Padstow Christmas Festival traders are demanding to know where their money went after the cancellation

Devastated business owners who paid thousands of pounds to secure a place at Cornwall’s biggest Christmas event only for it to be scrapped within weeks are demanding to know where their hard-earned money went hard after being denied refunds.

The popular Padstow Christmas Festival, which usually takes place in early December, was axed after 17 years just over a week ago. Traders received an email on Friday (May 10) announcing the cancellation, with the organizer citing “rising costs” and a lack of sponsorship.

Small business owners who paid deposits of between £500 and £1,000 were left devastated when they were told that despite the event being scrapped, they would not get a penny back. It has now been confirmed that at least £29,000 was handed over by traders to the woman responsible alone, with them estimating the real figure to be closer to £50,000 – and they want to know where the money is.

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The higher figure is estimated due to those who did not want to fight the lack of refunds, or have not yet come forward. But since last week, 44 traders have confirmed they were out of pocket by £29,723.10. The extra money is also understood to have been paid to the event by its sponsors, leading to big questions about how and where such a large amount of cash could have been spent so early in the year.

Tina Evans, founder and event organizer of the festival, which sees thousands of people visit Padstow each year, initially apologized and said she did not want this to happen and wished the traders well in an email. She did not initially address the deposits – which were taken in the weeks before the cancellation – but later sent a follow-up message explaining there was no money to return.

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She said: “We have canceled now to protect as many people as we can. I am very, very sorry but there is no money to refund the deposits as I have paid and the money will not be returned either.’

Citing rising costs and falling sponsors, she explained: “It became very apparent that the festival was not viable. Costs were rising and funding was diminishing, so to try and protect everyone involved, I made the painful decision to cancel.” She has not yet explained where the money went.

However, one trader, who asked to remain anonymous, told CornwallLive that they did some digging only to find that Padstow Christmas Festival had yet to pay any deposits or money to the various service providers who would have helped with the event in this year, despite the fact that the organizer. email suggesting this was the case.

This has led to concerns over whether the money taken this year was instead paying off previous debts. A second trader said: “Our position is pretty much the same as everyone else’s – where the hell has it all gone? Some of us are now beginning to believe that he used the money to pay off previous debts, but we have no proof of that.”

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Sharp’s Brewery, which has sponsored the event for more than a decade, confirmed that it was still on board to sponsor and support the event as usual this year and was not one of the three sponsors who are understood to have pulled out.

The brewery’s events manager, Nick White, said: “As a long-standing and loyal title sponsor, we were on board and delighted to support this year’s Padstow Christmas Festival. We are deeply saddened by the decision to cancel, but we understand the difficulties the events industry is facing. and suppliers in the current economic climate We extend our sympathies to all those behind the event who have already worked so hard to try and make it happen and recognize what a difficult decision it must have been.”

George Malde, owner of Cornish Rock Gin, told the BBC he paid £4,000 to sponsor the event. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “Cornwall’s best festival has been cancelled”.

CornwallLive tried to contact Tina Evans about where that money went but did not receive a response.