Between mid-November and the first Sunday of 2027, the holidays around Reynolds Lake Oconee come in pairs. There are two Mistletoe Markets 11 days apart, two tree lightings nine days apart, and two New Year's Day plunges, one off a dock into Lake Oconee and one into a pool. Each pair has one version at The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee and one somewhere else, whether downtown Eatonton, downtown Greensboro or the Reynolds member calendar. Who can walk in, what you need to book, and where you park the visiting cousins all depend on which half of the pair you choose.

Here is the season in order, with each twin next to its partner.

Two Mistletoe Markets, Eleven Days Apart

The bigger market comes first and sits off the property. Eatonton Main Street has set the Eatonton Mistletoe Market for Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Putnam County Courthouse Lawn at 100 S. Jefferson Ave. The organizer promises more than 100 arts-and-crafts vendors plus live demonstrations. Explore Georgia lists the same Nov. 14 date. If another calendar shows Nov. 7, that Saturday belongs to Madison's Shop, Sip & Stroll.

The second market is smaller and shorter, and it shares its date with the season's biggest night. The Ritz-Carlton's Mistletoe Market runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The resort describes it as "a curated selection of handcrafted goods and unique gifts from beloved local vendors." The 2026 vendor list has not been posted. The 2025 market, as Lake Oconee Life listed it, included Burned Brims, Lake Oconee Creations and Little Light Co.

The two markets serve different purposes. Eatonton is a five-hour Saturday with ten times the vendors, so it works for the serious gift list. The Ritz-Carlton market is the browsing you do while you wait for the lights.

The Night Before Thanksgiving

The resort's season starts on a Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving, when many houses already have guests. According to The Ritz-Carlton's holiday page, Lighting at the Lake begins at 6 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2026. John Driskell Hopkins and his band will play country hits and Christmas classics. Then Santa arrives and cues "hundreds of thousands of lights" across the resort, followed by photos with him and the opening of The Winter Forest.

Before you bring a carful of out-of-town family, check who can attend, because published descriptions disagree. A holiday roundup on the Reynolds Lake Oconee blog calls the resort's tree lighting "exclusive to Reynolds Members and guests with a hotel or dining reservation." Lake Oconee Life's listing for the November 2025 lighting said "Open to the public. Reservations not required." The Ritz-Carlton's 2026 pages give the time, the band and the market hours, but they set no admission rule. One call to the resort before Nov. 25 settles it for your household and your guests.

Thanksgiving Day itself has its own reservation at the resort. Thanksgiving Brunch is served in The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom, with Citrus-Brined and Fennel Seed-Rubbed Heritage Turkey, Bourbon-Peach Glazed Ham, an Omelet Station, a Chilled Seafood Display, Local Cheese and Charcuterie, plus Cranberry-Pear Frangipane Tartlets and Apple Pie Pithiviers for dessert. Reservations are required.

Forty Days of Ice

The lighting lasts one evening, while the rink it opens runs far longer. The Winter Forest opens at 4 p.m. on Nov. 25. After that it runs daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. through Jan. 3, 2027. Counting both ends, that is 40 days. The rink covers 5,000 square feet and looks out over Lake Oconee. Next to it is the Ice Lounge, with plush sofas, twinkle lights, hot cocoa, apple cider, hot toddies and seasonal cocktails.

Skating is complimentary for registered resort guests. The 2026 rate for everyone else has not been published, so ask about it when you call about the lighting.

With the rink open every day, the resort's restaurants pick up the rest of the season. For Christmastime dinner, The Ritz-Carlton offers special holiday menu items at three restaurants with three different booking rules:

• Linger Longer Steakhouse: reservations required
• Amore del Lago: reservations required
• Gaby's by the Lake: walk-ins only

If you book late for a large table, Gaby's is the only one of the three where showing up is the plan. The resort also runs Breakfast with Santa and a Gingerbread Workshop with Mrs. Claus. Both require reservations, and either can fill a morning with visiting grandchildren.

The Second Tree Lighting Is in Greensboro

Nine days after Santa lights the resort, downtown Greensboro has its own lighting. The Lake Oconee Life calendar lists the Lighting of the Tree for Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. Café du Papa will serve fresh coffee, warm beignets and holiday sweets during the event. The downtown organizer's own event page still shows last year's listing, which was Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, from 6 to 8 p.m. A Friday-evening date in early December fits that pattern, but check the downtown page closer to the date.

Dec. 4 is the busiest night of the season around the lake. In Madison, the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center's Holiday Tour of Homes runs Dec. 4 and 5, with candlelight tours from 5 to 9 p.m. both evenings. Eatonton's A Christmas Evening in Eatonton fills Dec. 3 and 4 downtown and on the courthouse lawn, according to Visit Eatonton. With three towns scheduling the same Friday, a household with guests can split up or stack two events, since Greensboro wraps up at 8 p.m. and Madison's candlelight tours run until 9.

Two Plunges, and a Member Calendar Running Short One Clubhouse

The season ends with two cold-water options on Jan. 1. On the resort side, The Ritz-Carlton's annual New Year's Day Polar Plunge sends people off the dock into Lake Oconee, then warms them with coffee and hot chocolate. Costumes can win prizes. On the community side, Reynolds says its Polar Bear Plunge has been a New Year's Day tradition since 2007, with a jump, slide or toe-dip into a chilly pool, followed by warm towels and unlimited hot cider or cocoa.

That pool plunge belongs to the community's own set of holiday traditions, which run separately from the resort's public schedule. Reynolds lists these among its annual traditions:

• A visit with Santa at The Lake Club, with complimentary hot chocolate and holiday cookies
• A Holiday Lights Tour, driving the community to see decorated homes
• Rides on the Linger Longer Express train around The Ritz-Carlton grounds
• Member Holiday Parties at The Sandy Creek Barn, with live music, dancing and a plated dinner
• A signature Holiday Cocktail served at all Reynolds restaurants, bars and member events through year's end
• The Santa Scamper, a 5K run and walk on The Landing golf course on Christmas Eve
• A New Year's Eve party at The Lake Club with an eight-piece band and a champagne toast at midnight

This year the member calendar runs without one of its gathering places. As Atlanta News First reported on Oct. 12, fire gutted the ESSĒ restaurant and clubhouse at The Landing. No one was injured, and the cause was not known at the time of the report. The Santa Scamper is held on The Landing golf course rather than in the clubhouse.

The community roundup that lists these traditions carries no dates, so the 2026 times and places for each, including the Santa Scamper, will come through the club's own member channels.

If hosting this season has you planning for more room for guests next year, Charity Joiner + Company would be glad to talk it through, and every closing supports the communities through Charity Gives. Request a Red-Carpet Consultation.