The Santa Express 2024

The Santa Express 2024 in Oakfield Park is back bigger and better than ever before!

We all know that Santa delivers presents to every boy and girl on the night of Christmas Eve, but nobody ever sees him then because we’re all fast asleep in our beds! And before Christmas Eve, Santa is at work in the North Pole, so how can you see him? 

How do you get to the North Pole from Ireland? With a magical Santa Express ticket from Oakfield Park! Hold your ticket tightly in your hand and make a wish as you pass through the bright tunnel of Christmas stars, and you’ll find yourself stepping out into the bustling Christmas village of the North Pole…

Walk through the brand-new tunnel of lights and feel the snow on your face as you emerge into the ambient Christmas village where The Santa Express train awaits. 

Snuggled together in your own private carriage, you’ll be gently whisked away to Santa’s grotto through the frosty forest where there’s a festival of lights, the biggest Christmas tree in Ireland, Candyland and Toytown, and many magical creatures to see along the way. 

At Santa’s grotto, the spirited elves invite you into in the freshly decorated festive Fun House to play before you meet Santa! Warm and cosy by his fire, he can’t wait to meet you and give you your special Christmas gift.

Back in the Christmas village, there are many places for you to exchange your special Oakfield Christmas token given to you upon arrival. Maybe you want to warm your hands around delicious hot chocolate or mulled wine from The Holly Hut or perhaps you’d prefer some Christmas candy from The Treat Truck. 

You could buy some reindeer food or enter the Christmas raffle for a chance to win incredible prizes or donate to our chosen children’s charity or simply hold on to it as a treasured keepsake – there’s something for everyone.

Tootsie’s Toy shop is back with a beautiful selection of gifts and toys this year, including bespoke Santa Express keepsakes for all ages. Mrs Claus is working in the Post Office and is so excited to see if you’re up for her latest challenge – getting your North Pole Passport! 

The crafty elves are back in The Green Room with new creations; you can make Christmas cards, tree decorations, and write your letters to Santa. There’s also the opportunity to make Christmas candles and brand-new yuletide logs! 

New for 2024 is a Sensory Tent, designed in conjunction with Letterkenny Autism Family Support group and situated in a new heated tepee to ensure everyone has an equally amazing experience.

Have you ever noticed that igloos look a lot like embedded golf balls? Well, Santa did! So, this year he has transformed Mo’s igloo into a Crazy Christmas golf course! See if you can get a north pole hole in one, or a Partridge in a Par 3.

Meet the Elves of the North Pole like Mo or Google in the piazza with many tricks up her sleeve and games to play. Be sure to take photos with the giant teddy and other new photo opportunities.

What’s new this year:

  • Christmas Currency: Each member of your party will receive a Christmas token upon arrival. These can be exchanged for an item of your choosing. Choose between a hot drink from the Holly Hut, a sweets from The Treat truck, reindeer food to take home, an embossed Christmas card or Santa letter from the Green Room, raffle entry (for prizes such as family ticket to Santa next year), children’s charity donation where every token donated, is worth 1 euro. You can also club your tokens together for an extra round of crazy golf or make-your-own candle. 
  • Real Snow machine. Watch real snowflakes tumble across the piazza making it feel like the perfect fairy tale Christmas.
  • Christmas Crazy Golf. The Igloo has been transformed into an exciting Christmas themed crazy golf course! Suitable for all ages. See if you can beat Mo’s record. 
  • The Biggest Christmas Tree in Ireland! It has long been an ambition to build the biggest Christmas tree in Ireland and this year we have achieved it! This magical construction can be seen from the train journey as well as with the newly extended Candyland, Toytown and Unicorn Kingdom.
  • Craft in The Green Room. New last year, the Green Room has been even more lavishly decorated and filled with new and exciting arts and crafts activities. We have real wooden logs hand cut into Yuletide logs for you to decorate.
  • Sensory Tent, designed in conjunction with Letterkenny Autism Family Support group.
  • New and Exciting Christmas menu in Buffers as well as indoor seating. No prebooking required. Buffers have created a delectable Christmas menu, with cosy indoor seating and festive favourites.
  • Fun House Cabins! The fully covered cabins outside Santa’s grotto have been given a fresh makeover, filled with all things fun from bendy mirrors, old fairground games, and face-painting stations and the elves are prepped with exciting new games for all ages and abilities.
  • Interactive challenges, collect stamps to complete your North Pole Passport application as you progress around your Santa Express journey. The entire experience takes around 2-3 hours including a 45-minute train journey.

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 2025

“An Egg-citing Easter Adventure Awaits!”

Hop aboard the Easter Express and set off on a magical journey through the enchanting woodlands! With your Bunny Bingo card in hand, search for hidden clues along the train route. Keep your eyes peeled—can you spot them all before arriving at The Carrot Queen’s Cottage?

Present your completed Bunny Bingo card at the cottage to continue your ‘Easter Express  Adventure’ through the park! Along the way, you’ll encounter playful characters—some will help, while others might send you in the wrong direction. Can you crack the clues, stay on the right path, and earn your delicious chocolate treat from the Easter Bunny?

The Hunt is on—are you ready for the challenge?

Enjoy NEW exciting activities throughout the park, including:

“Carrot Toss Challenge” Leap into Easter fun and test your aim, we shall be rooting for you!

“Bunny Hop Races” Hop, skip, and jump your way to victory on the lawn.

“Craft, Create & Celebrate Easter!” Spring into The Green Room for a world of  hands-on  creativity! From painting Easter eggs to designing your own bunny ears, all activities are included in your ticket!

“The Spring Putt”  Get ready for a fun-filled challenge with an egg-citing crazy golf adventure in the “Mad Hatter’s Den”

The Easter Express is the ultimate family springtime day out.

Donegal’s Biggest Easter Hunt 

April 19th, 20th & 21st

12 – 6pm

Harry Potter Experience at Oakfield Park 2024

We are delighted to announce, and very much looking forward to the return of our popular Harry Potter Experience throughout two weekends this October. The Harry Potter Experience is a part of this year’s Wainfest and runs from 12-6pm on Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th and Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th of October. 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 2024 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.

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 2024 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!