Christmas at Exbury: Christmas Fair, Father Christmas and the Festive Express
Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway, Exbury · 28 November to 6 December 2026
Exbury's fundraising Christmas weekends bring a fair of local producers to the gardens, with Father Christmas in a railway carriage in the engine shed and an elf-themed ride on the steam railway. Fair tickets include the woodland gardens, a family trail and crafts.
Highlights
- Christmas Fair with local producers and festive food
- Meet Father Christmas in his carriage in the engine shed, with a gift
- Festive Express steam train ride with the Exbury elves
- Family Christmas trail in the Rock Garden, crafts in the engine shed and visiting donkeys
Good to know
- Meet Father Christmas is sold out for 5 and 6 December
- Fair tickets can be booked ahead or paid on arrival
- Free car parking
- Stalls change between the two weekends
Getting there
Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway, Exbury Gardens, Exbury, Southampton, SO45 1AZ
Get directionsChecked on 19 October 2026 against exbury.co.uk, exbury.co.uk, exbury.co.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the organiser before you travel. How we check
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Nearby
Exbury Christmas Night Train
A 30 minute illuminated steam train ride around Exbury's woodland gardens after dark, past lights and festive displays. Father Christmas sees off every departure, and festive food and drink is sold each night.
Photo: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0Exbury Gardens
A 200-acre woodland garden where the Beaulieu River meets the Solent, best known for its spring displays of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias. More than 22 miles of paths wind through the gardens to riverside walks, with autumn colour from nyssas and acers.
Photo: Paul Gillett, CC BY-SA 2.0Exbury Steam Railway
A narrow-gauge steam railway built in 2001 inside Exbury Gardens, inspired by the railway enthusiast Leopold de Rothschild. The 20-minute ride on the Rhododendron Line gives a raised view of the Rock Garden and runs through a tunnel, over a bridge and around Dragonfly Pond.