A WINTER wonderland will be coming to the UK's largest bird park rounding off its busiest year of events to date. 

The fun-filled extravaganza will be held at Birdworld and will see Santa and the Polar Express tell the story of Horatio the Polar Bear in a live show. 

Children will be able to make a wish to send back to the North Pole before having a photo with Santa. The elves will be on hand to entertain and delight visitors, while festive selfie spots will be set up around the park. 

The upcoming event marks Birdworld's eighth this year, building on the success of previous events like the Halloween pumpkin picking week and character appearances from Bluey and the Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

READ MORE: Birdworld in Hampshire unveils major upgrade plans

Basingstoke Gazette: Birdworld birds preparing for Christmas

Woodies Wheeler Bennett, marketing manager, said: “It’s been hugely exciting to witness the increase in visitors to the park this year when we’ve held our events.

"We pride ourselves on delivering a fun, educational, and engaging calendar of events which will delight people of all ages. The success of our events is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our brilliant staff and the entertainment teams we work with.

“Looking ahead to 2024, we're looking forward to bringing even more fantastic experiences to our guests, with conservation, education and a whole lot of fun in mind. 

"So please watch this space for further announcements, we can’t wait to show you what’s in store. For now, we at Birdworld would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and extend a heartfelt thank you to all our visitors for making this year truly special.” 

The Christmas shows will be held on Saturday, December 2 and Sunday, December 3, Saturday, December 9 and Sunday, December 10, and every day from Saturday, December 16 until Sunday, December 24. 

Basingstoke Gazette: Birdworld birds preparing for Christmas

The festivities are included for free with the price of a standard entry ticket and will be aimed at children up to eight-years-old.

The park, based at Farnham on the border of Hampshire and Surrey, has also recently unveiled redevelopment plans, alongside Haskins’ Forest Lodge Garden Centre, as it looks to renovate the site in a bid to offer a year-round destination. 

The plans for Birdworld include a reorganisation of the site, an adventure play park, an indoor play area and improved visitor facilities. There will also be enhanced landscaping and a new entrance.

The plans for the adjacent Forest Lodge garden centre include a new centre with a pedestrian link from the existing bus stop and a roundabout from the main point of entry from the A325.

For more details, or to book a ticket, contact Birdworld at 01420 22140 or visit birdworld.co.uk