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Where to see Santa in Hitchin and beyond

Published:

First Published: 4th October 2025

If you're looking to meet Father Christmas with your kids before Christmas, then look no further than the Mum's guide to Hitchin 'Where to see Santa in Hitchin and beyond 2025' guide.

I will highlight low cost events where I can, to help you find the Christmas bargains!

If you know of events that are not in this guide, then please add them using this form.

I will continue to add to this guide as more events are added to the website, and there will be more guides as we get closer to Christmas, so do bookmark this page and come back!

Where to see Santa!

In Hitchin




Hitchin Christmas Lights Switch On- Hitchin Market Place
Sat 15th November 2025 11:30am-8pm
Christmas arrives in Hitchin on the 15th November with the Christmas Tree Light Switch on @ 6pm! With live performances starting at 11.30am, food and drink stalls, Santa's Parade @5:30 and Hitchin's favourite band, The New Town Centres!
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Festive Fun Day on Hitchin Market Place
FREE TO ATTEND
DATE TBC

Usually an annual event with a kids Fun Fair & Santa's Grotto! With Face painting, Children's rides and lots more...




Santa's Grotto on Hitchin Market Place
NO NEED TO PRE-BOOK
DATE TBC
Come and meet Father Christmas right here in Hitchin.



The BIG Weekend on Hitchin Market Place

FREE TO ATTEND
DATE TBC

The Christmas BIG Weekend is an annual fun-filled weekend with Giant Snow Globe, Santa's Grotto, make & take workshop, face painting, Reindeer and lots more!


Letchworth, Stotfold, Arlesey and surrounding villages




Meet and Greet Santa and Mrs Claus at Garden Square Shopping Centre, Letchworth
FREE AND NO NEED TO PRE-BOOK
DATE TBC

Love Letchworth usually has meet & greets with Santa & Mrs Claus




Letchworth Christmas Lights Switch On in Letchworth Town Centre
Sat 22nd November 2025 12pm - 7pm
Details tbc
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Nearby (within 30 minutes' drive)

Knebworth House Dine with Santa
14th and 21st December 2025
Give your family an early Christmas treat with a fantastic meal at Knebworth Barns complete with a visit from Santa. Pre-booking essential.
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Father Christmas at Stockwood Discovery Centre

12th - 24th December 2025
Join Santa’s whimsical elves in his workshop where all the magic happens and create your very own festive keepsake to treasure. Don’t forget to mix up some special reindeer food to sprinkle on Christmas Eve for Rudolph and his friends whilst you’re there. Before you see Santa in an exclusive slot for your family, be sure to write your Christmas wish to share with him and we are sure he’ll have a little something for you too.
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Santa's Woodland Grotto and Santa Paws, Church Farm, Ardley
Weekends from 29th November, plus 22nd & 23rd December 2025
Available as an add-on to the Farm Day Pass. Meet cheeky Elves on arrival, make a wish and place it on our Christmas Wish Tree. Next choose a carrot, bag-up some reindeer food to take home, before writing a letter to Santa. Wander the trail to meet Father Christmas himself in his magical grotto deep within our Winter Woodland! Includes a gift which children can choose from our Christmas Elf Toyshop! Dog lovers can book to see Santa Paws where your favourite pet can meet Santa in his Grotto, includes a present and treats.
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The Olde Watermill Christmas Grotto, Barton-Le-Clay, Bedfordshire
From 22nd November 2025
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and The Santa Express is heading to The North Pole Train Station at the Olde Watermill Winter Wonderland with Santa, Mrs Claus, Elves and Rudolph on board, ready to see you all for a 50 minute visit full of magical Christmas fun.
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Father Christmas at Wrest Park
Weekends from 29th November, to 21st December 2025
Father Christmas is taking time out of his busy festive schedule to tell some of his favourite seasonal stories around the Christmas tree. After the group storytelling session, you and your children will meet the man himself, with the chance to take photographs and make memories to treasure. Father Christmas will also give every child a traditional present to unwrap.
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Further Afield


Christmas Grotto at Burston Garden Centre, St Albans

Weekends from 8th November then daily from 4th to 24th December 2025
Come and visit Santa in our magical Christmas grotto. 
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Christmas Grotto at Burston Garden Centre - Quiet Sessions
Sundays 16th, 23rd Nov & 30th November & 7th December 2025, 10am to 10:30am
Our quiet needs sessions have been developed to provide a more relaxed and quiet environment for children with special educational needs (SEN). These sessions are the first of the day, which is when our centre tends to be quieter.
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Willows Farm Santa Spectacular, London Colney
Weekends from 22nd November, then 19th to 24th December 2025
There’s no better place to bring your children to meet Santa and enjoy a fabulous festive family day out. Take a trip through our magical winter wonderland where you’ll find Santa in his amazing Grotto. Santa will give children a key to his Toy Shop where they can choose any gift from the hundreds stacked from floor to ceiling. Visit our Create-a-Cuddle Workshop where children can choose from a range of soft toys to make, name and take home along with a certificate. Get crafty and decorate tasty gingerbread. Write a letter to Santa (don’t forget to add your address so he can reply!) Visit the Toy Workshop. Sing along with our new festive shows and more!
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A Palace Visit with Santa, Hatfield House

Fridays to Sundays from 29th November until 21st December 2025
Embark on a seasonal journey aboard our fairy-lit tractor trailer, where you will hear the enchanting tale of Santa’s lost reindeer. Walk through the West Garden to meet Santa himself in the cosy, storybook setting of the Upper Solar Room. Participants of any age, will have the chance to have their picture taken with Santa and choose a Hatfield Park-branded gift as a special memento of this joyful occasion.
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Santa Storyboats at Frogmore Papermill Wharf, Hemel Hempstead
23rd December 2025
Santa Storyboats are very special. Santa makes a special visit to joins us, on our trip, in a festive Bryan Donkin boat. Dressing up is expected! Christmas themed stories will be told by our storyteller, as we take a trip down the River Gade, from outside our Visitor Centre, along the River Gade, down to the Grand Union Canal and back. Children will receive a gift from Santa. Booking is essential to join the fun. Tickets will go on sale on Monday 1st December.
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Meet Santa at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
22nd November - 24th December 2025
Meet Santa returns to Whipsnade Zoo! Sign up on the website for more information when booking opens.  Booking links will only be sent to those who register their interest via the website!
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Santa’s Magical Grotto at Winter-Fest at Aldenham Country Park

Weekends from the 29th November then daily from 15th - 24th December 2025
Discover the secrets that unfold as you journey through Santa's Magical Grotto! Help the Elf prepare for Santa's busy Christmas schedule, meet the big man himself, pick a present from Santa’s toy shop and write a letter for a video response on Christmas Eve. You must purchase a ticket for Winter-Fest and Santa's Magical Grotto is an add-on extra.
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Santa's Grotto Experience, Van Hage Garden Centre, Great Amwell

Weekends from 16th November, then 4th - 24th December 2025
A  brand-new Santa’s Grotto at Van Hage for 2025! Begin your journey at the North Pole with our Elf helpers in the reindeer stables, where you’ll mix up a special batch of magical reindeer food- ready to sprinkle on Christmas Eve to help guide Santa’s sleigh to your door. Wander through to Santa’s cosy living room for a special one-to-one meeting. There’ll be time for a festive photo too, available to purchase at the end of your visit. In the Present Room, each child will choose a toy to take home from Santa’s carefully selected collection. Finally, pay a visit to Mrs Christmas’ Kitchen to decorate delicious gingerbread biscuits.
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Christmas Wonderland at Hertfordshire Zoo

Weekends from 29th November, then 20th - 24th December 2025
Hertfordshire Zoo is bringing Christmas to life like never before! Step into a sparkling winter wonderland filled with festive cheer, dazzling lights, and magical memories waiting to be made. Meet Santa in his Grotto – Wander the Christmas Walkway – Dazzling Light Displays & Animatronics – Festive Treats to Indulge In – Don’t forget, every Sunday, the Grinch will be visiting us at Hertfordshire Zoo, so be sure to come and say hello! This is more than just a day out – it’s a Christmas experience the whole family will remember forever.
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Leighton Buzzard Railway - Santa's Steam Specials
Saturday, Sunday & Wednesday from 30th November then 20th - 24th December 2025
Take a 25-minute steam-train ride over a historic narrow-gauge railway that’s more than 100 years old, and run by enthusiastic volunteers. Meet Santa at Page's Park grotto, where children up to 12 will receive an early present.
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Christmas at Mead Open Farm, Leighton Buzzard
Weekends from 6th December then 19th - 24th December 2025
Experience a magical festive adventure on selected dates in December, as the yuletide cheer of the North Pole takes over the farm. Meet Father Christmas in his grotto for a group story then visit the Make a Bear Workshop to create your own cuddly bear. Don't forget to pick a toy from his Grotto. Decorate gingerbread with Mother Christmas, wander through The Magical Forest, have a laugh at The Pudding Club Show and make some Reindeer food to take home ready for Christmas Eve. New for 2025: a brand-new immersive adventure at Christmas HQ.
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Panto Express with Father Christmas, Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Weekends from 29th November 2025
Start your journey with our family-friendly pantomime, Aladdin, in our festive Visitor Centre. Enjoy your performance and then make your way to the Booking Hall to board the steam train. You will be shown to your compartment and visited by Father Christmas, where each child will be given a special golden ticket.  After the train ride, your adventure continues to the museum where you will be magically transported to Santa’s workshop to meet Mrs Claus and the elves, and your child can exchange their golden ticket for a gift of their choice.
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Frosts Garden Centre, Woburn Sands
Weekends from 15th November, then 1st - 24th December 2025
Join us for a truly magical Christmas experience, filled with festive fun, and cherished moments the whole family will remember for years to come. Pay a visit to Mrs Christmas’ Kitchen and gather around the cosy fire and listen to her heart-warming festive tales. Head into the magical Toy Workshop, where little ones can choose and build their very own Christmas cuddly toy. Of course, no visit would be complete without meeting Santa himself. Join our Elf helpers in the reindeer stables to mix up a special batch of magical reindeer food a Finish your visit by planting your very own mini-Christmas tree in a beautiful bamboo pot. Spaces are limited, and this unforgettable festive experience always sells out quickly.
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Frosts Garden Centre, Woburn Sands - Exclusive SEN Sessions
16th & 23rd November and 20th December 2025
To help make our Grotto experience as accessible as possible to any families who may require any additional support, we are offering an exclusive SEN session. This session will be the same unique Grotto experience you would expect from Frosts, with some small adaptations in the way of smaller groups of people, reduced lighting and sound and less display furniture making it easily accessible for all. 
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Christmas Wonderland at Springtime Nurseries, Crews Hill, Enfield
From 14th November 2025
All aboard at our station platform, where you begin your magical ride through the reindeer forest! You may even be lucky enough to see Santa’s reindeer resting before they take flight on Christmas Eve.You’ll continue your magical ride through the Wonderland where you will see some familiar Christmas favourites, en route to Santa’s magical Ice Kingdom where Santa will greet you alongside your carriage. Remaining in your carriage you finally visit the Elves toy shop where you finish your ride and choose your Christmas gift with love from Santa. Booking opens Friday 5th September.
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The Santa Claus Experience at Lee Valley Animal Adventure Park, Waltham Abbey
Weekends from 24th November then 20th - 24th December 2025
Our fabulously festive Santa Claus Experience is a great way to start your festive celebrations this year. Santa’s cheeky elves can not wait to welcome you on our magical group experience of festive fun.
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The Centre:MK – Santa's Grotto with Peter Rabbit & Friends

21st November - 24th December 2025
Visit Santa this Christmas at centre:mk and experience the brand-new tale of Peter Rabbit and Friends, in a heartwarming new festive adventure! Families will enter Peter Rabbit’s cosy burrow, warmly welcomed by Mrs Rabbit who will tell the tale of Peter’s lost Christmas presents. The Children will use clues to help Mrs Rabbit search for the missing presents, before adventuring out into the snowy forest through Peter’s secret tunnel. Within the snowy forest, families will join Peter Rabbit and friends in some festive fun, where they will decorate gingerbread biscuits for the Christmas feast, before heading off to meet with Santa himself to complete their journey. Each child will take away their decorated biscuit and receive a lovely gift from Santa.
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Odds Farm Park Christmas Cracker, High Wycombe
Fridays - Sundays from 28th Novermber, then 17th - 24th December 2025
Experience the magic as you journey through a winter wonderland to the North Pole and enjoy a special, heartwarming visit with Father Christmas in his cosy grotto! Our best-selling Christmas event returns for 2025 – packed with seasonal sparkle, treasured memories and festive frivolities for all the family.
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Odds Farm Park SEN Christmas Cracker, High Wycombe
29th  & 30th November & 7th, 12th & 14th December 2025
Dedicated SEN sessions are set aside for families with children with additional needs, where there will be a slower pace
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Bletchley Park Vintage Christmas Grotto
Thursday - Sunday from 4th December plus 22nd & 23rd December 2025
Meet Father Christmas and be transported into the truly magical world of Bletchley Park’s Vintage Grotto. You will enter the Grotto and meet one of the North Pole’s secret operatives, who will lead you in some fun, festive activities. Individual families will have their own magical time with Father Christmas, for children to share their Christmas wishes and receive a special gift to take home.
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