Lake Nona's Holiday Festival Runs on Weekends Only, and Its Biggest Night Starts in Laureate Park
November 12, 2026
November 12, 2026
Oh, What Fun! is in its 10th year and runs December 4 through 20, 2026. Its nightly program happens only Friday through Sunday. That gives you three weekends and nine festival nights in the 17 days between the first date and the last.
The season's biggest night also starts somewhere else. On Saturday, December 12, the celebration begins at Crescent Park in Laureate Park, and the parade travels down to Town Center. If you plan the season one weekend at a time, and pay attention to which end of the community you live on, you'll get a lot more out of it.
Lake Nona's calendar starts clustering around weekends before the tree goes up. From today through Thanksgiving weekend, most of the Town Center events land on Fridays and Saturdays:
The Farmers Market at Laureate Park Village Center is the exception. It runs 5 to 8 PM on November 18, December 2 and December 16, which are all Wednesdays. The December dates land between festival weekends, so the Village Center has its own evening while Town Center is quiet. Market details.
Once the festival opens, every weekend follows the same pattern. Fridays and Saturdays bring live bands on the Lake Nona Town Center Stage, opened by a speech from Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Sundays are Family Fun Days, which close each evening with performances by local school groups. Santa's Cottage, the Holiday Market, the Evergreen Tree Trail, holiday photo spots and the "Lake Snow-na" snowfall run on every festival night, with snow starting at 5 PM.
The special events are spread across the three weekends:
| Weekend | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 4–6 | Opening Night and the 24-foot tree lighting at 6 PM; "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at Boxi Park | Oh, What Fun! 5K Run at 7:30 AM | Hanukkah Celebration of Lights, 6–9 PM |
| Dec. 11–13 | "Home Alone" at Boxi Park; Art Aftr Dark | Holiday Parade from Crescent Park; Art Aftr Dark | Family Fun Day |
| Dec. 18–20 | "Elf" at Boxi Park | Live bands on the main stage | Family Fun Day, closing night |
The opening weekend has the most going on. The tree lighting starts Friday's 6 to 10 PM opening night. The Grinch screening at Boxi Park, 6877 Tavistock Lakes Boulevard, opens the Friday movie series. Activities begin at 6 PM and the film starts at 6:30. Bring blankets. The festival calendar asks for them by name for the Boxi Park screenings.
The 5K on Saturday morning needs registration. Check-in opens at 6 AM, the race starts at 7:30, and every runner gets a T-shirt and a commemorative medal. Sunday's Hanukkah Celebration of Lights includes a menorah blessing and lighting, a DJ, a stilt walker, children's performers, face painters, traditional foods and hands-on activities. Race details.
Most of the season pulls people toward Town Center. The parade starts at the other end. According to the official parade page, Saturday, December 12 goes like this:
The parade is part of Oh, What Fun!, which is presented by AdventHealth, and the City of Orlando is a partner on the parade. Lake Nona's own event listing gives the same plan: the celebration at Crescent Park from 4 to 7 PM, then floats, music and Santa heading to Town Center. The Crescent Park festivities include a golf-cart parade, live entertainment, treats and family activities.
That means your address affects your evening. If you live in Laureate Park, you can walk to the start, catch the parade as it sets off, and follow it along Walcott. If you live closer to Town Center, you can catch the floats as they arrive around 6:30 PM and stay for the rest of the night. Art Aftr Dark runs 6 to 10 PM that same Saturday, Santa's Cottage takes bookings until 8:45 PM, and "A Very Peppermint Christmas" fills Town Center from 5 to 10 PM. Of the nine festival nights, this is the only one that uses both ends of the community.
The festival doesn't charge admission. Food and drinks cost extra. Parking is free in all Town Center garages, and the festival FAQ names three: the Code Wall Garage + Beacon, the Wave Garage and the DNA Garage on Marwick Lane. If you live in Laureate Park, you can skip the drive. The FAQ points you to the Beep shuttle from the Village Center.
Santa's Cottage is the one paid experience most families will plan around. It's also the only place at the festival to get photos with Santa. A visit includes story time, a sing-along, meeting Santa and Mrs. Claus, and digital photo proofs. Because of capacity limits, every adult and every child needs their own ticket. Weekend prices are $40 per person on Fridays, $45 on Saturdays and $40 on Sundays. A family of four pays $160 on a Friday or Sunday and $180 on a Saturday. Same-day tickets aren't guaranteed, so book ahead.
Sundays cost the same as Fridays at the Cottage, and those Family Fun Day evenings end with the local school performances. Saturday is the most expensive, and on December 12 it falls on the same night as the parade.
For more on how the community comes together beyond the holidays, see our Lake Nona neighborhood guide and our look at the Oktoberfest Lake Nona hosts itself.
If you're hosting family in Lake Nona this December and want suggestions for where guests should stay or which weekend suits them best, Toni Cafferty is glad to help with local advice, discreetly and with no pressure. Request a Confidential Consultation, and we'll help you plan around the Fridays through Sundays that matter most.
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A true native, Toni Marie Cafferty calls Florida home. Originally from Jacksonville, she moved to Central Florida while attending the private university of Stetson where she graduated with a degree in Marketing and International Business. With time spent in Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, she loves to explore other cultures. In her real estate career, she’s had the pleasure to work with buyers from around the world.
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