28th Annual Cornish Festival & Celtic Celebration

Glimpse into the world of Cornish folklore and charming craft at Shake Rag Alley’s historic Log Cabin. Local folklore enthusiast and charmer, Bryce Woyak, provides an educational and interactive exhibit highlighting some thrilling stories, sights, and spells from Cornwall’s vast repertoire of folklore and folk customs. Celebrate a legacy of myth and magic. 

In the 1830s and 1840s, settlers from other parts of the United States and Europe began to flow into the Wisconsin Territory. They were lured by the prospect of plentiful lead to be had in shallow diggings. As the easy lead became scarce, and greater technical knowledge was needed to work the earth for its deeper lead and zinc deposits, immigrants from Cornwall, England filled the need. These miners and their families made a lasting imprint on southwest Wisconsin. At Pendarvis, you can see their stone cottages and come to understand how their legacy was preserved by Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum in the twentieth century.

The Mineral Point Archives is a resource for local history, including maps, photos, newspaper articles, letters and other documents, architecture, mining, genealogy records, land records, early Wisconsin legislation, railroad history and Cornish research, including the Cornish Family History website and an obituary and marriage database from our local newspapers from 1847 to the present.

Built by Cornish stonemasons John Toay and Phillip Allen Sr. in 1856, The Mineral Point Railroad Depot is one of the few remaining pre-Civil War depots in the United States. Through detailed story-driven exhibits, the award-winning Mineral Point Railroad Museum honors the depot’s rich railroad heritage and Cornish craftsmanship.

Studio Potter Frank Polizzi will demonstrate the creation of ceramics on the potter's wheel, using a porcelain clay that has been mined in the St. Stephen and St. Austell areas of Cornwall since 1746.

In 1868, Cornish immigrants Sarah and Joseph Gundry built Orchard Lawn, with an Italianate mansion of locally quarried stone, on 11 hillside acres. The stately house is a remarkable survivor. When the last local Gundry died in 1936, it was rescued from demolition and became home to the MP Historical Society. Today, ambitious restoration is under way to further preserve the house and grounds for future generations. Tours are given on the hour. The grounds may be enjoyed free of charge at any time.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) first organized a lodge in Mineral Point in 1835. As the fraternal order increased in size to over 250 members by 1838, a two story frame lodge hall was built which was the first IOOF hall west of the Allegheny Mountains. The building exists today in its original form as the Odd Fellows/Rebekah Museum and contains a number of historical items relating to Odd Fellowship including a full size 1800's Odd Fellow lodge room on the second floor.

Kick-off Cornish Fest Weekend with us at Pub Night! Grab your family and friends and enjoy a drink with live music by "The Tooles." Dinner is available for purchase from local restaurant Pointer Café. Head into our cozy Cornish pub to learn pub games by the roaring fire. Proceeds from Pub Night go to preserving and interpreting the beautiful buildings at Pendarvis Historic Site. Available drinks include beer, wine, and root beer. $10.00.

Start off Saturday with a hearty pancake breakfast at the historic Odd Fellows Hall.

The Mineral Point Market features locally grown organic produce, naturally raised beef, pork, and chicken, fresh eggs, jams, syrups, honey, flowers, perennial plants, baked goods, raspberries, locally grown flour, artwork, photography, and much more! The Mineral Point Market is the place to be on Saturday mornings and a great way to support local agricultural producers. Get there early for the best selection!

Glimpse into the world of Cornish folklore and charming craft at Shake Rag Alley’s historic Log Cabin. Local folklore enthusiast and charmer, Bryce Woyak, provides an educational and interactive exhibit highlighting some thrilling stories, sights, and spells from Cornwall’s vast repertoire of folklore and folk customs. Celebrate a legacy of myth and magic. 

Enjoy an informative tour of the historic homes and business places of “The Most Cornish City in the U.S.” The tour lasts about 1 ½ hours and offers a rich sampling of the city’s history. $10.00.

In the 1830s and 1840s, settlers from other parts of the United States and Europe began to flow into the Wisconsin Territory. They were lured by the prospect of plentiful lead to be had in shallow diggings. As the easy lead became scarce, and greater technical knowledge was needed to work the earth for its deeper lead and zinc deposits, immigrants from Cornwall, England filled the need. These miners and their families made a lasting imprint on southwest Wisconsin. At Pendarvis, you can see their stone cottages and come to understand how their legacy was preserved by Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum in the twentieth century.

The Mineral Point Archives is a resource for local history, including maps, photos, newspaper articles, letters and other documents, architecture, mining, genealogy records, land records, early Wisconsin legislation, railroad history and Cornish research, including the Cornish Family History website and an obituary and marriage database from our local newspapers from 1847 to the present.

Built by Cornish stonemasons John Toay and Phillip Allen Sr. in 1856, The Mineral Point Railroad Depot is one of the few remaining pre-Civil War depots in the United States. Through detailed story-driven exhibits, the award-winning Mineral Point Railroad Museum honors the depot’s rich railroad heritage and Cornish craftsmanship.

See a collection of Cornish artifacts, mining tools and much more, provided by area Historic Groups and individuals. Learn about the impact of Cornish immigration on Southwest Wisconsin as well as the importance of lead and zinc mining in Southwest Wisconsin. Featuring Ron Dunbar’s collection of Mineral Point archival artifacts!

Purchase Cornish flags, shirts, and more to benefit the Cornish exchange program between Mineral Point and Redruth.

Studio Potter Frank Polizzi will demonstrate the creation of ceramics on the potter's wheel, using a porcelain clay that has been mined in the St. Stephen and St. Austell areas of Cornwall since 1746.

Cornish One and All! Pirates, Tommy Knockers, King Arthur, Mousehole Cat and more. Join us for children's activities in Cornish Heritage Park, located on High Street between the Chamber of Commerce and the Opera House.

Sample some of the best food and beverages that Mineral Point has to offer at the Taste of Mineral Point. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, The Taste is one of the highlights of the Cornish Festival. Local restaurants, cafes and bars will offer delicious highlights from their menus. Fresh Wisco' fare at its finest.

Co-sponsored by the Mineral Point Public Library and the Southwest Wisconsin Cornish Society.

11:00: Speaker Ron Dunbar talks about some of his favorite things from his archival artifact collection.

1:00: Speaker Erik Flesch speaks on Charlie Curtis, Stone Mason, Cornwall, Mineral Point, Taliesin, and Pendarvis.

Enjoy an informative tour of the historic homes and business places of “The Most Cornish City in the U.S.” The tour lasts about 1 ½ hours and offers a rich sampling of the city’s history. $10.00.

In 1868, Cornish immigrants Sarah and Joseph Gundry built Orchard Lawn, an Italianate mansion of locally quarried stone, on 11 hillside acres. The stately house is a remarkable survivor. When the last local Gundry died in 1936, it was rescued from demolition and became home to the MP Historical Society. Today, ambitious restoration is under way to further preserve the house and grounds for future generations. Tours are given on the hour. The grounds may be enjoyed free of charge at any time.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) first organized a lodge in Mineral Point in 1835. As the fraternal order increased in size to over 250 members by 1838, a two story frame lodge hall was built which was the first IOOF hall west of the Allegheny Mountains. The building exists today in its original form as the Odd Fellows/Rebekah Museum and contains a number of historical items relating to Odd Fellowship including a full size 1800's Odd Fellow lodge room on the second floor.

Speaker Erik Flesch speaks on Charlie Curtis, Stone Mason, Cornwall, Mineral Point, Taliesin, and Pendarvis.

Tour guides will describe the work now underway at the recently restored Old City Cemetery and introduce many of the historic people now resting there. $10.00.

Scoot dancing is a traditional Cornish form of percussive dance. Like in clogging and tap dancing, scoot dancers make sounds by striking their heels and the balls of their feet against the ground as they move around the dance floor. In this workshop, we will learn the Boscastle Breakdown, a scoot dance that can be modified for any body and any age. Whether you’re a beginner or a dancing pro, come catch up your heels with us!

Do shanty singing Fisherman’s Friends have a chance to break into the big time with promises from a slick Londoner? Has he truly fallen for the pub owner’s daughter? Will love and a record deal win in the end? Bring the whole family to enjoy this Cornish film and find out. Free, but donations accepted.

In the dining room of the historic 1836 Walker House, enjoy an authentic Cornish meal: Salad, Beef Pasty, Pasty Sauce, Saffron Bun, Figgyhobbin, Wollersheim Red/White Wine or New Glarus Spotted Cow beer, or Soda/Coffee/ Tea. Pizza for kids. $14.25 + tax. Kids 9 and under $6.65 + tax.

Pilot Opera, the singers who brought us The Pirates of Penzance and Camelot in previous Festivals, sail back to the Mineral Point Opera House to bring us the laughter and suspense of the Gilbert and Sullivan Comic Opera HMS Pinafore in a semi-staged production. Will the captain’s daughter, Josephine, abide by her father’s wishes and marry the First Lord of The Admiralty or follow her heart and elope with her true love, Ralph Rackstraw, a mere sailor? $15.00 adults $12.00 children.

Glimpse into the world of Cornish folklore and charming craft at Shake Rag Alley’s historic Log Cabin. Local folklore enthusiast and charmer, Bryce Woyak, provides an educational and interactive exhibit highlighting some thrilling stories, sights, and spells from Cornwall’s vast repertoire of folklore and folk customs. Celebrate a legacy of myth and magic. 

In the 1830s and 1840s, settlers from other parts of the United States and Europe began to flow into the Wisconsin Territory. They were lured by the prospect of plentiful lead to be had in shallow diggings. As the easy lead became scarce, and greater technical knowledge was needed to work the earth for its deeper lead and zinc deposits, immigrants from Cornwall, England filled the need. These miners and their families made a lasting imprint on southwest Wisconsin. At Pendarvis, you can see their stone cottages and come to understand how their legacy was preserved by Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum in the twentieth century.

Studio Potter Frank Polizzi will demonstrate the creation of ceramics on the potter's wheel, using a porcelain clay that has been mined in the St. Stephen and St. Austell areas of Cornwall since 1746.

In 1868, Cornish immigrants Sarah and Joseph Gundry built Orchard Lawn, with an Italianate mansion of locally quarried stone, on 11 hillside acres. The stately house is a remarkable survivor. When the last local Gundry died in 1936, it was rescued from demolition and became home to the MP Historical Society. Today, ambitious restoration is under way to further preserve the house and grounds for future generations. Tours are given on the hour. The grounds may be enjoyed free of charge at any time.

Built by Cornish stonemasons John Toay and Phillip Allen Sr. in 1856, The Mineral Point Railroad Depot is one of the few remaining pre-Civil War depots in the United States. Through detailed story-driven exhibits, the award-winning Mineral Point Railroad Museum honors the depot’s rich railroad heritage and Cornish craftsmanship.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) first organized a lodge in Mineral Point in 1835. As the fraternal order increased in size to over 250 members by 1838, a two story frame lodge hall was built which was the first IOOF hall west of the Allegheny Mountains. The building exists today in its original form as the Odd Fellows/Rebekah Museum and contains a number of historical items relating to Odd Fellowship including a full size 1800's Odd Fellow lodge room on the second floor.

Join in (or just listen to) the glorious sound of song and organ at Trinity Episcopal Church. Event led by the Welsh Gymanfa Ganu association of Wisconsin

The members of Trinity Episcopal Church will be your hosts for an elegant and delicious fundraising tea. Bid your Cornish cousins fare-thee-well at this last, lovely event of a splendid weekend.