Falmouth Oyster Festival

This is the moment Falmouth's working harbour throws its doors open to celebrate the native Fal oyster, dredged under sail from the very estuary you can see from the festival site — it doesn't get more properly local than this. Expect shucking demos, chef tastings, a real ale and cider tent, and regional producers rather than generic festival-food vans.

Go for the food, stay for the atmosphere: Discovery Quay fills with live music into the evening, and the whole thing has a relaxed, unpretentious harbourside energy that suits solo visitors, couples or a gang of mates equally well.