Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake has lost two of its summer draws for this season. Turkey Lake Pool is still closed. The gates also lock at 5 p.m. now, two hours earlier than they did in October. The city has made up for it on the calendar. Starting with Saturday, November 14, every remaining Saturday of 2026 has at least one program listed at the park. Most are built around the Children's Farm, the trails and the plant life along Turkey Lake.
The park sits at 3401 South Hiawassee Road and covers 183 acres beside a lake the city ranks among the top five fishing lakes in Florida. In summer you could show up late in the afternoon and still have hours left. From now through March, the useful question is which Saturday to go.
The gate closes two hours earlier, and the pool stays shut
Park hours run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from November through March, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April through October. The park is closed December 24 and 25. After work on a weekday, that leaves very little daylight inside the gate.
The pool loss is older than the time change. The city's Turkey Lake Pool page lists a temporary closure, "until further notice." The last posted open-swim schedule, weekends from noon to 5 p.m., ran through September 27, 2025. The main park page still opens with the same notice: "The pool is closed."
With swimming off the list and short days, the scheduled programs are what bring people out to Turkey Lake this season.
Saturday by Saturday
Here is what the City of Orlando has on the calendar from publish week through the end of the year.
| Saturday | Program | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 14 | Nature in November | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Daily admission waived |
| Nov. 21 | Buddy's Birthday | 1 to 2 p.m. | At the Children's Farm |
| Nov. 21 | Opioid Awareness 5K Run/Walk | See city listing | Hosted by SOMA OCOM |
| Nov. 28 | Walk in the Park | 10 to 11 a.m. | Guided trail walk |
| Nov. 28 | Conservation Corner, Flora for All | 2 to 3 p.m. | Free |
| Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26 | Conservation Corner, Winter's Nap | See city listing | Weekly in December |
| Dec. 26 | Walk in the Park | 10 to 11 a.m. | Day after the holiday closure |
Storytime in the Park, run with Orange County Libraries, is also back for December. It's a story walk where each stop along the trail shows the next page of a book. Confirm the date on the city's Storytime in the Park page before you go.
November 14 is the day the gate is free
Normal entry costs $5 per car, or $2 if the driver comes alone. For Nature in November, the city waives daily admission and runs the park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with live music, hayrides, guided nature hikes and farm tours. Environmental and agricultural professionals from around Central Florida will be there to talk about wildlife, farming and conservation.
The farm tours make this the Saturday to see the park's Children's Farm with a guide. The event also runs longer this year. The 2025 version ran 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on November 8, and 2026 adds an hour.
November 21 belongs to Buddy
The farm's best-known resident gets his own hour a week later. Buddy's Birthday runs from 1 to 2 p.m. with donkey-themed games. Visitors can feed Buddy and take a photo with him. In the city's own words, "Hee-haw! Buddy is celebrating his birthday, and you're invited!"
The same Saturday, the Student Osteopathic Medical Association at the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine is holding an Opioid Awareness 5K Run/Walk at the park. Expect more people on the paths and in the parking lots than on a usual Saturday.
November 28 fills both ends of the day
The Saturday after Thanksgiving has one program in the morning and one in the afternoon. Walk in the Park is a guided hour on the trails from 10 to 11 a.m. Guides cover hiking safety, the park's plants and wildlife, and ways to protect them. The city's advice is "Don't forget your sturdy shoes." At 2 p.m., the free Conservation Corner, Flora for All session looks at the parts of a plant and how they end up on our plates.
Both sessions end by 3 p.m., which leaves two hours before the gate closes.
December keeps the pattern weekly
Conservation Corner changes topic in December. A "Winter's Nap" session is listed on December 5, 12, 19 and 26. Walk in the Park comes back on December 26, from 10 to 11 a.m. That's the first morning the park reopens after its December 24 and 25 closure, so it works well for a day after Christmas with relatives in town.
What the park offers between the programs
The programs fill Saturdays. The rest of the week is for the park's year-round features, and with the 5 p.m. close, mornings work best.
- Disc golf. The park has three 18-hole courses, known among players as the Woods Course, the T1 or Original Course, and T2, nicknamed The Turkeynator. UDisc lists T2 as an 18-hole layout. Courses can close for special events. Every date on the city's disc golf closure list this year fell in September or October.
- Fishing boats. Rentals are offered Thursday through Sunday from 7 to 11 a.m. A four-hour rental costs $31.95 with tax. Those hours fit the winter schedule easily.
- The pier, trails and paved path. The city lists a fishing pier, bike and jogging trails, a paved walking path, hiking, fitness stations, sand volleyball, playgrounds for ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12, and a dedicated drone flying area.
The pass math for a busy season
With a program every Saturday, the annual pass is worth a quick look. The city's registration system lists an annual family pass at $75 and an individual pass at $28.30, each good for 12 months. At $5 a carload, the family pass pays for itself on the 15th visit. At the $2 solo-driver rate, the individual pass pays for itself on the 15th visit too. A household that goes to the six paid Saturdays from November 21 through December 26 has spent $30 at the gate, which is 40 percent of the family pass, before counting any disc golf mornings or boat rentals.
Lunch after the gate
Most of the season's programs end by midday or early afternoon. The closest new food stop is The Dough Show at 8910 Turkey Lake Road, Suite 100. The Orange Observer reported that it began a soft opening on April 15, 2026, as a Middle Eastern restaurant. Its menu includes Egyptian feteer, shawarma wraps, kebab, falafel, bowls and platters. It opens at 11 a.m. daily and closes at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. On a Walk in the Park Saturday, the guided hike ends at 11 a.m., right when The Dough Show opens.
For an evening out once the park has closed, Vines by H is at 7533 West Sand Lake Road, in the former Vines Grille & Wine Bar space on Restaurant Row. WhatNow Orlando reported a full renovation and described modern American cooking with Mediterranean and European influences, steaks, seafood, wine, a cigar lounge and live jazz every night. The restaurant's site lists current hours and reservations.
Knowing a neighborhood well means knowing things like which Saturday the park gate is free and which morning a guided walk ends just as lunch opens. That kind of local knowledge shapes how The Baldor Group helps Dr. Phillips and MetroWest families. If friends or family are thinking about living near Turkey Lake, or you're weighing a move nearby yourself, Contact Us. We're glad to share what we know about the area, including its quieter seasons.
