From the first Saturday in November until the resort's ice rink closes on January 3, the holidays around Lake Oconee happen in two places. One is the Putnam County Courthouse lawn in downtown Eatonton. The other is the front drive of The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee. Each has its own Mistletoe Market, its own lighting and its own way of collecting gifts for people in need. Their headline events mostly take turns, landing a week or two apart.
Two dates break that pattern. On Thursday, December 3, downtown Eatonton has a tree lighting and a concert on the same night. On Saturday, December 12, the downtown parade falls on the resort's first day of December family programs. Those are the two days where a little planning makes the difference between a crowded evening and a good one.
Two Mistletoe Markets, Eleven Days Apart
Eatonton's market comes first. Eatonton Main Street is holding the Eatonton Mistletoe Market on Saturday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Courthouse Lawn. The organizers expect more than 100 arts and crafts vendors, plus live art demonstrations where artists work on pieces during the day.
The Ritz-Carlton's Mistletoe Market follows eleven days later on Wednesday, November 25. It runs from 4 to 8 p.m. ahead of the resort's annual Lighting at the Lake and features local vendors.
The names match, but the two markets sit at opposite ends of the day. Eatonton's is a Saturday market that wraps up by midafternoon. The resort's starts in late afternoon and leads into a lighting ceremony after dark. That timing holds for most of the season, with downtown Eatonton busiest in the daytime and the resort busiest in the evening.
November Belongs to the Courthouse Lawn
The first event is in downtown Eatonton. On Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., eight local businesses are hosting Sip, Shop, & Shoebox, a holiday shopping day across downtown that raises money for Operation Christmas Child. The event page is the place to see the details as they're posted.
The Mistletoe Market follows a week later, so two Saturdays in a row have something going on downtown. Both are daytime events built around shopping, and both raise money or goods for others along the way. That giving thread shows up again once the season moves out to the resort.
The city made its own news this fall. The Eatonton Messenger reported that the Eatonton City Council held its first meeting on October 6 in the new City of Eatonton Municipal Complex at 314 S. Washington Ave. That building used to be the county's elementary school. At the same meeting, the council unanimously approved this year's downtown Christmas parade, which comes back into the story in December.
Thanksgiving Week Hands the Season to the Resort
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, and the season moves to the resort the night before. The order of the week:
- Wednesday, November 25, 4 p.m. The resort's Mistletoe Market opens, and The Winter Forest opens for the season at the same hour.
- Wednesday, November 25, 6 p.m. Lighting at the Lake begins. John Driskell Hopkins and his band play country hits and Christmas classics, and when Santa arrives he turns on hundreds of thousands of lights across the resort.
- Thanksgiving. The resort's holiday page lists a Thanksgiving brunch in the Ritz-Carlton Ballroom, and reservations are required.
- Saturday, November 28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Small Business Saturday sends the weekend back downtown, with Eatonton Main Street promoting a day of shopping in Downtown Eatonton.
The lighting comes with a request. Through its Community Footprints partnership, the resort is asking everyone who attends to bring canned goods, nonperishable food, unwrapped toys or winter coats. Collection bins will be on the Front Drive before and during the event. Sip, Shop, & Shoebox opened the season with a donation drive, and the lighting keeps it going.
The Winter Forest stays open past that first night. Its 5,000-square-foot ice rink looks out over Lake Oconee and runs from November 25 through January 3, 2027, every day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 4 to 8 p.m. The Ice Lounge next to it has sofas, hot cocoa, apple cider, hot toddies and seasonal cocktails. Skating is free for registered resort guests. Anyone else should check with the resort on access before they go. The resort's holiday booking page lists the lighting and the rink.
December 3 Is One Evening With Two Curtains
The first of the two stacked dates happens entirely in Eatonton.
A Christmas Evening in Eatonton runs from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 3. The Great Tree on the Putnam County Courthouse lawn lights up at 6 p.m., and free horse-drawn carriage rides circle downtown. Participating businesses hand out punch cards with one punch for every $15 spent at a single shop. Five punches enter the shopper in a drawing for a gift basket stocked by downtown businesses. Farmers & Merchants Bank and Leafguard are sponsoring the night.
At 7 p.m. that same night, Mandy Barnett brings Winter Wonderland to the Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton. Tickets cost $75, $65 or $55.
With the tree lit at 6 and the concert starting at 7, one evening can hold both, as long as you leave the downtown shopping for before the lighting. The punch-card shops are open from 5 o'clock, which gives you about an hour to collect punches before the tree comes on.
December 12 Can Hold Both, If the Day Runs in Order
The second stacked date takes up a full day. Eatonton's annual Christmas parade is set for Saturday, December 12, from 6 to 7 p.m. on downtown streets. That same Saturday is the first day of the Ritz-Carlton's December family programs, all of which take reservations.
| Time on Saturday, December 12 | Event | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. | Breakfast with Santa | The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds | $95 |
| 10 a.m. | Build a Buddy | The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds | Listed on the resort's booking page |
| 1 p.m. | Gingerbread Workshop with Mrs. Claus | The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds | $110 |
| 6 to 7 p.m. | Christmas in Eatonton parade | Downtown Eatonton streets | Free to watch |
| 6 to 8:30 p.m. | Elf Tuck-Ins | The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds | $165 |
Laid out by time, the day mostly sorts itself. The resort programs fill the morning and early afternoon, and the parade takes the evening. The one real conflict is between the parade and Elf Tuck-Ins, which both start at 6. Families who want both can use the backup dates. Breakfast with Santa, Build a Buddy, the Gingerbread Workshop and Elf Tuck-Ins all repeat on Sunday, December 13, and Wednesday, December 23.
Saturday is also the busiest day of the week, so holding the parade for Saturday night and booking the gingerbread house for Sunday makes the weekend easier. The Enchanted Teddy Bear Tea has its own weekend, December 19 and 20, with seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Garden Room at Amore del Lago.
The Evenings Between the Big Dates
Most nights between Thanksgiving and New Year's have no festival at all. These spots have opened along Hwy 44 and nearby this season:
- Tee Time 44, 1027 Ga. 44, Eatonton. Indoor golf simulators, lessons, a restaurant and a bar under one roof. The Eatonton Messenger covered the Chamber ribbon cutting on September 10.
- Brilliance by Design, 1023 Lake Oconee Pkwy., Eatonton. A home-goods boutique featured in Lake Oconee Life's roundup of what's new, handy for hostess gifts and holiday table pieces.
- The Crunchy Shop, 921 Harmony Road, Suite 5, Eatonton. A natural-wellness boutique and refillery that held its Chamber ribbon cutting on October 16.
Christmas dinner can stay quieter, too. Linger Longer Steakhouse, Amore del Lago and Gaby's by the Lake at the Ritz-Carlton will each have special holiday menu items. Linger Longer and Amore del Lago take reservations. Gaby's by the Lake is walk-in only, which helps if your plans come together at the last minute.
The Season's Last Week
The new year starts on the water. On the morning of January 1, the resort holds its annual New Year's Day Polar Plunge into Lake Oconee. Some people dip a toe and some jump off the dock. Coffee and hot chocolate are waiting afterward, and there are prizes for festive, funny or themed costumes. The Winter Forest rink stays open two more days and closes for the season on January 3.
If family is visiting for the holidays and asking where to start, December 3 and December 12 are the dates we'd circle. Riezl Baker has called Lake Country home since 1997 and is glad to share more ideas for hosting guests at the lake this season, along with what it's like to live close to both the courthouse lawn and the water.
