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Donkey Week

Donkey Week 2024

8 May 2024 (10:00) - 13 May 2024 (15:30)
Places available

International Donkey Week is a holiday with a difference - a chance for you to have close contact with The Donkey Sanctuary's resident donkeys in glorious settings.

Every year The Donkey Sanctuary holds this unique week's holiday, relaxing down among the donkeys in Devon where there is plenty to do throughout the week.

Activities on offer during Donkey Week include guest speakers, social events, wildlife walks, demonstrations and plenty of opportunities to meet the donkeys throughout the week.

Daily trips are arranged to visit our outlying farms, which are not usually open to the public. Each farm has different qualities and at all farms, visitors can take tractor trailer rides to see the beautiful views or meet the donkeys enjoying the spring sunshine. For our fitter visitors there are some fantastic walks.

Members of staff will be at Exeter railway and coach stations ready to meet you. They will assist you with your luggage and direct you to one of our coaches, which will transport you to your accommodation.

What to expect

At each farm that we visit, you will meet the staff who will be on hand to answer any questions and introduce you to their four legged friends. There will be informative talks about a wide range of subjects and a chance to look behind the scenes of The Donkey Sanctuary and visit areas that are not usually open to the public.

We hope to visit the following farms on the following days:

Wednesday 8 May - Slade House Farm & Trow Farm

Thursday 9 May - Woods Farm

Friday 10 May - Brookfield Farm

Saturday 11 May - Paccombe Farm

Sunday 12 May - Town Barton Farm

Monday 13 May - Slade House Farm & Trow Farm

Please be aware that although we aim to stick to this schedule it may be subject to change at short notice.

Accommodation

There is a wide range of accommodation available in our Donkey Week scheme from hotels to guesthouses, which can be viewed in our accommodation brochure. 10% of a Donkey Weeker's accommodation bill is donated to The Donkey Sanctuary. Therefore, not only are you providing the donkeys with love and attention, but you are also contributing to their continued care.

A lifetime of friendship

Donkey lovers range in age from the very young up to those in their nineties. Many firm friendships are forged as everyone has a shared interest and our Donkey Week attendees come back year after year for a great reunion.

Want to join us?

Come and immerse yourself in all things donkey. You can spend a day with us, or enjoy a whole week of tours, events, insightful talks and lots of one to one time with our donkeys.

If you’re a returning Donkey Weeker or coming along for the first time, we’ll keep your details on file and issue the itinerary choices form nearer the event date.

If you’re new to Donkey Week the team will issue you with an information pack with everything you need to know about Donkey Week.

Whether you are a day visitor, coming for a few days or for the full week, booking is required.

Are you interested in Donkey Week 2024?

What date is Donkey Week?

Donkey Week runs from Tuesday 7 May to Wednesday 14 May 2024. We say it begins on the 7 May but this is actually the day people arrive at their accommodation if being collected. The first day spent on site at our farms is Wednesday 8 May. For a full itinerary please get in touch.

Does Donkey Week cost anything?

We don’t charge for the visits to the farms each day but there are extra costs if you would like to use our transport, catering and fundraising stalls etc. We also have some separate evening events that we sell tickets for. For more information about extra costs, please get in touch.

Do you offer transport?

On the arrival day we will collect from both Exeter train and coach stations, and transport you to your accommodation. On the departure day, we will collect you from your accommodation, and there will be a drop off at both Exeter train and coach stations. We also offer a daily coach from various pick up points that will transport you to the farm we are visiting on that day. There is an extra cost for this service. For more information, please get in touch.

Do I have to book for the whole week?

While Donkey Week is a weeklong event, you do not have to stay for the entire week. You are very welcome to book for part of the week or to pop along for individual days. We do however still ask that you fill in the booking form so that we have an idea of numbers for our records.

Can you recommend places to stay?

You can find all the information about the different accommodation options in our accommodation brochure. All of the places listed in the brochure are part of the Donkey Week scheme, which means if you stay at one of them for the entire week, the proprietor will donate 10% of your bill to The Donkey Sanctuary. Please make sure you let them know that you are taking part in Donkey Week when booking.

Once you have made your accommodation booking please ensure that you get in touch to register your place for Donkey Week.

Can I come alone?

Donkey Week is a great holiday to attend if you are travelling alone. Everyone is very welcoming and it is easy to make friends when you all have a shared interest in donkeys. We also have lots of Donkey Sanctuary staff who love to chat to our supporters.

When will I get my red Donkey Week sweater?

You'll need to come to Donkey Week for 10 years and have it recorded on our database before you can receive your coveted red Donkey Weeker sweater.

Do you have catering each day?

We offer a range of catering during the week. On the days we are at our main site in Sidmouth, we have both The Kitchen Restaurant and teas, coffees and light refreshments available in the marquee. We will have a range of different refreshments available on the trips to the farms each day, including a BBQ on the Saturday. While we can cater for most requirements at our restaurant in Sidmouth, we are limited with what we can offer at the farms. We will always try our best to help but we do suggest you bring your own food and drink if you have specific dietary requirements.