Sensory-Friendly Holiday Express at Pullen Park

Sold out on the organizer’s page when we last checked.

Sensory-friendly: lower-decibel music, decreased capacity, less walking between activities, quiet area to decompress; sensory bags with headphones and fidgets available. Tickets through Ticketmaster; the city page says 2026 Holiday Express tickets are sold out.

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About this adventure

On two Sunday afternoons the City of Raleigh runs a sensory-friendly version of Holiday Express, its holiday festival at Pullen Park, for children and adults with sensory needs. The park's lake, trees and buildings are decorated with holiday lights, and the regular event includes a ride on the Pullen Park train, unlimited rides on the historic Dentzel carousel with holiday tunes on the Wurlitzer organ, a walk-through of Santa's Toy Shop in the Southern Railroad caboose, a crafts area for making a souvenir and reindeer food, a post office for letters to Santa, a yeti hunt, games and a s'more station with the Raleigh Fire Department. For the sensory sessions the city lowers the music, admits fewer guests so there is more space between crowds, arranges activities so there is less walking between them, and opens a quiet area for anyone who needs to decompress. Because the sessions run in daylight the lights are less intense, though some have slow movement. Sensory bags with headphones and fidgets are available. The whole event is outdoors, so dress for the weather.