Bleakholt's free grotto is on Sunday 29 November. The Rock's free grotto has no 2026 dates yet; last year it opened on 29 November. Santa trains from £25.
Two places to meet Santa in the Bury borough have confirmed 2026 dates, and one of them is free. The third, the free grotto at The Rock in Bury town centre, has not been announced yet. Here is what is confirmed, what is not, and when the rest should appear.
The quick answer
- Free, confirmed: Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary’s Santa’s Workshop and Christmas Fair, Sunday 29 November, 12pm to 3pm, at the sanctuary on Bury Old Road, BL0 0RX.
- Paid, confirmed: the East Lancashire Railway’s Santa Specials from Bury Bolton Street, twelve dates from Saturday 28 November, adults from £25 and children from £24.50.
- Not yet announced: The Rock’s free grotto. In 2025 it opened on Saturday 29 November and ran on various days up to Christmas.
- Santa on the streets: Ramsbottom Rotary’s Santa visits, roughly 27 November to 24 December, dates to be confirmed.
The Rock: free last year, 2026 still to come
The Rock is the grotto most Bury families mean. When we checked its news feed and what’s on page on 17 October, the centre had announced its Christmas parade and switch-on for Saturday 7 November but had published nothing about a 2026 grotto.
Last year’s announcement went out on 24 October, so the 2026 details could appear within days. From the centre’s 2025 announcement:
- Opened: Saturday 29 November 2025, then on various days up to Christmas.
- Where: St John’s Square, next to the centre’s Christmas food fair.
- Cost: free to enter. Donations went to the centre’s charity partner, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, which is still its partner this year.
- What you got: a chocolate lolly for each child, and photos on your own phone, with the elves happy to take them.
- Access: fully accessible, staffed by two elves.
- Popularity: almost 2,000 children visited in 2024, the year the grotto came back.
The Rock’s land train, the Rock Express, also ran from Saturday 13 December last year. None of this is confirmed for 2026. This page will carry the dates as soon as The Rock publishes them.
Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary: free, Sunday 29 November
The sanctuary at Edenfield, on the Ramsbottom side of the borough, holds its annual Santa’s Workshop and Christmas Fair from 12pm to 3pm, free of charge. Its own post promises seasonal snacks and food, festive crafts, gift stalls and “your chance to meet Santa in his grotto”.
One thing to know about the date. The sanctuary’s post says “Sunday 28th November”, but 28 November 2026 is a Saturday. The Visit Ramsbottom listing gives Sunday 29 November, so that is the date we are using. If you are planning round it, ring the sanctuary on 01706 822577 to be sure.
Bleakholt is at Bury Old Road, Edenfield, Ramsbottom, BL0 0RX. It also runs a separate, free Christmas market at Ramsbottom Civic Hall on Saturday 14 November.
East Lancashire Railway Santa Specials
The railway’s Santa Specials are the borough’s biggest paid Santa visit. From the railway’s own page: an 80-minute steam train ride from Bury Bolton Street to Rawtenstall and back, a visit from Santa on the train with time to talk and take photos, a gift for every child chosen by age band, an activity book, mince pies and a brass band on board.
| Dates | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| 28 and 29 November | from £25 | from £24.50 |
| 5 and 6 December | from £30 | from £29.50 |
| 12, 13 and 19 December | from £34 | from £33.50 |
| 20 December | £41.50 | £41 |
| 21 December | £35 | £34.50 |
| 22 and 23 December | from £31 | from £30.50 |
| 24 December | £41.50 | £41 |
A £2.50 booking fee is added per order, not per ticket. On most dates departures from Bury run from 9.30am to 4.10pm. A sign language interpreter can be booked on 28 and 29 November and 5 and 22 December. Every date, departure and the SEND Santa Special are on our Santa Specials page.
Ramsbottom Rotary’s Santa visits
Ramsbottom Rotary takes Santa round the town’s streets each December. Its listing runs from 27 November to 24 December, with the note that the dates are approximate and will be confirmed nearer the time. No route has been published yet.
Getting there and parking
The Rock is a short walk from Bury Interchange; tram times are on our tram times page. The Rock’s car park went cashless on 7 September, and council tariffs are on our parking in Bury page. The railway warns that parking around Bolton Street is very limited and suggests starting at Heywood, where there is a Santa shuttle. Anything closed on the roads that weekend will be on our roadworks page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Santa’s grotto in Bury? Yes. Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary’s grotto on Sunday 29 November is free. The Rock’s grotto was free in 2025, but it has not announced its 2026 dates yet.
When does The Rock’s Santa’s grotto open in 2026? Not announced as of 17 October. In 2025 it opened on Saturday 29 November, and The Rock announced it on 24 October.
How much are the Santa Specials? From £25 for adults and £24.50 for children on the opening weekend, rising to £41.50 and £41 on 20 and 24 December, plus a £2.50 booking fee per order.
Do children get a present? On the Santa Specials, yes: a gift by age band. At The Rock in 2025, each child got a chocolate lolly.
Sources
Checked 17 October 2026: Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, Santa’s Workshop and Christmas Fair, Visit Ramsbottom listing for the Bleakholt fair, East Lancashire Railway, Santa Specials, The Rock, 2025 grotto announcement, The Rock news feed, The Rock what’s on, Ramsbottom Rotary Santa visits.
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