The Spirit of Harvest

  • 18th Oct - 2nd Nov 2025

Autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness and marks the end of the growing season and, of course, the harvest. Since ancient times it has been a celebrated season and, when the crops had been harvested and stored, heralded the beginning of a new year. The Celts believed that, at the end of Harvest, the veil between the world of mortals and spirits was temporarily dissolved. This was the origin of Halloween.

Let us invite you to this year’s autumn celebration and share with us the bounty of our gardens and estate, from the Kitchen Garden to the fields and woodland: vegetables, fruit, herbs, seeds, meat, flowers and even timber - all from Heligan’s Garden & Estate.

Harvest is a significant time of year for us. It is at a momentous point in the calendar, where we can fully appreciate and share all of the hard work and effort that our team has given, during the last twelve months and celebrate the fruits of our labour.

From Saturday 18th to Friday 24th October, it’s all about the bounty of the season across the garden and estate. From vegetables and fruit to herbs and seeds, meat, flowers and even timber, it will all be showcased and visitors are invited to get stuck in through an abundance of demos, tasters and garden and farm tours. There’s also an opportunity to learn traditional skills such as onion stringing, seed saving and dried flower arranging, and for the first time, visitors can explore the fascinating process of charcoal making on the estate.

For October half-term from Saturday 25th October to Sunday 2nd November Heligan gets spooky as it celebrates Cornish folklore and Halloween. Visitors can take part in potion and wand making crafts then brave a walk around the ‘Wise Witches of Nature’ trail. Here explorers will encounter tales of Cornish folklore; guardians of the natural world entwined in Cornwall’s rich harvest traditions. The trail concludes with the chance to toast a marshmallow over a warm fire pit. On top of this, there will be donkey and goat walks and ponies in paniers, an ancient harvest technique used to move produce across the land. 

Across the fortnight there will also be daily traditional corn dolly workshops, apple-pressing demonstrations (Saturdays and Sundays only) and an impressive harvest produce display.

The Spirit of Harvest - event programme

Daily - October 18 to November 2

The Heligan Harvest produce display
Marvel at this year’s spectacular traditional Harvest display, with contributions from the Productive Garden, Ornamental Garden, Jungle, Estate and Home Farm teams.

The big Heligan Harvest draw
10.00 – 16.00

Join us in capturing and celebrating the harvest season, in all its shapes and colours.

Heligan Harvest Shop
Discover our exclusive Heligan products, proudly inspired by our gardens and estate. Explore our new seed collection, so you can grow and marvel at your own produce next autumn.

The Heligan Kitchen & The Steward’s House
Join us for a menu inspired by the gardens. Delicious hearty breakfasts, specials and bakery treats await you.

Celebrating our harvest - October 18 to 24

Productive garden tour
11am - meet on Flora’s Green

Join our team for a tour of our productive gardens and learn more about their history and how they are managed today.

Harvest demonstrations
12pm - in the productive gardens

Meet Heligan’s gardeners and enjoy their skilful demonstrations. Including seed saving, dried flower arranging and onion stringing.

Check the chalkboards at ticket office for daily programme

Harvest produce cooking demonstration & tasters
13.00, in various locations throughout the gardens

Join one of our Chefs & a Heligan Gardener as they cook live in front of your eyes, you’ll even be able to delight in their tasty creations.

Check the chalkboards at Ticket Office for the daily programme

Corn dolly making
10.00 – 16.00, in the barn

Join a traditional corn dolly workshop, where the skills and traditions of this ancient craft will be shared. You’ll leave with your very own corn dolly to decorate your home this harvest.

Meet the animals of Home Farm
Monday 20 to Friday 24 October
2pm -meet at the paddocks

Come and say hello to our beloved farm friends. Join a member of our Home Farm team to learn more about our rare breed animals that reside at Heligan.

Charcoal Making
October 21 & 23, in the Lost Valley

Witness the fascinating practice of charcoal making. You’ll be able to see our Exeter Retort Kiln in action, and our Estate team will be on hand all day to share more information about historic method of turning wood to fuel.

Apple pressing with the Cider Gang
Weekends only (October 18, 19, 24, 25 and November 1, 2)

10am to 3pm, near the Barn

Join the Cider Gang for an informative demonstration of juicing methods from their heyday. They’ll be using both a traditional and more modern apple press to make cider, juice, and cider vinegar, using produce from our very own Heligan Orchards.

Be sure to stop by and have a taste

Barn dance
Sunday 25 October and Sunday 2 November

From 1pm onwards, in the barn

Join Whippletree Ceilidh Band for an afternoon of toe-tapping fun for all the family.

Bewitching family fun

‘When Witches Were the Wise Women of Nature’ Trail
Throughout the gardens

We honour the wise women of nature with a trail telling stories of the different witches in folklore and history and the spells they cast.

Meet the Owls
10.30 – 15.30, in the Den

Owls are, of course, associated with witchcraft; they were believed to be the messengers of witches, so it is only fitting that Screech Owl Sanctuary and their feathered friends will be with us for this week.

Wand & Potion Crafts
10am to 4pm, in the barn

Brain enhancing elixir, honesty potion or maybe a passion draught: what will you concoct and what spells will you cast with your willow wand?

Autumn crafting
10am 4pm in the barn

Bring a touch of harvest bounty into your home and create your own 3D paper apple or pumpkin.

Toast a Marshmallow
11am to 3pm, by the well

Gather around the firepit for a complimentary marshmallow to toast.

Vegan and gluten free marshmallows available. Ask a member of our team about allergens.

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