Celebrate ‘The Light Fantastic!’
City of Lights Festival & Parade with Christmas Lights Switch-on and Fireworks Display

Wednesday 19th November 2008 Truro City Centre from 7pm

‘The Light Fantastic’ is the theme of 2008’s spectacular City of Lights festival, with giant lanterns made from withy and tissue parading through the streets of Truro accompanied by a host of samba bands and musicians, dancers in sparkling outfits, and by hundreds of children bearing their own small and beautiful lanterns.

This uniquely collaborative community arts event - and a key fixture in Cornwall’s annual festive calendar - hopes to rival last year’s event enjoyed by around 10,000 visitors. Each year the lanterns, created by Truro’s schools and community groups working with local visual artists, are more ambitious, inventive and impressive, and this year is no exception.

“…the festival, the celebration and the procession of City of Lights is a great opportunity for all those involved, and something that I feel very proud to take part in. There is a great sense of achievement for the children… while the procession alongside artists and community groups creates a wonderful atmosphere of celebration and community.” Jill Hudson, lantern artist

This year a specially-commissioned lantern figure has the honour of switching on Truro’s Christmas Lights as the procession reaches Boscawen Street, and a grand fireworks display and massed band and dance finale will herald the end of the main procession as it assembles on Lemon Quay.

The route

At 7pm the procession begins at the Territorial Army Centre in Moresk Road, then travels along:

St Clement Street
Union Street
Castle Street
River Street
St Nicholas Street
Boscawen Street *
Princes Street
Green Street
Lemon Quay

* The lantern parade will pause in Boscawen Street where a specially-commissioned lantern figure has the honour this year of switching on Truro’s Christmas lights.

The entire parade will then proceed to Lemon Quay for a grand fireworks display and massed band finale, after which the lanterns will continue their journey to a special concluding choral performance at High Cross outside the Cathedral.

The event should finish at approximately 8.30-8.45pm.