The Round Table's Santa sleigh plans eight nights from Friday 4 December, Parsonage Lane first and Bishop's Park last. The areas and dates, and how to track it.
Bishop’s Stortford Round Table’s Santa sleigh is planned for eight nights in December 2026, starting on Friday 4 December in Parsonage Lane and finishing on Friday 18 December in Bishop’s Park and Stortford Fields. The Round Table has published the areas, and says the dates are still to be confirmed and may change with the weather and the number of volunteers (Bishop’s Stortford Round Table).
The quick answer
- First night: Friday 4 December, Parsonage Lane.
- Last night: Friday 18 December, Bishop’s Park and Stortford Fields.
- Tracking: a GPS tracker link is posted each night on the Round Table’s Facebook page.
- Status on 3 October: planned areas published; the Round Table says the dates “will be confirmed later in 2026”. This page will be updated when they are.
Where Santa is planned to be
These are the “approximate areas” the Round Table lists for 2026:
| Night | Area |
|---|---|
| Friday 4 December | Parsonage Lane |
| Saturday 5 December | Scott Road and Thorley Hill |
| Sunday 6 December | St Michaels Mead and Oriole Way |
| Thursday 10 December | Bentfield |
| Friday 11 December | Forest Hall and Mountfitchet Road |
| Saturday 12 December | Villiers-Sur-Marne Avenue |
| Sunday 13 December | Friedberg Avenue |
| Friday 18 December | Bishop’s Park and Stortford Fields |
Forest Hall and Mountfitchet Road are in Stansted Mountfitchet; the sleigh covers both towns. The Round Table says “all details here are subject to change based on weather, volunteer availability and unexpected circumstances”. It has not published street-by-street routes or start times.
How it works
From the Round Table’s own questions and answers:
- It keeps moving. The sleigh travels “at a walking pace” and does not stop for long, so that it can cover as many roads as possible. Volunteers walk ahead so you know Santa is coming.
- Not every road is covered. The Round Table is run by volunteers and says it cannot reach everywhere, “especially with the number of new houses”. If your area is missing, it asks for suggestions for future years.
- Donations go to local causes. Collections are for the Bishop’s Stortford Round Table Charitable Trust Fund, registered charity 1187389. You can give in cash into the volunteers’ buckets, by contactless card, or by text: text BSSRT to 70470 to give £2, or BSSRT 5, BSSRT 10 or BSSRT 20 for £5, £10 or £20 (texts cost the donation plus one standard rate message).
- Volunteers wanted. The Round Table asks for helpers for any of the nights, through its contact page.
The rest of Christmas in town
- Christmas lights: switched on at the BID’s Festive Fun Day on Sunday 15 November, and the town council’s Christmas Fayre is on Saturday 5 December, the same day the sleigh visits Scott Road and Thorley Hill: see our Christmas lights and Fayre page.
- Panto and Santa’s grotto at South Mill Arts: our panto page.
- Getting about: road closures for the Fayre and the festive period are on our roadworks and travel page, and car park tariffs on the parking page.
The Round Table also runs the free Parsonage Lane Fireworks on Sunday 1 November; details are on our fireworks page.
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