The Cornwall Christmas Fair – the most vibrant fundraising event in the county’s festive calendar – will take place at the Eden Project on Thursday 23rd November with a Preview & Shopping Evening on Wednesday 22nd November. All funds raised will go to supporting the Cornwall Community Foundation.
A date not to be missed in Cornwall’s festive line-up, the Cornwall Christmas Fair transforms the Eden Link Building nestled between the two biomes into a glittering Christmas market. With up to 60 independent stalls from within Cornwall and beyond, an enticing selection of Christmas gifts and decorations will be joined by home accessories, ethical fashion, jewellery and skincare, as well as a diverse range of artisan food and drink produce in The Cornwall Bakery Food Hall.
Organised by a team of volunteers, the Fair is the ultimate Cornish Christmas shopping experience, with all proceeds (including a percentage of profits from stallholders) going to support Cornwall’s struggling communities through the Cornwall Community Foundation.
“This year marks the tenth year of The Eden Project kindly hosting the Christmas Fair, with almost £500,00 raised across that decade,” explains Co-Chair Kate Holborow. “£927,500 has been raised across the Fair’s thirty-year history and 2023 marks a watershed as we aim to break the £1M mark in funds raised for Cornwall.”
Long-term Christmas Fair supporter Lillicrap Chilcott has increased its sponsorship to take on the role of headline sponsor of the prestigious Christmas Fair Shopping & Preview Evening on Wednesday 22 November. The Cornish estate agent will also be continuing to sponsor ‘Bring Your Old Bag’ whereby visitors are asked to bring along their favourite vintage Cornwall Christmas Fair shopping bags to the event. All those who do so will be entered into the Lillicrap Chilcott Prize Draw to win a visit to Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire (between April and September 2024).
Generous sponsors are crucial to the level of funds the team can deliver to Cornwall’s communities and a raft of new sponsors have come on board for 2023. Wildanet, Evelyn Partners, Seasalt Cornwall, St Eval, Stacks Property Search, Handelsbanken and Whyfield will join long term supporters The Cornwall Bakery, Rodda’s, Coodes, Healeys, St Austell Printing, Impress51, Jarrang, Wild Card, St Austell Brewery and The Old Ship Hotel, as well as Lillicrap Chilcott.
Jane Hartley, Co-Chair of the committee of volunteers, comments: “We’ve got some exciting plans in place for our 2023 Fair and a big target to meet, as we aim to smash the £1M barrier. This would not be possible without the generous support of these local businesses. Huge thanks to all of them.
“Tickets sold out two weeks ahead of the Fair last year and we are urging those planning a visit to book as soon as tickets go on sale in early September to avoid disappointment.”
Cornwall Christmas Fair opening times and ticket prices:
- Thursday 23 November – Day Fair, 10.00am – 4.00pm. Tickets £18 including lunch, wine and free admission to Eden
- Wednesday 22 November – Preview & Shopping Evening, 5.00pm – 9.00pm. Cocktail Hour from 5.00pm-6.00pm. Tickets £32 including supper and a drink on arrival.
Tickets go on sale Monday 4th September. Tickets must be booked in advance and can be purchased from www.cornwallchristmasfair.com.
(Photo: Cornwall Christmas Fair Committee with Ian Lillicrap of Preview Evening headline sponsor Lillicrap Chilcott and a selection of vintage Cornwall Christmas Fair bags from the last fifteen years).
