Helston Flora Day is one of Cornwall’s oldest and most beloved traditions, a joyous spring celebration held annually on 8th May in the market town of Helston. The centrepiece is the famous Furry Dance, where hundreds of couples in their finest attire dance through the streets, in and out of shops and private gardens, to the strains of the Flora Dance melody played by the Helston Town Band.
The festivities begin at dawn with the Early Morning Dance at 7am, followed by the Hal-an-Tow pageant that re-enacts the triumph of spring over winter, complete with St George, Robin Hood, and the Dragon. The principal dance at midday is the highlight, when the whole town comes to a standstill as dancers weave their elegant way through the flower-bedecked streets. Later dances follow at 5pm, and the town is alive with stalls, a fairground, and celebration throughout the day.
Flora Day is free to attend and draws visitors from across the country. It is a uniquely Cornish occasion that has been celebrated for centuries, and there is nothing quite like it anywhere else in Britain.
Note: Helston Flora Day is celebrated annually on 8th May, unless 8th May falls on a Sunday or Monday, in which case the event is held on the preceding Saturday.