Things To Do

Thanksgiving in Minneapolis: Races, Meals and the Long Weekend

Date Published

Illustration of thanksgiving in Minneapolis with runners, a roast turkey and a holiday market

At a glance

  • When: Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday of November; the long weekend runs through Sunday
  • Where: Downtown, Lake Harriet, North Loop and Southeast Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Morning races: Turkey Day 5K downtown and the Drumstick Dash at Lake Harriet, both usually Thanksgiving morning
  • Cost: Race entries and meals are priced by each organizer; check each official site before you go

Thanksgiving in Minneapolis, Minnesota, begins with two Thursday-morning races, the Turkey Day 5K downtown and the Drumstick Dash around Lake Harriet. The meal comes next: a hotel buffet or a take-home kit that you order ahead. The long weekend then turns to the holiday market in the North Loop and a mansion dressed for the season. This guide groups the picks by when they happen, and every pick below was checked against its own official site.

One honest note first: we found no official Thanksgiving Day parade in Minneapolis. The morning tradition here is running, not watching floats. If a parade shows up on a venue's own site, trust that over us.

How we chose

We kept only things inside the city of Minneapolis that an official site or official social page confirms for the current season. We left out anything we could only find on a third-party list, and we skipped places that have closed. Hours, prices and order deadlines change, so we give them only when the official site states them and send you back to it for the rest.

Thursday morning: what happens before the meal?

Two races usually start Thanksgiving morning, one downtown and one on the lake, and both take place inside Minneapolis.

Turkey Day 5K (Downtown East)

The Turkey Day 5K is the downtown Thanksgiving-morning race, organized by the Twin Cities Marathon events team. The official page lists packet pickup and race-day check-in at the Viking Longhouse, 530 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, with the race-day opening early on the morning of the race. Order of the day: check in, warm up inside, run, and be home well before the turkey is carved. Details and registration: Turkey Day 5K.

Drumstick Dash (Lake Harriet)

The Drumstick Dash is the lake option, starting at 4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway in south Minneapolis. It has a 10K that circles the lake twice, a Pi Run of 3.14 miles that is a nod to the holiday's other pie, a one-mile Cranberry Cruise and a Cranberry Kids Half Mile. The race lists Mile in My Shoes as its charity partner, a group that uses running to support people experiencing homelessness. The Linden Hills side of the lake is a good place to warm up afterward; see our Linden Hills guide. Official page: Drumstick Dash on RunSignup.

Tip: both races are on a Thursday morning in late November, so dress in layers you can shed. Check the Minneapolis weather page the night before.

The meal: where can you eat Thanksgiving dinner?

Most Minneapolis restaurants that run a Thanksgiving menu publish it on their own sites weeks ahead, and order deadlines for take-home meals usually land the week before the holiday. We confirmed two.

Mara at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis (Downtown)

Mara, inside Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis at 245 Hennepin Avenue, serves a Thanksgiving buffet and a take-home option. The hotel's own press page describes a carving station that includes a roasted turkey breast, glazed ham and salmon coulibiac, and lists a Thanksgiving To-Go meal with turkey, sourdough stuffing with bacon and roasted apple, and pecan and pumpkin pies. Reservations and orders go through OpenTable. Dates are in the section below. Source: Four Seasons Minneapolis festive season page.

Surly Brewing Co. (Prospect Park, Southeast Minneapolis)

Surly Brewing Co., 520 Malcolm Avenue SE, sells a take-home Thanksgiving Meal Kit that its own site describes as feeding four to six people, with a pumpkin pie made with Surly's Winterize beer. Pies are also sold à la carte if you only want dessert. It is a pre-order item with a sales cutoff, so do not wait until the week of. Surly's site does not say it serves dinner on the holiday, so plan on this one as a kit to eat at home. Official site: Surly Brewing.

Several other Minneapolis restaurants that offered Thanksgiving meals in past years did not show one on their sites when we looked, and a few have since closed. Before you drive anywhere, confirm on the restaurant's own page or by phone. Browse more in our food and dining listings.

Can you volunteer on Thanksgiving?

Yes, but the sign-up process matters more than the date. Several Minneapolis charities run volunteer programs through shift portals rather than walk-in help, and Thanksgiving slots tend to fill early. Start with these three.

Community Emergency Service (CES) Food Shelf (South Minneapolis)

CES, at 1900 11th Avenue South in Minneapolis, takes volunteers for its Food Market, Meals on Wheels and a monthly Saturday pet-food program. Its official process is an online registration form, a meeting with a team member and an orientation before you pick shifts. Under-18 volunteers need an adult, and ongoing roles need a background check. Its pages mention no Thanksgiving-specific shift, so call 612-870-1125 and ask. Details: CES volunteer page.

Catholic Charities Twin Cities (Minneapolis)

Catholic Charities books volunteer shifts on its VolunteerHub site, where individual volunteers must be 18 or older and groups of three to 15 are typical. Its volunteer page lists its address as 1007 E 14th Street, Minneapolis. Its volunteer page lists no Thanksgiving event, so check the schedule and write to volunteer@cctwincities.org with questions. Official page: Catholic Charities volunteer page.

The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center (Downtown)

The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, 1010 Currie Avenue North, in Minneapolis is listed as open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its official page gives no Thanksgiving volunteer sign-up details, so call 612-767-3100 well before the holiday rather than showing up. Official page: Salvation Army Minneapolis, Currie Avenue.

Tip: Second Harvest Heartland, the regional food bank, sorts and packs food for ages eight and up, but its volunteer center is in Brooklyn Park, outside Minneapolis. It is a good option if you can make the drive. Official page: Second Harvest Heartland volunteer page.

The long weekend: what opens the holiday season?

The weekend after Thanksgiving is when downtown and North Loop switch on the holiday season, and two things are worth a stop.

Minneapolis Christkindl Market (North Loop)

The Minneapolis Christkindl Market is an outdoor holiday market at North Loop Green, 350 N 5th Street. It runs on weekends only, and the official schedule includes the weekend after Thanksgiving but not Thanksgiving Day itself. Typical hours are Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday afternoon; see the dates section for this year. Official site: Minneapolis Christkindl Market. The surrounding neighborhood is covered in our North Loop guide.

American Swedish Institute (Phillips)

The American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Avenue, dresses the Turnblad Mansion for the season with a holiday experience called Remember When. The institute's site shows it running from early November into late January, which covers the whole Thanksgiving weekend. Its other seasonal events, including the Julmarknad handcraft market in early December, fall just after. The American Swedish Institute is closed on Thanksgiving Day, so go Friday or later, and check the hours page the day you go. Official site: American Swedish Institute. More on the area in our Phillips guide.

What is closed on Thanksgiving Day?

Plan on most museums being closed on Thanksgiving Day itself. The Walker Art Center's official visit page states that it is closed on Thanksgiving, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art lists Thanksgiving among its holiday closures, as does the American Swedish Institute, so confirm on each site. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is listed as free and open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight, with no holiday exception stated on the Walker's page. Metro Transit's route pages say Thanksgiving gets holiday service, which can differ from a normal weekday, so check metrotransit.org before you head out.

Sources: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Metro Transit.

This year's dates

This section is the only one tied to a single year. Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26, 2026.

  • Turkey Day 5K: Thursday, November 26, 2026. The official page lists an 8:00 a.m. start and a 6:30 a.m. race-day opening at the Viking Longhouse.
  • Drumstick Dash: Thursday, November 26, 2026. The one-mile Cranberry Cruise and the kids half mile start at 7:30 a.m.; the 10K and the Pi Run start at 8:00 a.m.
  • Mara at Four Seasons: buffet on November 26, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanksgiving To-Go orders were due by Friday, November 20, with pickup on November 26 from 8 a.m. to noon.
  • Surly Brewing Co. meal kit: the site says sales close on November 19.
  • Minneapolis Christkindl Market: November 20 to December 20, 2026, on five weekends. The Thanksgiving weekend is November 27 to 29: Friday 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • American Swedish Institute, Remember When: November 7 to January 24.

What is the plan for Thanksgiving weekend in Minneapolis?

Six steps cover the whole long weekend in Minneapolis, from the Thursday race to Sunday at the mansion.

  1. Register early for the Turkey Day 5K or the Drumstick Dash; pick one, since both usually start at about the same time.
  2. Decide where dinner is: a buffet seat or a take-home kit, and write down the order deadline.
  3. Call one of the volunteer organizations the week before, not on the day.
  4. Confirm that your museum or transit trip is not on a closure day.
  5. Friday evening, head to the Christkindl Market in the North Loop.
  6. Saturday or Sunday, walk through the Remember When holiday experience at the American Swedish Institute.

For what else is on in town, see events this weekend and our downtown guide.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Minneapolis?

We found no official Thanksgiving Day parade in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Thanksgiving-morning tradition is running: the Turkey Day 5K downtown and the Drumstick Dash at Lake Harriet.

Where are the turkey trots in Minneapolis?

The Turkey Day 5K is based at the Viking Longhouse in downtown Minneapolis, and the Drumstick Dash starts at 4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway. Both usually run on Thanksgiving morning.

Where can I get Thanksgiving dinner to go in Minneapolis?

Mara at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis and Surly Brewing Co. both advertise take-home Thanksgiving meals on their official sites. Both have order deadlines in the days before the holiday, so check the official pages.

What is open in Minneapolis on Thanksgiving Day?

The Walker Art Center says on its official site that it is closed on Thanksgiving, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art lists Thanksgiving among its closures. Metro Transit runs holiday service, so check metrotransit.org before you go.

Is there a holiday market in Minneapolis on Thanksgiving weekend?

Yes. The Minneapolis Christkindl Market at North Loop Green is open the weekend after Thanksgiving, Friday through Sunday, but its schedule does not include Thanksgiving Day itself.