HUGE crowds descended on Port Glasgow at the weekend for a bumper two-day Comet Festival as part of the town’s 250^th anniversary celebrations.

The annual event took place on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 June 2025 with visitors treated to a packed programme of family-friendly events and activities.

There was fun in the sun on Saturday as the festival kicked off with a parade through Port Glasgow Town Centre towards Coronation Park where there was plenty of music, dancing, games, stalls, a funfair, and food and drink, throughout the day.

As part of the 250^th anniversary celebrations, the festival was extended into Sunday and, despite the wet weather, hundreds of runners took part in the Port Glasgow 10k race which started and finished at the park where the entertainment included an outdoor cinema – Pictures in the Park – showing films all afternoon.

The special 2025 edition of the Comet Festival was officially opened by Provost Drew McKenzie alongside gala king Rhys Hurrell and gala queen Sarah Ballingall.

Provost McKenzie said: “It was a wonderful weekend of family fun and a fitting way to celebrate 250 years of Port Glasgow.

“To see so many generations of people descend on the town centre and Coronation Park was a sight to behold and showed the town at its very best.

“It was a joy to see so many talented musicians, dancers and entertainers from near and far performing across the weekend, and it was a great platform for traders as well, many of whom sold out such was the size of the crowd, particularly on the Saturday.

“Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to organise the festival and made it such a roaring success and, of course, well done to everyone who came along and created a real party atmosphere befitting of the 250^th anniversary of Port Glasgow.”

The festival began on Saturday will begin with a parade at 11.30am made up of floats, local school children and community groups with samba band Bloco Winnoch adding to the carnival atmosphere.

There were live performances on stage from Blue Moon Trio, line dancing and Irish dancing, Greenock Rock Choir, The Gift, Craeo and Jack Vize and the Black Ties.

In the entertainment zone, there was a shipwreck model for children to explore, badgemaking, face painting, drop-in Dungeons and Dragons sessions, arts and crafts, play activities, a place to share memories of Port Glasgow.

There was also football tournament, come and try cycling and Dr Bike clinics, a funfair, traders and local groups, rib boat tours, street theatre, come and try circus skills, soft axe throwing and archery, storytelling, a poetry workshop and a writers’ zone.

Away from Coronation Park, Newark Castle was free to visitors all weekend thanks to Historic Environment Scotland and there were archive displays at Port Glasgow Library and fringe events across the town centre.

Inverclyde Tourist Group also led tours of Newark Castle, which were all fully booked.

On Sunday, over 250 runners completed the Port Glasgow 10k.

During the day, there was football training with Port Glasgow Boys Club, arts and crafts, kids play sessions, Bookbug, Port Glasgow photography displays, Port Glasgow Seed Library, Wyllieum Craft group.

The packed programme also included Praise in the Park led by the Salvation Army while a number of food stalls will also be on site including Purdie’s Pantry, and Bay Ices.

At Pictures in the Park, there were screenings of Moana 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and a Wicked Sing-a-long.

Film fans were able to watch on from one of the marquees due to the wet weather on the Sunday.

The Comet Festival is named after and celebrates the Comet, Europe’s first commercial steamship which was built in Port Glasgow by John Wood & Sons between 1811 and 1812.

Plans are currently underway by Inverclyde Council to commission a new Comet replica in the town to acknowledge its importance to Port Glasgow’s heritage.

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.

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 Discover Inverclyde.