The 2024 parade and workshop activity saw the company work with over a thousand people across Newquay in all of the Newquay’s schools and hundreds of people in the community from Oct to Nov 2024. 

In 2025 Newquay Lantern Parade and Trenance Light Switch On will happen once again down in Trenance Valley. Blystra Arts have been able to enhance the 2025 event further by linking the project in with another of their projects’ Stories from the Station, a heritage project which runs in 2025 to coincide with the 200 year anniversary of the first journey of a passenger steam train anywhere in the world, which happened on the 27th September 1825 in Northern England. This project sees Blystra working with the community to make five willow train carriages, each one depicting a different era, story or character related to Newquay railway station on the side. Carriages have been created and decorated alongside, Your Art Connect, Age UK, Newquay MIND, Treviglas Academy and the general community in sessions which happened in Sept, Oct and which are still running in Nov. If you attend the event on the 21st Nov you will be able to see the inaugural journey of this train lantern making its way through Trenance Valley as part of the procession.

Come and join us for the 2025 event on the 21st Nov Here are some of the key timings of the night:

6-6.30pm – The Parade
6.30/6.45pm – Trenance Cottages Light Switch On
6.45 – 7pm – Radio Newquay Post Parade Tunes
7-8pm – Music from Andy the Crooner

Blystra Arts are currently seeking business sponsors who will be able to support this hugely popular autumn event in the town in 2026. For more information about how to sponsor this event, and support all the creative activity around the parade please contact info@blystraarts.org