There are several traditions that take place during St Ives Feast. During the St Ives Well procession, musicians, school children and the Mayor of St Ives process from the Guildhall to St Ia’s Well at Porthmeor for a service of thanksgiving. This is followed by one of the three remaining hurling games that take place in Cornwall. Hurling is like a giant game of rugby, played with a wooden ball covered in silver. This game was once very popular all over Cornwall.
Reproduced courtesy of Andrew Besley as featured on cornishmemory.com
In St Ives, the content takes place within a large group of children, with the winner being the child holding the silver bowl at midday. The mayor also distributes pennies to local children by throwing them into the crowd from the balcony of town hall. In the evening, the St Ives guise dancers tour the taverns of the town, entertaining the public.
