ORGANISERS of this year's Falmouth Spring Festival say the event will see more daffodils, more volunteers and more sites spruced up than ever before.

Festival organisers Falmouth Business Improvement District (BID) have announced that the University of Exeter will once again be the main sponsor of the event.

Running from Thursday, March 19, to Sunday, March 29, the festival invites visitors and residents to celebrate and experience Falmouth’s multi award-winning green spaces, coastline and venues.

Kicking off the blossoming variety of activities will be the much-loved and community inspired ‘Paint the Town Yellow Day’ on Thursday, March 19.

Around 150 children from primary schools in the area will work alongside students and staff from the University of Exeter to hand out a donation of around 40,000 freshly picked local daffodils from Greenyard Flowers in Penzance to businesses and passers-by.

On Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21, the award-winning Spring Clean Days will see around 200 volunteers rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty, painting, cleaning, planting and landscaping numerous areas around Falmouth.

A series of coastal and town centre landscaping and planting schemes, as well as many clean and tidy sweeps are planned, which will be supported by CORMAC and Falmouth Town Council.

Discussions are also taking place to arrange new events in partnership with Plastic Free Falmouth.

Throughout the festival themed guided walks and exhibitions will invite people to discover the area’s cultural, industrial and natural heritage – they will include Poldark and Nordic walking sessions.

The opening weekend’s activities will also include a fitness and wellbeing session, as well as a free family rockpooling session led by experts from the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus on Castle Beach. Both activities will take place on Sunday, March 22.

And when you’ve worked up a thirst, make a beeline for one of the venues throughout the town hosting the free Science in the Pub events with academics from the university.

Organisers have also confirmed the dates of the Spring Flower Show, an institution in Falmouth for more than a century, which will be at Princess Pavilion.

This will close the Spring Festival on Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29.

Richard Wilcox, Falmouth BID manager, said: “Falmouth Spring Festival 2020 has a lovely schedule being planned – the biggest yet – and we’re excited to have the University of Exeter sponsoring the event once again.

"We’re coordinating a range of lovely activities, so whether you’re visiting Falmouth from another part of Cornwall or further afield, we hope you have a fantastic time and enjoy the festival.

"I’d also like to thank the huge numbers of volunteers and businesses who have offered to support once again, as well as organisations including CORMAC, Falmouth Town Council, Better Leisure, Falmouth Bay Residents Association, Plastic Free Falmouth and the Falmouth District Hotels Association.

"The festival really is testament to the strength of community spirit that exists in our special town.”

Ruth Grimmer, from the University of Exeter, added: “We enjoy getting involved in community events, whether this is helping with beach cleans and tidy-ups or by sharing our research and how this impacts on everyday lives, in Cornwall or further afield.

"We are very proud to sponsor the Falmouth Spring Festival and our staff and students look forward to taking part.”

Timetable of events:

• Thursday, March 19 – Paint the Town Yellow Day

• Friday and Saturday, March 20 and 21 – Spring Clean Days

• Sunday, March 22 – Fitness & Wellbeing session

• Sunday, March 22 – Rockpooling on Castle Beach

• Monday, March 23 to Friday, March 27 – Science in the Pub

• Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29 – Spring Flower Show

• Throughout – Festival guided walks