Two-day Comet Festival to mark Port Glasgow 250
A host of fun, family-friendly events have been put together for this year’s bumper Comet Festival.
The annual free event in Coronation Park has been extended to two-days this year to celebrate Port Glasgow’s 250th anniversary in 2025.
Taking place over June 21 and 22, the festival will feature a 10k run, a funfair, live music, community stalls, Pictures in the Park and much more!
The event will begin with a parade at 11.30am on Saturday morning, led by samba band Bloco Winnoch in front of a procession of floats, through the town to Coronation Park for the festival to start at 12noon.
The park itself will have many of the attractions enjoyed every year at the Comet Festival including an entertainment zone with lots of culture, heritage and art to enjoy, traders, community group marquees, a funfair, tea tent, bar and beer garden, live music stage, boat trips, guided walking tours and more.
Saturday’s event finishes at 6pm but everyone is invited back to the park for Sunday’s events, including the return of the Port Glasgow 10k. The race starts at 11am and leaves from and finishes in Coronation Park. Anyone interested can sign up by clicking the link on this page.
The Port Glasgow 10k was first run in 2018 and is open to anyone aged over 15 years old on the day of the race. The route this year takes place along the foreshore of the Clyde taking in Kingston Dock and Kelburn Park.
The cost of entry is £10 generally with eligible pupils of Port Glasgow High School and St Stephen’s High School able to enter for a reduced price of £5. Each finisher will get a special medal which contains the Port Glasgow 250 logo, with trophies for fastest male and female runners.
Sunday will also feature football coaching for young people, a Praise in the Park service and Pictures in the Park with three films being shown outside on the big screen. After a public vote, the three winning films are: Moana 2, Wicked Sing-a-long and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Other Sunday entertainment is still being confirmed so watch this space!
Inverclyde Council works with the Comet Festival committee to shape and organise the event.
Provost Drew McKenzie said: “The Comet Festival is always a great day for the community of Port Glasgow and this year promises to be even bigger and better as the town celebrates its 250th anniversary.
“There is lots on for people of all ages to take part in and enjoy. Coronation Park is a great location and the festival is always well supported by the town.
“My thanks to everyone involved who’s worked so hard to put together this fun, free event.”
The origins of Port Glasgow date back to the late sixteenth century when the authorities in Glasgow purchased land by the village of Newark to establish a port for the city.
In 1710, the principal custom house on the River Clyde was constituted at the Port of Glasgow.
The settlement around the port grew quickly and soon absorbed the fishing village of Newark.
Newark was a burgh of barony belonging to Hamilton of Wishaw, while Port Glasgow remained under the municipal authority of the City of Glasgow.
Recognising the complexities of this arrangement, an act of parliament was passed in 1775 establishing Port Glasgow as a burgh in its own right.
The Port Glasgow (Improvement) Act 1775 defined the burgh’s municipal responsibilities and its authority to raise duty.
The Act was passed on 22 May 1775 and Port Glasgow was born.
For the latest on all the Port Glasgow 250 activities, check out the Discover Inverclyde website, link on this page.