The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee opens its whole 2026 holiday season on Wednesday, November 25. The Mistletoe Market, the Winter Forest ice rink and Lighting at the Lake all start within two hours of each other that evening, the night before Thanksgiving. After that, most of the ticketed family events fall on only three December dates.
So the Reynolds holiday season runs on a short, fixed calendar. It's a few dates to book a month ahead, and nobody fits them in on a whim. The 2026 listings are also written mainly for registered resort guests, so if you own a home here you'll want to check the terms as well as the dates.
Wednesday, November 25, by the Clock
The resort's Thanksgiving-week listings lay out the evening in this order:
- 4 p.m. The Mistletoe Market opens with handcrafted goods and gifts from local vendors. It runs until 8 p.m.
- 4 p.m. The Winter Forest opens at the same hour, with a 5,000-square-foot ice rink overlooking Lake Oconee and an Ice Lounge serving hot cocoa, apple cider, hot toddies and seasonal cocktails.
- 6 p.m. Lighting at the Lake begins. John Driskell Hopkins and his band play country hits and Christmas classics until Santa arrives and cues the "hundreds of thousands of lights" across the resort.
- After the lighting there are photos with Santa, and the Winter Forest stays open.
The night also doubles as a donation drive. As part of its Community Footprints partnership, the resort asks guests to bring canned goods and other non-perishable food, unwrapped toys or winter coats. Collection bins will sit on the Front Drive before and during the event. If your family is driving in from Atlanta for the long weekend, a bag of canned goods in the trunk covers it.
Once the season opens, the rest of Thanksgiving week builds from that night.
Thanksgiving Day Gives You Four Ways to Eat
On Thursday, November 26, you'll need to decide early whether you want the Ballroom buffet or a regular restaurant table, because the two are booked differently.
| Option | Format | How to get in |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving Brunch, Ritz-Carlton Ballroom | Buffet, seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. | Reservation required, deposit, up to 12 guests per booking |
| Linger Longer Steakhouse | Holiday menu items | Reservation required |
| Amore del Lago | Holiday menu items | Reservation required |
| Gaby's by the Lake | Holiday menu items | Walk-ins only |
The brunch is the only Thanksgiving meal with a published price. The 2026 brunch menu lists $220 per guest, $55 for children ages 5 to 12, and free for children 4 and under, with tax and gratuity included. For that you get citrus-brined, fennel-rubbed heritage turkey, bourbon-peach glazed ham, a made-to-order omelet station, a chilled seafood display, and gemelli pasta tossed in an aged Parmesan wheel. Desserts include cranberry-pear frangipane tartlets and apple pie pithiviers.
The three restaurants haven't posted holiday menu prices. Reservations for Linger Longer Steakhouse and Amore del Lago are taken at 404.527.4414 or through each restaurant's online booking. Gaby's by the Lake is the only option that needs no planning, as long as you're happy to wait for a table.
Two days later, on Saturday, November 28, the resort's Fall Festival runs from 1 to 4 p.m. It has a hay bale obstacle course, axe throwing, a petting zoo, baby pumpkin painting, caramel apples, hot cider, cookie decorating and Build-A-Buddy plush toys. Tickets are $65 per guest and free for children 3 and under. Everyone older than 3 needs a reservation. Paired with the Wednesday lighting and the Thursday meal, the festival rounds out the long weekend.
December Comes Down to Three Dates
The Christmastime listings follow the same pattern as Thanksgiving week. The ticketed children's events run only on Saturday, December 12, Sunday, December 13, and Wednesday, December 23. The same lineup repeats on each of those days:
| Time | Event | Listed price |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. | Breakfast with Santa | $95, reservations required |
| Noon | Story Time with Mrs. Claus | Complimentary for registered resort guests |
| 1 p.m. | Gingerbread Workshop | $110, reservations required |
| 3 to 5 p.m. | Elf Special Delivery | $75, reservations required |
| 6 to 8:30 p.m. | Elf Tuck-Ins | $165, reservations required |
That's one weekend in mid-December and one weekday just before Christmas. If you have grandchildren visiting, the realistic choice is the December 12–13 weekend, before school breaks, or December 23, when many families are already at the lake for the holiday. Breakfast with Santa has only two seatings a day, so six seatings cover the whole season.
The month also has daily events running in the background. From December 1 through 25, Holiday Delights runs in the lobby Gingerbread House from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the Linger Longer Express leaves the Front Drive at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Both are listed as complimentary for registered resort guests. Children can leave letters for Santa with the Concierge from December 1 through 24. From December 15 through 24, the resort will deliver two-foot tabletop Christmas trees with a keepsake ornament and chocolates to guest rooms.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dining follows the Thanksgiving setup. Linger Longer Steakhouse and Amore del Lago serve holiday menu items by reservation, and Gaby's by the Lake takes walk-ins.
The Fine Print Is Written for Hotel Guests
The resort's 2026 listings keep using one phrase: "complimentary for registered resort guests." It applies to ice skating at the Winter Forest, Story Time with Mrs. Claus, Holiday Delights and the Linger Longer Express. The 2026 listings for Lighting at the Lake and the Mistletoe Market give a date and a time, but no entry policy or price.
Past years have been described in different ways. A Lake Oconee Life listing for the 2025 Mistletoe Market and lighting said both were open to the public without reservations. The resort's own 2024 event page described Lighting at the Lake as open to overnight resort guests and Reynolds Members. And an undated Reynolds holiday guide describes the tree lighting as exclusive to Reynolds Members and guests with a hotel or dining reservation.
None of those sources sets the rules for November 25, 2026. The same goes for skating. The 2026 Winter Forest listing doesn't give a price for anyone who isn't staying at the hotel, so earlier seasons' member rates don't tell you what the rink costs this year. If you own a home at Reynolds but aren't checking into the Ritz, call the resort at 404.527.4414 before you build a family evening around the lighting or the rink. If you have a dining reservation that night, mention it when you call.
The Lake Club Keeps Its Own Calendar
Reynolds has member traditions of its own alongside the Ritz events. The Reynolds holiday guide describes Santa at The Lake Club, Member Holiday Parties at Sandy Creek Barn, a Christmas Eve Santa Scamper and a New Year's Eve party at The Lake Club. Dates and booking details for 2026 haven't been posted publicly, so look for them in member communications.
At the Ritz, New Year's Eve on Thursday, December 31, follows the same restaurant pattern as the rest of the season. Linger Longer Steakhouse and Amore del Lago take reservations, Gaby's by the Lake takes walk-ins, and Linger Longer is 21 and older after 7 p.m. The next morning, Friday, January 1, 2027, the Polar Plunge starts at 10 a.m. and is complimentary for registered resort guests. The Winter Forest stays open two more days and closes after Sunday, January 3, 2027.
That gives a Reynolds homeowner's holiday season five fixed dates: November 25, November 26, December 12, December 13 and December 23. As of October 29, Thanksgiving brunch and the Linger Longer and Amore del Lago reservations are four weeks away, and the December Santa seatings are about six weeks away.
If you're planning to have family at the lake this holiday season, or you're thinking about a Reynolds home where these dates become yearly traditions, Boatright Realty Group can help you understand how community and resort amenities work for owners. Contact Us. Let's find your Lake Oconee home.
