Nadelik Lyskerrys – a Liskeard Cornish Christmas 2024

Saturday 30th November is going to be the day when Liskeard comes together to celebrate the festive season. During the day there will be lots of great events to get you in the festive mood including kid’s crafts, Christmas craft fairs and our free Family Cornish Christmas Trail which ends with a Cakey Tea Treat for all at the Library.

Then from 5.30pm there will be an extravaganza lantern parade and the Christmas tree Lights will be switched on followed by a fireworks display and music and dancing under the Cattle Market canopy.

Family Trail – Learn some Cornish and Cakey Tea

30th November 10am – 1pm (last start time 12.30pm) starting at Stuart House

All local families are very welcome to take part in the free Cornish Christmas family trail around Liskeard. Pick up your trail at Stuart House between 10am and 12.30pm.

Answer a simple question in Kernewek at each of the trail stops and collect a sticker, there will also be additional fun activities at most of the stops along the way.

  • Community Treasure Chest
  • Liskeard & District Museum
  • Bumblebee Knitting
  • The Bookshop

Finish at the library to complete your card and enjoy a cakey tea treat

Christmas at the Library

30th November 10am-8pm

Join us at Liskeard Library for a magical festive day as we celebrate Liskeard Lights Up! As part of Liskeard Lights up Cornish Christmas, we’ll be the finishing stop on the Liskeard Family Cornish Trail, where children can grab a drink and cake after their Liskeard Town Trail adventure.

Throughout the day, enjoy festive fun with Christmas games, crafts, and enchanting stories projected in the Library studio. Treat yourself to hot chocolate, mulled wine, mince pies, and candy floss while getting into the holiday spirit.
For those individuals or families looking for a break from the busy town activities, lantern parade or fireworks, we’ll have a quieter space upstairs in our rooms where families can relax and unwind in a calm and festive setting with games and sensory lighting.

Bring the family along in the day or night for fun warm Christmas activities !

Christmas at Stuart House

30th November, 9.30am-7.30pm Stuart House

As well as being the first stop on the family trail, Stuart House will have a Christmas Fair in the Gallery and a Christmas Arts, Crafts and Gift Shop in the surgery.

They will be staying open until 7.30pm serving hot mulled fruit juice and mince pies.

Christmas at the Museum

30th November 4pm-7.30pm at Liskeard & District Museum

We warmly invite you to join us for a late opening at the museum

4pm – 7:30pm
Follow the Cornish colour trail, make festive decorations and commemorate your visit
to the museum with a festive photo opportunity, accompanied by costumed museum volunteers

4:30pm
Join us in our own festive countdown, as we switch on the Christmas lights in Foresters Hall

6:45pm – 7:30pm
Listen and join in with the carols performed by Liskeard Community Choir

Liskeard Lights Up!

30th November, 5.30pm for procession, 6.25pm for Christmas Tree Lights Switch On. The Procession starts at the Cattle Market. 

At 5.30pm there will be an extravaganza themed lantern parade starting from the Cattle Market, they will proceed along Barras Street, down Pike Street, along Fore Street, up Baytree Hill and back onto Barras Street.
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At around 6.10pm there will be music followed at 6.25pm by the switch on of the Christmas tree lights and a firework display.
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There will be an accessible area in front of the stage for people with mobility issues or who need more space. There will be quiet spaces at the Library, the Museum and the Public Hall for anyone who needs some quiet time away from the bustle – click here for more accessibility information
There will be food vendors offering delicious hot food to purchase and the Cornish Pudding Company will be staying open late selling tasty festive sweet treats.

Music and Dancing

30th November from 6.30pm

There will be festive music and dancing under the Cattle Market canopy and delicious food including festive ice creams from Cold n Rolled available to purchase. Entertainment from Louise School of Dance, Caradon Youth Theatre, Dance Centred community dancers and Cornish Groove Collective. Plus Scary Little Girls invite you to their ‘Karavan An Chi Drolla’ to hear stories, told by Cornish voices, and reflect on what it means to be Cornish.

Finish celebrating this Christmassy night with music and dance at this FREE event – everyone is invited!

Also Happening in Liskeard on Saturday 30th November

 Christmas Toy Swap Shop 

30th November, 10am – 2.30pm, Community Treasure Chest

Bring up to 10 items – Toys, Books, DVD’s, Games or even Christmas Jumpers!

Swap them for comparable items for FREE.

Free Hot Chocolate on arrival!

FREE Christmas Grotto

30th November, 11am – 1pm at Liskeard Community Treasure Chest.

As part of the FREE Cornish Christmas Family Trail you can collect a sticker, learn some Cornish and visit ‘Treasure Claus’ in her Christmas cave.

A Christmas Gift and FREE Hot Chocolate for all!

Karavan An Chi Drolla

30th November, 5pm – 7.30pm, Cattle Market Canopy

This winter, uncover a treasure trove of stories gathered from across Cornwall. Step out of the cold and inside ‘Karavan an Chi Drolla’, ‘The House of Stories’ to discover moments of magic and secrets never told but not forgotten. What objects intrigue you? What unexpected moments can you find? What surprises lie behind cupboard doors?

We invite you to delve into this magical Karavan at this years Lights Up Liskeard. Stay for a moment or a while, and find a story that tickles you, makes you wonder or leaves you wanting more.

Autumn Fair

30th November 10am-3pm at St Martin’s Church

Lots of some lovey gift ideas! Get some Christmas shopping done early.
There will be lots of independent stalls, tombola, raffle, bric-a-brac and more!

Free parking!

Bus Route Changes

Please find below the bus diversion details for the road closure in Liskeard on the 30th of November, between 5pm and 8pm.

  • All buses will need to use the Police/Fire Station as their main bus stop during this time.
  • Service 11 from Bodmin will divert via Morrisons, not Gypsy Lane, then proceed up Castle Street to the Police Station, before continuing their normal route.
  • Service 11 from Plymouth will follow the normal route as far as the Police Station, then use Castle Street to reach Morrisons, where they will rejoin the A30.
  • Service 77 will follow the same diversion as 11’s from Bodmin.
  • Service 73/73A will divert from Duloe to Dobwalls, missing St. Keyne and the Railway Station. From Dobwalls, they will proceed via Morrisons and up Castle Street to the Police Station.
  • Services 74 and 75 will finish at the Police Station.

We are proud to be supporting St Petroc’s as our chosen charity this year.

St Petrocs is a charity working to end homelessness in Cornwall, because every person has the right to a safe and secure home, they focus on the following four areas to achieve their mission:

    • Preventing homelessness
    • Making homelessness an exception
    • Making the experience of homelessness short
    • Supporting people out of homelessness for good

St Petrocs is all about people. Behind every number is a real person. For more information visit www.stpetrocs.org.uk or call 01872 264153

Back in the lockdown Christmas of 2020, Kana Nadelik, our annual Cornish singing sessions had to move online, but with the help of Rosie Fierek they were very successful and the final song can be seen below.

The song is Kana Kelyn Kelyn Oh (Sing Holly Holly Oh!), a traditional local carol collected in Callington in 1924 and now sung each year in Liskeard. The singers recorded themselves singing against a backing track which was then edited together by Kate McPherson.

Thanks to Feast, Cornwall Council, Arts Council England and Liskeard Town Council for the funding for this project.