Which nights it runs, what each night brings, and what Santa's Cottage costs.

Holiday lights at the Oh, What Fun! festival at Lake Nona Town Center

By David Myers, Broker Associate · NonaOrlandoProperties.com · Last updated October 2026

Oh, What Fun! is Lake Nona's free holiday festival at Lake Nona Town Center, which is decorated as Peppermint Square for the season. It runs on select nights, Friday through Sunday, historically across the first three weekends of December. Festival hours are normally 6 to 10 PM. Artificial snow falls every hour on the hour, and a 24-foot Christmas tree anchors the square. Admission to the festival is free; visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Santa's Cottage are ticketed and require a reservation. In 2025, Santa's Cottage tickets started at $35 per person.

Oh, What Fun! is the event most Lake Nona families plan December around: hourly snowfall, a 24-foot tree, a holiday market and Santa and Mrs. Claus at Town Center. The festival is free to walk into; the Santa visit is the one part you pay for.

An earlier version of this post described it as a nightly, season-long festival. It isn't. It runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights only, over about three weekends, and the details below are what you need to plan around that.

What is Oh, What Fun!?

Oh, What Fun! is Lake Nona's free annual holiday festival, held at Lake Nona Town Center on weekend nights in December.

For the festival, Lake Nona Town Center is rebranded Peppermint Square, with live music, stage shows, a holiday market of local vendors and artisans, and seasonal treats. The 2025 edition was presented by AdventHealth.

Oh, What Fun! at a glance
When Historically the first three weekends of December
Nights Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only
Hours Normally 6 to 10 PM
Cost Free entry; Santa's Cottage ticketed (from $35 per person in 2025)
Where Lake Nona Town Center (Peppermint Square)
First held 2017 or 2018 (published edition counts differ)

When is Oh, What Fun! held?

Oh, What Fun! is historically held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights across the first three weekends of December.

Recent dates show the pattern: December 7 to 23 in 2023, December 6 to 22 in 2024, and December 5 to 21 in 2025. The 2023 season opened with a Hanukkah celebration on a Thursday. Expect the 2026 festival to follow the same shape; the official site posts the calendar each fall.

Monday through Thursday nights are generally not festival nights, so check the calendar before you drive over midweek.

What happens on each festival night?

Each festival night has a theme: acrobatics shows on Fridays, Snow Days on Saturdays and Family Fun Days on Sundays.

Fridays bring Santa's Toy Box, a live, roughly 20-minute show with aerialists, gymnasts and dancers. Saturdays are Peppermint Square Snow Days, with snow-themed entertainment and an iced treat. Sundays are Family Fun Days with activities aimed at children.

Every night also has live music, performances by local schools and the holiday market.

How much does Santa's Cottage at Oh, What Fun! cost?

Santa's Cottage is the one ticketed part of Oh, What Fun!: in 2025, tickets started at $35 per person, and reservations were required.

The visit includes story time and a sing-along, followed by a meet-and-greet and a photo. In 2025 the cottage was on the first floor of the Courtyard and Residence Inn at Town Center. Seating is limited and Lake Nona describes Santa's schedule as packed, so book as soon as reservations open. Private experiences have also been offered for families who want a visit of their own; check the official site for the current year's prices.

Does it really snow at Oh, What Fun!?

Yes. Artificial snow falls over the square every hour, on the hour, during festival hours.

The festival calls it Lake Snow-na. It is the moment most children wait for, so plan to be standing in the square at the top of the hour. The 24-foot Christmas tree and the festival photo wall are the other two photo stops.

What else is part of the festival?

The festival also includes a decorated tree trail to the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, a Hanukkah celebration and, in 2025, a 5K and a light parade.

The Evergreen Tree Trail runs from Town Center to the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, with trees decorated by Lake Nona businesses competing for visitors' votes. The Hanukkah celebration includes a menorah lighting and blessing, a DJ and children's activities.

During the festival, Boxi Park runs holiday weekends with live music, themed menus and a kids' zone, and in 2025 it screened a Holiday Blockbuster movie every Friday on its volleyball courts, with activities at 6 PM and the film at 6:30 PM.

The 2025 season added an inaugural Oh, What Fun! 5K Run on December 5 and a Lake Nona Light Parade on December 13. Whether they return is not confirmed yet.

Pros, Cons and Our Take

Pros

  • Free admission, including the snowfall, tree and entertainment.
  • A different theme each night gives families a reason to come back.
  • Everything is in one walkable place, with restaurants around the square.
  • The schedule is predictable: the same weekend pattern year after year.

Cons

  • Weekend nights only, so all the crowds land on the same nine nights.
  • Santa's Cottage is ticketed (from $35 per person in 2025) and needs a reservation.
  • The season is short, roughly three weekends, and ends before Christmas week.
  • Specific add-ons like the 5K and light parade are not guaranteed to return.

Our Take

Oh, What Fun! is worth at least one visit for any family with young children, and it is the best free holiday event in the area for them. If a Santa visit matters, budget for the cottage ticket and book it the day reservations open; pick a Friday if you want the acrobatics show and a Saturday for the snow-themed night, and be in the square at the top of the hour for the snowfall.

What the Neighbors Know

In Lake Nona, the holiday season is organized around Town Center. Local schools perform on the festival stage and businesses decorate trees for the trail, so the festival reflects the community that hosts it.

For the rest of the year's events, see our Lake Nona events guide.

Official Sources

Buying or selling in Lake Nona? Call/Text David Myers at 407.801.3286 or use the contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Oh, What Fun! 2026?

Oh, What Fun! is historically held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights across the first three weekends of December. The 2025 festival ran December 5 to 21. Check the official site for the 2026 calendar.

Is Oh, What Fun! free?

Admission is free. Visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Santa's Cottage are ticketed and require a reservation; in 2025, tickets started at $35 per person.

What time is Oh, What Fun!?

Festival hours are normally 6 to 10 PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

How often does it snow at Oh, What Fun!?

Artificial snow falls every hour, on the hour, during festival hours.

How much does Santa's Cottage cost?

In 2025, Santa's Cottage tickets started at $35 per person, and reservations were required. Check the official site for current prices.

Where is Oh, What Fun! held?

Oh, What Fun! is held at Lake Nona Town Center, which is decorated as Peppermint Square for the festival.