Things To Do

Thanksgiving in Philadelphia: Parade, Turkey Trots, Dinner

Date Published

Illustration of Thanksgiving in Philadelphia with a parade, runners and holiday lights near City Hall

At a glance

  • Where: Parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Center City and Fairmount, Philadelphia
  • When: Thursday morning for the parade and turkey trots; holiday lights and markets open that weekend
  • Cost: Watching the parade and walking Christmas Village are free; races, dinners and ice skating charge separately
  • Getting around: SEPTA changes service on the holiday; check holiday notices on septa.org before you go

Thanksgiving in Philadelphia centers on the 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which usually runs on Thanksgiving morning, plus a handful of turkey trots inside the city, a few restaurants that post a Thanksgiving menu, and a run of holiday lights and markets that open around the same weekend. This guide groups fourteen verified picks by when they happen: Thursday morning, the meal, and the long weekend, with ways to volunteer at the end.

The short version: be on the Parkway early, run or walk if you like, eat somewhere you booked weeks ago, and spend Friday and Saturday at the lights. Dates for this year sit in one section near the bottom.

How we chose

Every pick below was checked against its own official site or the organizer's registration page, and each is inside the city limits of Philadelphia. We left out anything we could not confirm. That is why the dinner section is short: many restaurants publish Thanksgiving menus late, and we only list places whose own site mentions one. Treat times as typical and confirm on the official site before you go.

Thursday morning: what happens before the turkey?

Thursday morning in Philadelphia is for the parade and the races, both usually finished by midday.

6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade (Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Center City and Fairmount)

The 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade held on Thanksgiving morning on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. 6abc bills it as the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the nation, and the station's page for the 2025 parade listed it from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Thanksgiving Day. The City of Philadelphia posts road closures and detours on phila.gov ahead of big Parkway events.

Our tip: stake out a curb spot along the Parkway early, and take public transit in, because streets along the route close well before the first float. Read more about the area on our Fairmount and Center City pages. Official page: 6abc.

PHLY Turkey Trot to Benefit Face to Face (Wissahickon, near Chestnut Hill)

The PHLY Turkey Trot is a Thanksgiving morning race on Forbidden Drive in Wissahickon Valley Park, starting at the Thomas Road and West Northwestern Avenue lot in Philadelphia. It is a 5-mile run with a 1-mile fun run and walk, and the organizer's registration page lists a 9:00 a.m. start, with same-day registration and packet pickup at Fournier Hall, Chestnut Hill College, early that morning. Note it is a 5-mile race, not a 5K. See our Chestnut Hill guide for the neighborhood. Register at RunSignup.

Greater Philadelphia YMCA Gobble Wobble 5K (Navy Yard, South Philadelphia)

The Greater Philadelphia YMCA Gobble Wobble runs in-person courses on Thanksgiving morning, and the Navy Yard course sits at 4800 S. Broad Street inside Philadelphia. The Y's site lists an 8:30 a.m. start for its in-person courses, plus a virtual option that runs for several days if you would rather wobble from home. Several other Gobble Wobble courses are in the suburbs, so pick the Navy Yard one. Details at ymcagobblewobble.org.

Philadelphia Marathon Weekend (Eakins Oval and the Art Museum, Fairmount)

Philadelphia Marathon Weekend is the running event that comes just before Thanksgiving, and its finish is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art area. The official site describes a marathon through Fairmount Park and along the Schuylkill, a half marathon starting on the Parkway, an 8K along the Schuylkill River and Kelly Drive, and a Kids Run at Eakins Oval. The races can sell out well ahead, so for most people it is a spectator plan. The marathon finishes at the Art Museum steps, at the top of the same Benjamin Franklin Parkway that carries the Thanksgiving parade days later. Official site: philadelphiamarathon.com.

The meal: where can you eat Thanksgiving dinner?

A restaurant can only be a pick here if its own site posts a Thanksgiving menu, and one Center City restaurant does.

Parc (Rittenhouse Square, 227 S. 18th Street)

Parc, the French brasserie at 227 S. 18th Street on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, posts a Thanksgiving Day dine-in menu on its official site. It keeps the regular brasserie menu and adds a set Thanksgiving dinner plat du jour: mushroom soup, roast turkey with stuffing, candied yams, Brussels sprouts, pommes purée, cranberry compote and gravy, then pumpkin or pecan pie, served from noon. Book through the site or call (215) 545-2262; tables on the day go early. Official site: parc-restaurant.com.

Want more options? Many Philadelphia restaurants publish holiday menus only in the weeks before the day, and holiday takeout often needs a preorder, so browse our food and dining listings and check each restaurant's own site.

Two useful notes for the day itself. Reading Terminal Market in Center City (1136 Arch Street) says it is open daily, but its official pages we reached did not confirm Thanksgiving Day hours, so assume holiday closures and check before you go. And the Please Touch Museum in Fairmount Park says on its visit page that it is closed on Thanksgiving Day.

The long weekend: what opens Thanksgiving weekend?

The Philadelphia holiday season starts to switch on the same weekend, and most of these are free to walk through.

Christmas Village in Philadelphia (LOVE Park and City Hall, Center City)

Christmas Village is a German-style holiday market at LOVE Park and City Hall, 1500 Arch Street, with free admission. It opens in the run-up to Thanksgiving, with afternoon-to-evening hours that stretch later on Fridays and Saturdays. Watch the calendar: the organizer can close for a few days just before Thanksgiving and then open on Thanksgiving Day itself with special daytime hours. See this year's dates below and philachristmas.com.

Holidays in Franklin Square (Franklin Square, Old City)

Holidays in Franklin Square is the park's seasonal run of lights, centered on its Electrical Spectacle Light Show presented by PECO. Historic Philadelphia, Inc. runs it with free shows every 30 minutes from 5 p.m., and the season opens the week before Thanksgiving. The park's holiday calendar lists Thanksgiving Day as a closure, so go Friday or later. The park sits near Old City. Official page: Historic Philadelphia.

Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink at Dilworth Park (Center City)

The Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink sits on the west side of City Hall at 1 S. 15th Street and opens each winter around mid-November through February. Center City District's page does not give Thanksgiving hours, so call 215-440-5500 to confirm. Pair it with Christmas Village next door. Official page: Center City District.

Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest (Penn's Landing)

The Independence Blue Cross RiverRink at 101 S. Columbus Boulevard is the waterfront rink, and its Winterfest season opens around Thanksgiving weekend and stays open into late winter. Daily hours are not on the page we read, so check before you skate. Official page: Delaware River Waterfront.

LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo (West Philadelphia)

The Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Avenue, runs its LumiNature holiday light event in the evenings from the week before Thanksgiving into January, with advance online reservations required. Daytime hours are shorter in late fall, and the zoo's site does not state Thanksgiving Day hours, so call first. Official page: philadelphiazoo.org.

How can you volunteer in Philadelphia around Thanksgiving?

You can volunteer through food banks and charities all year, and the official pages below are the real sign-up routes. Thanksgiving Day shifts fill fast, so the weeks around it are easier.

  • Philabundance (3616 S. Galloway Street, South Philadelphia): shifts packing food, sorting donations and assembling senior boxes, booked through its volunteer portal. The page lists no Thanksgiving-specific program. philabundance.org/volunteer
  • MANNA (420 N. 20th Street, Fairmount): kitchen shifts on weekdays and volunteer drivers, with group shifts too, booked through its volunteer pages or by phone at 215-496-2662. mannapa.org
  • Share Food Program (2901 W. Hunting Park Avenue): packing, pantry support and food rescue roles listed under Get Involved. sharefoodprogram.org
  • The Rock, Calvary Chapel Kensington (Kensington): its homepage links to a Thanksgiving volunteer sign-up and to donating food supplies, but gives no dinner date or time on the page, so use the sign-up link. therockphilly.org

What is open or closed on Thanksgiving Day?

Most City services close, and transit runs a holiday schedule. The City of Philadelphia says all City offices close on holidays, including Free Library branches, health centers and Parks and Recreation facilities, and trash and recycling are not collected on City holidays, with the rest of that week's pickup running one day behind. Its page did not list Thanksgiving by name, so confirm at phila.gov.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) changes service on Thanksgiving, and the parade detours buses around the Parkway, so check the holiday notices on septa.org before you set out. For museums, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Franklin Institute, check each official site for holiday hours before you go.

This year's dates

Thanksgiving Day 2026 is Thursday, November 26. These are the dates the official sources gave:

  • Philadelphia Marathon Weekend: November 20 to 22, 2026.
  • Christmas Village in Philadelphia: November 21 to December 27, 2026, closed November 23 to 25 and on December 25. The organizer lists Thanksgiving hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Parc: Thanksgiving dinner plat du jour on Thursday, November 26, from noon, $76 per person.
  • Holidays in Franklin Square: November 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027, closed November 26, with the light show debuting November 19.
  • Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink at Dilworth Park: November 13, 2026 to February 21, 2027.
  • Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest: November 27, 2026 to February 28, 2027.
  • LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo: November 19, 2026 to January 9, 2027.
  • PHLY Turkey Trot: Thursday, November 26, 2026, 9:00 a.m., with same-day pickup 7 to 8:30 a.m. Gobble Wobble in-person courses: 8:30 a.m. that day; the virtual option runs November 26 to 29.
  • Please Touch Museum: closed November 26; special hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 25.
  • 6abc parade: Thanksgiving morning is expected; the 2026 route and times had not been published on the station's official page when we checked.

Your Thanksgiving week checklist

  1. Wednesday: book dinner, check SEPTA holiday service, pick your race or parade spot.
  2. Thursday morning: turkey trot or Parkway parade, then home or dinner.
  3. Friday: skate at RiverRink on the waterfront, then Christmas Village.
  4. Saturday: Franklin Square lights, then the Zoo or the rink.
  5. Anytime: book a volunteer shift at one of the four charities above.

For more events as the season goes on, see our events page and this weekend.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What time is the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia?

The 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade is held on Thanksgiving morning on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. The station listed the 2025 parade from 8:30 a.m. to noon, so confirm this year's times on 6abc.

Are there turkey trots inside Philadelphia?

Yes. The PHLY Turkey Trot runs on Forbidden Drive in Wissahickon Valley Park, and the Greater Philadelphia YMCA Gobble Wobble has an in-person Navy Yard course in South Philadelphia. Check each organizer's page for start times and registration.

Is Christmas Village in Philadelphia open on Thanksgiving?

Christmas Village in Philadelphia can open on Thanksgiving Day with special daytime hours, and it may close for a few days just before. Admission is free; check philachristmas.com for this year's calendar.

Where can I volunteer in Philadelphia at Thanksgiving?

Philabundance, MANNA, the Share Food Program and The Rock in Kensington all have volunteer sign-ups on their official sites. Only The Rock's page links to a Thanksgiving-specific sign-up, so book a shift in the surrounding weeks if Thursday is full.

Does SEPTA run on Thanksgiving?

SEPTA changes service on Thanksgiving, and parade detours affect buses near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Check the holiday notices on septa.org for the current year's schedule.