PREPARATIONS are underway to mark St Piran’s Day in Newquay to celebrate its Cornish identity, culture and heritage.

The traditional town parade, interactive family trails, dance and live music will be among the activities staged to honour St Piran, the patron saint of Cornwall, who is believed to have arrived in Cornwall soon after the Romans left in the 5th Century.

St Piran is thought to have been a Christian missionary expelled from Ireland by an angry king, tied to a millstone and thrown into the sea.

Newquay Museum will present Stories from the Station throughout March, which will be a commemorative exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of the first passenger train to Newquay in 1876.

The exhibition will include images from the Newquay Museum Group as well as personal collections from local Cornish historian Stan May and John Vaughan, the renowned author of numerous railway publications including branch lines of Newquay.

Newquay Museum Group will also be presenting Newquay People by Bernard White. The renowned newspaper photographer’s collection has been donated to the museum by his family.

St Michael’s Church will be staging a bilingual Kernewek and English service conducted by Rev Canon Jane Kneebone on Sunday, March 1 at 10.30am.

Bar tab bingo will be held at the Central Inn on Tuesday, March 3.

Newquay Library will host a Cornish language takeover on Tuesday, March 3 from 10am to 10.30am, which will feature free storytime sessions for pre-schoolers.

Newquay Male Voice Choir bingo at the Kilbirnie Hotel, The Big Cornish Quiz at the Central Inn and the St Piran’s Eve Gig at the Great Western Hotel featuring the Harbour Rats, Newquay Male Voice Choir and Newquay Rowing Club Singers will be staged on Wednesday, March 4.

The St Piran’s Day Parade through central Newquay will be staged on Thursday, March 5, which will get underway from Beachfield Gardens at 4pm.

The parade will be led by a Cornish piper, followed by flag bearers, schoolchildren, local organisations and members of the public. People are invited to bring along their St Piran’s flags or those from a Celtic nation.

Local schoolchildren will lead a session of Cornish music, song, and dance at St Michael’s Church at 4.30pm.

There will be Cornish entertainment organised at the Central Inn throughout St Piran’s Day. Megan Forrest will perform at 6.45pm, open the box charity game will be held at 7.45pm and Oll an Gwella will take to the stage at 8pm, which will end with the Trelawny Shout at 9pm.

A Trelawny Shout will also be staged at Newquay Rowing Club on St Piran’s Day at 9pm.

St Piran’s Children’s storytelling is being organised at Newquay Library on Saturday, March 7 between 11am and 1pm.

A Discover St Piran’s Trail is being staged between February 28 and March 7 where families can assist St Piran in solving the mystery word by navigating through Newquay. Maps will be available from Newquay Library and Information Service in Marcus Hill.