If you live at Reynolds Lake Oconee, what will it cost you to skate on the Ritz-Carlton's rink this December? The resort's 2026 booking page gives the answer for one group only: "Ice Skating is complimentary for all registered resort guests." It doesn't name a price for anyone else.
The whole season works this way. The resort's 2026 holiday booking pages give exact dates, seating times and prices, and the copy is written for people sleeping on property. Neighbors who drive in from across the community, at the center of which the resort sits, have to piece together the rest from past seasons. Here is that rest, starting with the one night most likely to fill the Front Drive.
The Wednesday Before Thanksgiving Is the Open Door
Annual Lighting at the Lake is set for Wednesday, November 25, 2026, beginning at 6 p.m. John Driskell Hopkins and his band will play country hits and Christmas classics. Hopkins is listed as a member of the Zac Brown Band. When Santa arrives, he cues hundreds of thousands of lights across the resort. After that come photos with Santa and the first evening of The Winter Forest rink.
The Mistletoe Market opens before the music and runs from 4 to 8 p.m. that same day, with handcrafted goods from local vendors. The 2026 vendor list hasn't been posted. Last year, Lake Oconee Life's listing for the 2025 market named Burned Brims, Lake Oconee Creations and Little Light Co. Last year's music was Nashville Noel, so the Hopkins booking is new this season.
The night also doubles as a collection drive. Under its Community Footprints partnership, the resort asks attendees to bring canned goods and other nonperishable food, unwrapped toys or winter coats. Collection bins will sit on the Front Drive before and during the event.
Who may attend depends on which year's description you read. The 2025 Lake Oconee Life listing said "Open to the public. Reservations not required." An older holiday roundup from Reynolds describes the tree lighting as exclusive to Reynolds Members and to guests with a hotel or dining reservation. The 2026 listing states neither rule. Reynolds Members are included under both versions. Anyone bringing visiting family who aren't members should check with the resort before the 25th.
What Skating Cost in 2024–25 Depended on Who You Were
The Winter Forest is a 5,000-square-foot rink that looks out over Lake Oconee. Next to it is the Ice Lounge, which serves hot cocoa, apple cider, hot toddies and seasonal cocktails. It opens Wednesday, November 25, at 4 p.m. From then through January 3, 2027, it runs daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 to 8 p.m.
The most recent published price breakdown comes from the 2024–25 season, which ran November 27, 2024 through January 5, 2025, according to Lake Oconee Life's rink listing.
| Skater, 2024–25 season | Listed price |
|---|---|
| Hotel guest | Complimentary |
| Reynolds Member, adult | $20 |
| Reynolds Member, child | $10 |
| Non-member child | $25 |
| Non-member adult | Not listed |
Those numbers are from the 2024–25 season. The 2026 page repeats only the first row. Still, the old table shows the resort has priced skating in tiers before, with a separate member rate. If you're bringing grandchildren for an afternoon session, ask about a member rate when you call.
The Rest of the Season Sells by the Seat
Nearly everything after opening night needs a reservation, and each event has its own listed price and seating times. These are the 2026 listings as posted on the resort's Thanksgiving and Christmastime booking pages.
| Event | 2026 date | Times | Listed price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving Brunch, Ritz-Carlton Ballroom | Thursday, Nov. 26 | 11 a.m., 2 p.m. | $220, incl. taxes and fees |
| Fall Festival | Saturday, Nov. 28 | 1 to 4 p.m. | $65 per guest; 3 and under free |
| Breakfast with Santa | Dec. 12, 13 and 23 | 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m. | $95, incl. taxes and fees |
| Gingerbread Workshop | Dec. 12, 13 and 23 | 1 p.m. | $110, incl. taxes and fees |
| Enchanted Teddy Bear Tea, Garden Room at Amore del Lago | Dec. 19 and 20 | 11 a.m., 2 p.m. | Not listed |
The Thanksgiving Brunch booking page lists a maximum of 12 guests per reservation, which matters if your table is bigger than that. The Fall Festival falls two days after Thanksgiving. The resort says its ticket includes cookie decorating and a Build-A-Buddy plush along with the hay bale obstacle course, axe throwing, petting zoo and caramel apples. Every guest over age 3 needs a reservation.
December 12, 13 and 23 are the busiest days on the list. Breakfast with Santa and the Gingerbread Workshop run on the same three dates, and the 11 a.m. breakfast is followed by the 1 p.m. workshop, where Mrs. Claus helps children decorate a pre-built house. The resort says finished houses go home in a box. The 23rd is the last of those dates before Christmas, so it is likely to draw families arriving for the holiday week.
Christmas Dinner Has One Walk-In Door
On Christmas, the resort serves special holiday menus at three restaurants. Linger Longer Steakhouse and Amore del Lago require reservations. Gaby's by the Lake is walk-in only. If your houseguests haven't settled on plans by mid-December, Gaby's is the one Ritz option on the holiday that needs no booking.
The resort is only part of the community's December. Reynolds' holiday roundup describes recurring traditions on the club side:
- A Santa visit at The Lake Club with complimentary hot chocolate and cookies
- A Holiday Lights Tour, driving the community to see decorated homes
- Member holiday parties at Sandy Creek Barn with live music and a plated dinner
- 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
The roundup gives no dates for 2026, so the club's own announcements will set this year's calendar. The member parties at Sandy Creek Barn and the Lake Club evenings also draw from the same December weekends as the resort's seated events, so it helps to hold the club dates first when you plan.
New Year's Day Has Two Plunges
The year begins with two cold-water traditions, held in two different kinds of water. The Ritz's Annual New Year's Day Polar Plunge starts at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 1, 2027, with swimmers going off the dock into Lake Oconee. There are prizes for festive, funny or themed costumes, and coffee and hot chocolate afterward. The booking page says it is complimentary for registered resort guests and doesn't mention anyone else.
Reynolds' own Polar Bear Plunge is older. According to the club, it has been a New Year's Day tradition since 2007, and it takes place in a pool rather than the lake, with warm towels and unlimited cider or hot chocolate afterward. For a member who wants the plunge without the lake, the club's version has been the long-running choice.
Before You Pull Up to the Valet
The Ritz-Carlton's general information says parking is valet only, at $40 a day, with one car included in the resort fee for staying guests. The hotel says it doesn't run a shuttle. No separate parking plan has been posted for lighting night, so plan on the valet stand and share rides where you can. A short checklist before November 25:
- Call the resort to confirm who may attend Lighting at the Lake this year and whether guests who aren't members need a dining reservation.
- Ask what skating costs for members and non-members in 2026, since the posted rate covers only hotel guests.
- Book the Thanksgiving Brunch, Fall Festival and the December 12, 13 or 23 seatings early, because each is sold by reservation.
- Pack a bag of canned goods, an unwrapped toy or a winter coat for the bins on the Front Drive.
- Watch for the club's 2026 dates for the Santa Scamper, the Lake Club New Year's Eve party and the Polar Bear Plunge.
If family is coming to the lake this season and you'd like a second opinion on which nights to book, the Jennifer Vaughan team is happy to share what we've learned from more than twenty years of holidays here, from the Lighting at the Lake through January 1. Love Where You Live. Let's Get Started.