St Ives Holidays – February Edition
How busy is St Ives in February?
St Ives in February is much like January with the town only getting busier for the school holiday February Half Term. If you visit St Ives in early or late February, the streets are still fairly quiet, there are plenty of car parking spots and restaurants have availability for walk-ins too. February half term (mid way through the month) can mean things get busier and so you will need to plan restaurant reservations and it’s beneficial to book a holiday cottage with parking to avoid any stress of fewer parking spaces being available.
What's on in St Ives this February?
Every day in February – Free parking from 4pm until 9am in Cornwall Council pay & display car parks
10th February – St Ives Feast Day, a day full of tradition and celebration within the town. Read more about St Ives Feast Day in our Blogs and more information can be found on St Ives town council website.
15th February – Joe Duke is playing a solo gig at the Kettle and Wink. Joe will be playing a mix of pop/rock covers through the decades. Free entry
23rd February – St Ives String Band will be playing some blue grass from 2pm at The Bier huis Grand Café
What’s on elsewhere in Cornwall for February half term family fun?
Penlee House and Museum in Penzance
Drop by to a few lovely workshops and a enjoyable sessions for under 5 years old:
15th February – Rain it Raineth at 2.30pm making rain sticks to match the painting
17th February – Little Explorers 10am to 12pm drop in session for under 5’
22nd February – Arty afternoon 2.30pm to 3.30pm. Find and then make your own mini Hecate Goddess. In addition to the museum and gallery there are lovely gardens and a highly recommended play park situated across the park from the museum and gallery itself to burn some energy and spy some squirrels. See our blog post about the other things that you can do when you visit Penzance.
The Maritime museum, Falmouth
Always a good day out whatever time of year but through February half term they are hosting a week of activities based on science of the sea described as family fun with a BANG! Learn where energy comes from and witness explosive experiments in our science shows, get creative in Make & Take, and embark on a captivating Museum trail. February half term dates – shows at 11am , 12pm. 1.30pm and 3pm daily
Museum of Cornish Life, Helston
The Museum of Cornish life in Helston are teaming up with Mor Media, a Cornish charity to host the Annual Animation Festival from the 10th-17th February. Celebrating all things animation to include stop–motion workshops, exhibitions and screenings. A sure fire win with film, animation and tech fans of all ages.
Bodmin and Wenford railway
Bodmin and Wenford Railway are hosting a teddy bear picnic on selected dates through February half term. Enjoy bear inspired activities around the station and on board the train. Meet the railway’s bear mascot on the platform. There is half price travel for kids with a teddy. Please see their website for details on how to book your train excursion aboard their traditional steam train.
Trengwainton Gardens, Penzance
The National Trust owned Trengwainton Gardens have an animal aerobics trail for you to follow as you explore the gardens and see the first signs of spring burst into life after the garden’s winter slumber. This is a free event included in the general admission and there is no need to book. National trust members can enter with their memberships cards.
Art and Culture in St Ives this February
We share what galleries are open, what exhibitions are on and if there are any events or workshops to participate inIt’s St Ives so that means there are a whole host of exhibitions, workshops, talks and more happening in February!
Leach Pottery
At the Bernard Leach Pottery and museum during half term there are some drop-in workshops for all ages to create.
Enjoy making with clay at your own pace. Display your creation in the workshop for other potters to take inspiration from!
Where – The Core building at the Orchard Penbeagle Lane, St Ives, TR26 2HS
When – Tuesday 18 February, 10am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4pm or Wednesday 19 February, 10am to 12.30pm and 1.30 to 4pm
Price – Free to residents of Cornwall or £5 per participant on the door
There is also a second workshop available aimed at ages 7 to 12 years to find out how potters at Leach Pottery throw on a wheel and try for yourself. Watch how they use a potter’s wheel as they talk through the process and then have a try yourself. You will be supported to experiment with different techniques while also have time to independently focus on developing skills.
While no pots from the workshop are fired, participants are welcome to display a pot they have made in the Museum Potter’s Corner.
Where: Bernard’s Studio, Leach Pottery
Age: Only for ages 7 to 12 years old
When: Thursday 20 February 3pm to 4pm
Price: £8 per participant all non TR26 & TR27 Postcodes
Tate St Ives
The Tate St Ives, overlooking Porthmeor beach, has plenty going on throughout February.
15th-23rd February Art Explorers Workshop at the Tate Gallery get creative and explore the gallery with the whole family.
20th February A Closer Look: Through Our Eyes – The first in a new series of programmes in partnership with Black Voices Cornwall
All the information needed to attend any of the above talks and workshop can be found on the Tate Gallery website.
St Ives School of Painting
St Ives School of painting have a diverse and very hands on/have a go range of workshops throughout February. These include working with different artists and varied mediums. They have workshops for both adults and children which can be booked online through their website. If you have always wanted to have a go or ever wondered if you have hidden artistic skills then now is your opportunity to unleash them.
St Ives Art Club
Starting on the 15th February St Ives Art Club are holding a week long exhibition: Paper Jam! Peter Giles and Zoe Eaton have joined together to create a playful, abstract paper based exhibition. It is aiming to be vibrant, fun and playful so one for all the family to head along to see.
In addition to this week long exhibition there is a wonderful opportunity to join the two artists in workshops: intuitive abstract painting with Zoe Eaton, and abstract Drawing with Peter Giles. See website here for full details.
Food & Drink in St Ives
Big News!
The Balancing eel fish and chips restaurant has reopened following a small break and a refurb. The restaurant has indoor seating in addition to the traditional take away set up and is open 7 days a week. Based in the centre of St Ives near the Sloop car park (currently free to park in after 4pm).
Restaurant Review of the month
Cintra, The Wharf, St Ives
Cintra used to be called Caffe Pasta and is located on the The Wharf in St Ives. This means there are some wonderful sea views from inside the restaurant but most particularly from the outdoor tables. Speaking of the outdoor tables, it’s a suntrap so on a sunny day, a glass of cold white wine with seafood tapas is very dreamy indeed!
We visited this restaurant early February and so sat indoors. Our views did not disappoint however as it was a sunny, clear day outside. The restaurant was fairly quiet and although I’d booked online for a lunch table, there were plenty of tables available for walk-ins.
My sister and I decided to order two tapas dishes each and a side of salad too. I enjoyed a glass of house white wine too which complimented the seafood dishes beautifully. We opted for king prawns, salt and pepper squid, crab nachos and monkfish. All of which were super delicious and freshly cooked. We were not disappointed at all. With our lattes at the end of the meal, we thought we’d share a chocolate ganache pudding which was VERY dense and we couldn’t finish so asked for a doggy bag and took it home for later. It was like eating a chocolate truffle so just a few mouthfuls was enough.
Our Verdict
The price for four tapas dishes, a salad, a glass of house white, a glass of elferflower press, two lattes and one dessert was around £70 so for two people it was quite an expensive lunch. The service was quite attentive to start with but as our late lunch ate into a change of shift, it seemed we were being forgotten and had to ask for service twice. The food was really delicious and freshly cooked. The views are gorgeous so lengthy meal times are no hardship!
Property Review of the Month
Review from a guest that stayed at Birdbank Cottage for a short break in JanuaryAn absolutely beautiful, comfortable cottage Birdbank Cottage is. We really didn’t want to leave. Everything you could want or need ( plus a tonne of stuff you didn’t know you needed til it was there 😜). We have stayed in many St Ives houses, this is now my favorite 💗
Birdbank Cottage in St Ives