Father Christmas to lead Truro parade inspired by a Mousehole cat

The sleigh is wooden, built locally, and there won’t be a single reindeer pulling it.

Father Christmas is coming to Truro on Wednesday 2 December to lead the Father Christmas Parade, and his arrival marks the start of the city’s Late Night Shopping evenings.

Organised and funded by Truro BID, the parade sets off from Boscawen Street at 6.30pm. Rock Choir Cornwall gets things going with festive entertainment from 6pm.

📷Rock Choir Cornwall at the 2025 Father Christmas Parade

A parade with a Mousehole twist

This year’s theme takes its cue from Hall for Cornwall’s Christmas show, Dick Whittington and His Mousehole Cat. Expect Father Christmas in his sleigh, cheeky elves, dazzling dancers, live music and circus performers.

As with every Father Christmas Parade in Truro since Covid, there will be no live reindeer. Father Christmas and his elf will ride in his locally built wooden sleigh instead.

📷Families at the 2025 Father Christmas Parade

Lanterns made by local families

A selection of small City of Lights Lanterns will be carried in the parade by the families who made them.

Those lanterns will be made at the City of Lights Lantern Making Workshops at Hall for Cornwall on Saturday 28 November. The workshops are supported by Truro BID and Hall for Cornwall and can be booked through the Hall for Cornwall website.

📷Stilt walkers at the 2025 Father Christmas Parade

Late night shopping and the Christmas markets

The parade runs alongside Truro’s first Wednesday Late Night Shopping evening. Many shops, eateries and the city’s two indoor markets will stay open later, the main shopping streets will be traffic-free, and the city centre will be lit up with Christmas lights (which Truro BID funds each year, covering maintenance, storage, installation and electricity).

The Truro Christmas Market on Lemon Quay and the Boscawen Street Christmas Markets will both stay open until 9pm.

The Truro Christmas Market, hosted by Truro Farmers Market and Kyn Events, runs daily from Saturday 21 November until Thursday 24 December. The Boscawen Street Christmas Markets are hosted by Truro Farmers Market, Cornwall Shop Small and Truro BID.

The four late night dates

• Wednesday 2 December
• Wednesday 9 December
• Wednesday 16 December
• Wednesday 23 December

📷Circus performers at the 2025 Father Christmas Parade

The parade route

Once it leaves Boscawen Street, the parade heads along St Nicholas Street and Kenwyn Street, turns right at Little Castle Street and carries on to River Street.

It then comes back along St Nicholas Street, onto Boscawen Street, Princes Street, Green Street and Lemon Quay, finishing at Lower Lemon Street.

Getting there and back

Truro Park & Ride will run a later service on all four Wednesday Late Night Shopping evenings, with the last bus leaving the city at 9.30pm.

Because of the city centre road closures, Park and Ride services towards Tregurra Park will use River Street, and services towards Langarth Park will use Victoria Square.

Details of all of Truro’s festive events are on the Visit Truro website, and on @visittruro on Facebook and Instagram.

What they’re saying

Alun Jones, Truro BID Manager, said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating the start of Truro’s Late Night shopping evenings with Father Christmas, local dancers, musicians, and circus performers parading around the city. The Christmas Lights will be illuminating Truro, many shops and eateries will be open later and the festive markets will be in full swing. Following the parade, residents and visitors can enjoy a further three Wednesday Late Night Shopping evenings.”

The parade is sponsored by Coodes Solicitors. Its Chair, Elise Alma, said: “We are delighted to, once again, be sponsoring The Father Christmas Parade. It is a wonderful, fun-filled celebration that showcases everything Truro has to offer during the festive season. This year’s parade, inspired by Hall for Cornwall’s Dick Whittington & His Mousehole Cat, promises to be something really special. As it also marks the start of Late Night Shopping, it gives everyone the perfect reason to head into the city and soak up the festive spirit.”

Elise added: “Truro truly knows how to embrace the season, and at Coodes, we’re eagerly looking forward to joining in with the vibrant atmosphere and festive energy that fills the city.”

📷Father Christmas and his elf at the 2025 Father Christmas Parade in Truro