The Santa Express 2025

The Santa Express 2025 in Oakfield Park is back bigger and better than ever before!

What’s new at The Santa Express 2025 in Oakfield Park?

SANTA’S MAP ROOM:

Brand new interactive feature. Atlas the Elf hosts a live demonstration in Santa’s state of the art cabin full of maps and plans. Learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in different languages or explore how other countries celebrate the season, and uncover the secrets of Santa’s worldwide delivery route. Every 20 minutes, Atlas welcomes a new group of young explorers to take part in interactive games and festive challenges all designed to help chart the perfect path through the night sky. Children of all ages can play and parents can watch and cheer from the viewing area.

NEW LOG CABINS IN CHRISTMAS VILLAGE:

Tootsie’s Toyshop and The Sensory room have both moved into newly refurbished cabins and completely redecorated. New gifts on offer as well as a large selection of confectionary and Oakfield Park Items.

THE FROST FOUNTAIN AND LIGHT SHOW:

Each year, our Christmas light display grows brighter and this year, the magic has reached the water. Introducing the brand new Frost Fountain: a dazzling spectacle where lights and water come to life across the lake.

BIGGEST CHRISTMAS TREE IN IRELAND

Has got even taller and more spectacular – This magical construction can be seen from the train journey as well as with the newly extended Candyland, Toytown and Unicorn Kingdom.

CHRISTMAS CRAFT, PAINTING ELF DOORS:

Introducing The Magic Door Co. AKA Our Elf Door Painting Station.
Children select their door to become their elf’s portal and paint it however they choose—classic red, snowy white, or rainbow colour explosion! On Christmas Eve, place the finished door out for your elf and it becomes their magic passageway back to the North Pole. Next year, bring it back out to welcome them home in style. A fun and festive craft to start a new family tradition.

EVEN MORE SNOWFALL:

More snow cover across the Christmas village from our snow machines.

NEW HEATED CHALETS:

This year, the cabins outside Santa’s Grotto have been completely transformed. Rebuilt and lovingly redecorated in the style of a ski chalet, they’re now cosier and more magical than ever. As you step off the train, you’ll be welcomed into a warm alpine retreat where Santa’s top elves have been hard at work creating new ways to keep you entertained before your meeting with the Man himself!

Please note that the most popular tickets sell out first, so we advise early booking to avoid disappointment. When you receive your tickets, please keep them safe. There will be no refunds under any circumstance. It is essential that only the ticketholders attend on the day. We encourage everyone to read the Terms and Conditions carefully before booking, and before contacting us. 

The start time on your ticket is the time that the TRAIN LEAVES THE STATION. We advise arriving at least 10 minutes before your allocated time. However, if your train time is later in the evening, you can arrive a long while BEFORE and enjoy the other activities, have a meal and take in the atmosphere. The same applies for early trains – you can hang around AFTER the train comes back to the station. On later trains there won’t be enough time after your train ride to enjoy all the activities.

We advise having at least an hour set aside either before or after your train ride to fit everything in. The train ride and Santa visit itself takes approximately 40 minutes. Therefore the total experience can take 2 hours or even more. 

Join us for one of the country’s biggest Christmas events, and take a real train to meet the man himself by visiting www.oakfieldpark.com/santa or ticketmaster.ie

The Easter Express 2026

“An Egg-citing Springtime Easter Adventure Awaits!

Hop aboard The Easter Express this Easter and enjoy a fun-filled day out at Oakfield Park.

This is more than an Easter hunt — it’s a full park adventure with a train ride, characters, games, bunnies, crafts and plenty of springtime fun. Your visit starts with a ride on the Easter Express train, decorated with colourful Easter eggs along the track. Keep your eyes peeled — spring is popping up everywhere!

A Lovely Easter Day Out

The Easter Express is designed to be relaxed and fun, with plenty to do at your own pace — no rushing, just happy Easter memories.

Who shall you meet along the way? As you explore the park, you’ll meet lots of friendly egg-citing characters, each with something fun to do:

The Easter Bunny welcomes you at the Piazza and station. The Mad Hatter plays silly time games and riddles in his den. The Spring Fairy helps children hang a spring wish on the Fairy Tree. The Keeper of Spring shares short stories and helps wake up the castle. Woodland Friends help spot signs of spring by the Fountain Lake. The Busy Bumblebee gets everyone buzzing between giant flowers. The Queen of Hearts guards the maze with help from her Playing Card Guards

🎨 Crafts, Bunnies & Extra Fun

 Peter Rabbit’s Workshop – colouring, crafts and creative fun (indoors)

 Petting Zoo – meet and cuddle real bunnies

Face Painting available on the day

 Easter Shop for treats and gifts

 The Easter Hunt (With a Twist!) Solve it, swap your token, and enjoy a chocolate Easter treat at the end!

Capture the Memories: There are lots of great photo spots around the park, plus a professional photographer will be in attendance if you’d like a special family picture.

 A Springtime ending: Before you leave, each child will receive a seed card as a plantable memory of your visit.

Harry Potter Experience at Oakfield Park 2025

📢 Event update 02/10/25

A spell of wet and windy weather is expected over the coming days. For everyone’s safety, comfort, and enjoyment, we have taken the decision to postpone The Harry Potter Experience at Oakfield Park this weekend. 

The event will now take place next weekend

 📅 Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th Octoberfrom 12-6pm 

As much as we’d love to proceed, a waterlogged pitch simply wouldn’t make for a very good game of Quidditch! Rescheduling ensures that all visitors can enjoy the event in the best possible conditions.

🎟️ All Day Passes purchased for the original dates will remain valid for the new dates – no further action is required.

Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to welcoming you later than scheduled for a spellbinding weekend at Oakfield Park.

We are very much looking forward to the return of our popular Harry Potter Experience this October, resheduled to 11th & 12th of Octobe, from 12-6pm. Take a trip on the Hogwarts Express Steam Train through the Forbidden Forest before stopping off at Platform 9 ¾. Keep an eye out for the Basilisk, Dobbie, and others – and enjoy a game of quidditch on a real quidditch pitch! All witches and wizards are encouraged to dress up in their finest house robes. All Muggles are welcome. Enter the Triwizard Tournament by challenging yourself to solve the Enchanted Maze and test your Harry Potter knowledge by completing the champion’s quiz with a prize for every successful wizarding student at Honeydukes. Sit under the sorting hat to decide which house you belong to.  Test your knowledge with our Harry Potter Geo-Quiz and finish of your magical day by popping into the Three Broomsticks to sample some Butterbeer, your favourite Cauldron Cake or choose from a special themed hot food menu.

THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO PRE-BOOK. Normal entry and train fees apply – there is no extra charge for this event, and entry is free for 2025 Seasonal and Gold Pass holders.

Contact us on 074 9173922  or [email protected] to arrange a bespoke package for your group.

Teddy Bears’ Picnic

Oakfield Park Teddy Bears’ Picnics are one of the most popular family days out in Donegal. Watch out for 2026 dates nect season!

Don’t forget to bring your favourite teddy and have fun meeting the Oakfield Bear, Peppa Pig, Winnie the Pooh, Tiger and friends, as you spend time enjoying outdoor games, crafts, and bear hunt, with train trips all day long, so you can take your teddy for a journey around the park!

The Teddy Bear Hospital will be open where you can put your teddy through all our tests, including the amazing TED-X scanner, and receive a health certificate for your teddy!

Choose to bring your own picnic, eat in Buffers indoors and outdoors, enjoy treats from the Ice-cream van, or purchase one of our kids’ pre-made picnic packs for €9 on the day.

We look forward to welcoming you and your Teddy Bears!

For future 2026 dates please follow our social media channels for updates – Facebook & Instagram!

No pre booking required |Normal gate fees apply | Trains are running all day 

Photography Competition

Each month the team at Oakfield Park choose a winner who will receive a Family Pass with the overall annual winner receiving an Annual Pass for 2022.

To enter, visit the park and explore and send your best photographs of your visit to [email protected]. The winner is announced on social media at the end of each month. Good luck!

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Our judges decision is final. By submitting a photo you will be giving permission to Oakfield Park to use your photos for future marketing purposes. Drone photography is not permitted.

Steam Sunday: the last one until 2023! – 25th September 2022

The last Steam Sunday of the season is here.

The grounds at Oakfield Park include a host of sites to explore, including walled gardens, ponds, lakes, an outdoor playground, a hedge maze, heritage trees and sculptures. Children can make a wish at Oakfield Park’s Faerie tree, while navigating their way through extensive walks and trails.


Weave your way through the park’s gardens along 4.5km of narrow-gauge track on Oakfield Park’s diesel and steam trains, the ‘Duchess of Difflin’ and ‘The Earl of Oakfield.’ The trains operate passenger trips around the grounds, which is a magical way to explore the park’s gardens as the train passes through flower meadows, beautiful woodlands, willow tunnels, oak circles, boardwalks, heritage trees, a wooden causeway and sparkling streams and lakes.


After a day exploring the parklands, visitors can refuel in Buffers Restaurant, which is open alongside park opening hours and is returning with a delicious new menu created with produce from the park’s gardens.

Teddy Bears’ Picnic – Tuesday 30th August 2022

On Tuesday August 30th our popular Teddy Bears’ Picnic returns. This famous event is one of most popular and we can’t wait to welcome you & your teddy bears!
Join us anytime between 12-5pm. Bring your teddy & meet the Oakfield bears, Peppa Pig, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and friends.
There will be outdoor games, crafts, gummy bear hunts, nature walks, and train rides all day long.
You can bring your own picnic, eat in Buffers indoors and outdoors, enjoy treats from the Ice-cream van or purchase one of our pre-made picnic packs for €8 on the day.
The Teddy Bear Hospital is back again, where you can put your teddy through all our tests including the amazing TED-X scanner and receive a health certificate for your teddy!
No pre booking required. Normal gate fees apply.

Teddy Bears’ Picnic – Friday 12th August 2022

Teddy Bears’ Picnic returns to Oakfield Park this Friday 12th August.

Bring your teddies, enjoy a picnic, and spend a day in the sunshine at Oakfield Park. It is sure to be another fabulous day for all the family.

Picnic boxes will be available to purchase on the day also and Robinsons Ice Cream Van will be open to keep everyone cool throughout the day.

This time, a special teddy puppet show will be live at the castle every 30 minutes and the Teddy Hospital will be open with an X-ray machine & certificates for all the healthy teddies.

Head off on a bear hunt through the gardens and if you’re successful claim your gummy bears from Grandma’s House.

Trains will be running throughout the day and there will be games and crafts for everyone.

Peppa Pig, Tiger, Winnie The Pooh & others will be here on the day.

So, save the date. We can’t wait to see everyone’s teddies and to create some special summer memories with you all.

No booking required. Normal gate fees apply.

Arrive anytime between 11am and 6pm. See you then!