Saint Piran’s Day, is the national day of Cornwall. Held on 5th March each year and celebrated throughout the county, the day is named after one of the patron saints of Cornwall, Saint Piran, Launceston now celebrates this day with a Children’s Parade where hundreds of local children parade through the streets and perform Cornish songs and dances. Led by the Mayor and Councillors of Launceston the parade winds its way through the medieval streets finishing in the castle grounds.
Later in the day, the ‘big’ people of Launceston, led by a Cornish piper and the Town Crier, process to the castle after which they whet their whistles in The Bell Inn, Launceston’s oldest pub.