Oyster shucking, autumn feasts and reggae beats. Lace up your running shoes for a marathon, tunnel into woodland to watch horror films, and let Falmouth’s book festival inspire your next cosy read by the fire.
Embrace autumn in Cornwall with our insider pick of the best things happening this month.
When? 8-11 October 2026
Where? Falmouth
Devoted to the mighty mollusc, Falmouth Oyster Festival is one of Cornwall’s best-loved food events, celebrating the native Fal oyster and the last traditional fisheries still dredging under sail and oar. Expect chef demos, river cruises and boat races, oyster shucking, live music and no shortage of Champagne. Free to attend by day, with ticketed entertainment by night – we’ve already got ours for the folk-rock, gypsy jazz sounds of Mad Dog McCrea on the Friday night.
When? 2-4 October 2026
Where? Princess Pavilion & The Cornish Bank, Falmouth
The Cornish Bank brings reggae to Falmouth for a weekend of bass-heavy beats at the Falmouth Reggae Festival, with an official afterparty back at The Cornish Bank for anyone still dancing at 3am. Check out their website for more events for the ears, feet and soul in October.
When? 16-18 October 2026
Where? Mevagissey and Pentewan
A proper Cornish knees-up, the Mevagissey Shanty Festival is back for another year, filling the harbour town with shanty singers, bands and live performances – as well as plenty of good food and drink. One lively weekend, 20 venues, a main stage by the sea, and plenty of local beer from the Keltek Brewery.
When? Throughout October
Where? Bude
Slow down and sweat it out at PIGSHED sauna, overlooking a scenic lake near Bude. Hot and cold therapy between the sauna, plunge baths and hot tubs will leave you shaking off any autumn chill, then you can refuel next door at Little Pig Café with brunch specials, homemade cake and bottomless coffee.
When? 30 October 2026
Where? The Tartan Fox, Nr Newquay
Step inside the Tartan Fox’s historic walls for a Día de los Muertos masquerade ball with a difference – an exclusive guest list, a powerful underworld host, and a killer among the guests. As the drinks flow and the masks stay on, old scores resurface, and alliances shift, until a murder throws the whole room into suspicion. Cornwall Murder Mystery Co. brings the drama; The Tartan Fox lays on the menu – you bring your best poker face.
When? 22 October 2026
Where? Nancarrow Farm, Truro
Settle in for a four-course feast by candlelight in the Oak Barn at Nancarrow Farm. Expect a menu built around home-reared meat and seasonal produce straight from the farm’s own kitchen garden, long communal tables, and a live folk musician. Book for dinner, bed and breakfast if you want to stay over. Can’t make the feast? Sunday lunch is always on.
When? Mid-late October
Where? Lanhydrock Estate, near Bodmin
Skip the flight to New England and kick through crisp fallen leaves right here in Cornwall. As golden hour light drops low, our ancient woodlands and sweeping moors ignite in a fiery canopy of copper, amber, and deep russet. Head straight to Lanhydrock Estate near Bodmin for the ultimate autumn walk. Wander across 900 acres of National Trust parkland, tread rustling, leaf-carpeted paths through the Great Wood, and stride beneath a grand avenue of glowing beech trees that frame the Victorian house ahead.
When? 18 October 2026
Where? The Eden Project, St Austell
Cornwall’s own marathon returns to the Eden Project in partnership with St Austell Running Club, taking on a multi-terrain route through spectacular countryside. Every finisher gets a themed medal and a t-shirt keepsake – and there’s a pasty and a beer waiting at the end (where else but Cornwall?). Entries are open now, with free entry to Eden for runners and their supporters, and every race helping fund new wildflower habitat for Eden’s pollinators.
When? 18-25 October 2026
Where? Falmouth
Autumn is the time to curl up with a good book by the fire, or rouse your own muse and put pen to paper on the longer, darker evenings. Glean inspiration from Falmouth Book Festival‘s extraordinary gathering of writers, poets and storytellers, spanning venues across town with talks, workshops and events. The first names confirmed for 2026 include Ruby Wax, Charlie Higson, Esther Freud, Satish Kumar and Patrick Gale, alongside more than a dozen others.
When? 31 October 2026
Where? Tintagel
Cornish Osses go head-to-head with Welsh Mari Lwyds at Tintagel’s Dark Gathering, a folkloric mashup that starts light with afternoon performances and tips into darker ritual and fire display as night falls. Morris dancers, magic and ancestor ceremonies blend tradition, myth and performance into something both haunting and celebratory.
When? 24-31 October 2026
Where? The Lost Gardens of Heligan, St Austell
After dark at Heligan this October, tunnel deep into the estate for eight nights of atmospheric horror film screenings. Each evening opens with a lantern-lit trail through the gardens to a pop-up screen, pairing cult classics with new Cornish folk horror: think Midsommar alongside Cornish short Pen Mari, The Witch paired with Backwoods, and a closing night of The Wicker Man with Cornish-language film Howlsavla Gwav.
Where? Watergate Bay, Newquay
Want to make the most of the wild Atlantic and dramatic autumn skies without having to brave every squall? Hunker down in Scandi-surf style at Watergate Bay Hotel, where sea views wink back from almost every corner and seasonal feasts land on the table. Rainy spells call for the indoor pool, sauna and board games; clear days for surfing, beach school and two miles of golden sand on the doorstep. We can’t think of anywhere we’d rather take an October break.
Bodmin trades the shoreline for rolling moors, legends, historic inns and easy access to some of Cornwall’s most dramatic, empty landscapes. Autumn is the time to climb Cornwall’s highest peaks, explore windswept tors, discover prehistoric stone circles and duck into country inns for Sunday roasts by the fire.
Explore Bodmin with our Local’s Guide
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