Cornwall Film Festival, The Poly, Falmouth, & Venues Across Cornwall
2 – 29 November
The 26th edition of the South West's largest film festival tours screenings around the county all month, but the preview week at The Poly in Falmouth, from 16-22 November, with filmmaker Q&As and the short film showcases, is where the real buzz is.
Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels, Ottery St Mary Town Centre
5 November
Locals heave blazing tar-filled barrels onto their shoulders and charge through the crowds in a Bonfire Night ritual thought to date back to the 17th century. With up to 15,000 visitors lining the streets and not a health and safety concern between them, it is a high energy, wholesome night of revelry that everyone should experience at least once.
Pavilions Teignmouth Book Fest, Pavilions Teignmouth
7 November
The seafront venue's first all-day book festival runs from a free morning book fair through talks and workshops to an evening of author panels, ending on crime and thrillers. A great new addition to the Devon literary calendar.
Exeter Charity Fireworks, Westpoint Arena, Clyst St Mary
7 November
Exeter Round Table's annual display for Devon Air Ambulance adds a drone show to the pyrotechnics this year, alongside funfair rides and food stalls for a full evening of seasonal fun.
Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market, Cathedral Green, Exeter
13 November – 13 December
Devon's biggest Christmas market opens a full week earlier than last year, with chalets of South West makers and mulled wine in the shadow of the cathedral, our tip: go on a weekday morning, if you want to avoid the hordes, or go hungry on a weekend afternoon if you love the jostle of a festive market and graze your way around the many international food stalls.
Heligan Night Garden, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey
Selected Evenings From 13 November
The Lost Gardens glow with lanterns on Friday-to-Sunday evenings, starting in November and stretching on into the new year. The award-winning event leads guests on a magical trail through the gardens, with larger than life light installations around every corner. Warm up with fire pit marshmallows and hot chocolate whilst listening to the sounds of nature’s winter melody.
Hatherleigh Carnival, Hatherleigh Town Centre
14 November
The first flaming tar barrels are dragged through the streets at 5am, and the day builds to a finale of a torchlit procession of illuminated tractor-drawn floats and a second barrel run. A full day of spectacles for all ages.
Clovelly Herring Festival, The Quay, Clovelly
15 November
The cobbled village toasts its ‘silver darlings’ with herring dishes from the quay kitchens and Mike Smylie's Kipperland smokehouse turning out kippers and bloaters, and the walk back up the hill is all the excuse you’ll need for a second helping.
Cornwall Christmas Fair, Eden Project, Near St Austell
18 – 19 November
Billed by Eden as the county's biggest Christmas fair, it raises money for Cornwall Community Foundation, which makes ticking off the present list feel almost virtuous.
Cornish Winter Fair, Royal Cornwall Events Centre, Wadebridge
21 – 22 November
The Wadebridge Prime Stock Show, now nearly 150 years old, shares the weekend with more than 150 trade stands of Cornish food, drink and crafts, and with free entry and parking it's one of the best-value days out of the season.
Christmas Shopping Fayre, Westpoint Arena, Clyst St Mary
27 – 29 November
Now in its 30th year, the fayre fills Westpoint with exhibitors selling gifts, decorations and festive food, with free parking, it’s a yearly highlight in the Exeter festive calendar.
Bay of Lights, Torquay, Paignton and Brixham
28 November – 3 January
The English Riviera's winter light festival, now in its fifth year, opens with free fireworks over Torquay harbourside, then carries its illumination trail and the twinkling Train of Lights steam train well into the new year.
AT A GLANCE
For film buffs: Cornwall Film Festival, 2–29 November
For Bonfire Night drama: Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels, 5 November
For book lovers: Pavilions Teignmouth Book Fest, 7 November
For early Christmas shopping: Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market, from 13 November
For after-dark magic: Heligan Night Garden, from 13 November
For foodies: Clovelly Herring Festival, 15 November
For Cornish Christmas gifts: Cornwall Christmas Fair, Eden Project, 18–19 November
For festive lights: Bay of Lights, from 28 November
Devon And Cornwall In November
What's on in Devon and Cornwall in November 2026?
November 2026 brings the Cornwall Film Festival (2–29 November), Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels (5 November), Pavilions Teignmouth Book Fest (7 November), Exeter Charity Fireworks (7 November), Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market (13 November–13 December), Heligan Night Garden (from 13 November), Hatherleigh Carnival (14 November), Clovelly Herring Festival (15 November), the Cornwall Christmas Fair at Eden (18–19 November), the Cornish Winter Fair (21–22 November), Westpoint's Christmas Shopping Fayre (27–29 November) and the Bay of Lights (from 28 November).
Are there free events in Devon and Cornwall in November?
Yes. The book fair at Pavilions Teignmouth Book Fest is free to browse on the morning of 7 November 2026. The Cornish Winter Fair at the Royal Cornwall Events Centre in Wadebridge has free entry and free parking on 21 and 22 November 2026. The Bay of Lights on the English Riviera opens with a free fireworks display at Torquay harbourside on 28 November 2026, and Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market is free to wander.
Where can I see Christmas lights in Cornwall in November?
Heligan Night Garden at the Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey, runs on Friday to Sunday evenings from 13 November 2026, with lanterns lighting the paths through the gardens. Tickets are required, and the season carries on through December and into early January 2027.
When is Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels in 2026?
Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels takes place on 5 November 2026. It is held on 5 November every year unless that date falls on a Sunday. Roads in the town close from around 4pm, and buses and coaches are laid on to bring visitors in and out, as the event draws up to 15,000 people.
When does Exeter Christmas Market open in 2026?
Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market opens on Cathedral Green at 10am on 13 November 2026 and runs until 13 December 2026. That is a week earlier than in 2025, when it opened on 20 November. It is Devon's largest Christmas market, with chalets of mostly South West traders.
When is Hatherleigh Carnival in 2026?
Hatherleigh Carnival takes place on Saturday 14 November 2026. It is held on the second Saturday of November, and the day begins with a flaming tar barrel run at 5am. An illuminated evening procession of floats follows, with a second tar barrel run once the route is clear.
