Things To Do

Thanksgiving in North Carolina: Parades, Turkey Trots and Traditions

Date Published

Illustration of Thanksgiving in North Carolina with turkey trot runners, a parade and mountains

At a glance

  • Where: Statewide: Mountains, Piedmont and Coast
  • When: Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November; most trots start between 7:30 and 9:15 a.m.
  • Cost: The Charlotte parade is free to watch and most state park day-use areas are free; turkey trots charge a registration fee (check each official site)
  • Plan ahead: Race fees rise near race day; book Biltmore and Tweetsie Christmas tickets ahead

Thanksgiving in North Carolina starts with a Thanksgiving Eve parade on Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte, moves to morning turkey trots in Raleigh, Asheville, Winston-Salem and Wilmington, and ends with state park hikes and holiday lights that open that weekend. Many North Carolina State Parks, including Hanging Rock, Stone Mountain and Jockey's Ridge, stay open on Thanksgiving Day, and their official pages list Christmas Day as the only holiday closure.

The picks below are grouped by region and each one was checked against its official site. Fifteen picks follow, then a section with this year's dates.

How we chose

We kept only events and places we could confirm from an official site (an organizer, a venue, North Carolina State Parks or the National Park Service). Everything is inside North Carolina. We left out anything we could not confirm.Fees and times change, so treat every number here as typical and check the official site before you go.

Piedmont: Charlotte, Raleigh, the Triad and the Triangle

The Piedmont has Charlotte's night-before parade, big-city turkey trots in Charlotte and Raleigh, and two state parks that stay open on the holiday.

1. Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade, Uptown Charlotte

Charlotte's big parade happens the night before Thanksgiving, not on the day itself. It runs along Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte, is free to watch and goes ahead rain or shine. Paid VIP seating is available. The route can change, so check the official parade page before you pick a spot. For a meal before or after, browse our North Carolina dining listings.

2. CPI Security Charlotte Turkey Trot, SouthPark

The Charlotte Turkey Trot offers a 5K, an 8K and a 1 Mile Fun Run, with packet pickup at Center Court in SouthPark Mall in Charlotte. The official site says it has sold out in recent years, so register early. The 5K and 8K entry fee rises in late November, and registration closes on the evening before Thanksgiving. The race-day schedule is on the official Charlotte Turkey Trot site.

3. Skinny Turkey Half Marathon and 5K, Raleigh

The Skinny Turkey runs on Thanksgiving morning from Wakefield High School at 2200 Wakefield Pines Drive in north Raleigh. Its schedule includes a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K, a 1 mile walk and a Kids Drumstick Dash. Races are stroller-friendly and pet-friendly, which is unusual for a timed event. Times are marked subject to change on the official event page.

4. North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival, Cary

The festival at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Parkway in Cary, turns the grounds into a lantern trail and runs through the Thanksgiving week into January. The festival box office is open in the afternoon and evening. Hours and any holiday closures are posted on the Koka Booth Amphitheatre site. It is a good evening plan once the turkey is done.

5. Turkey Strut 5K, Winston-Salem

The Turkey Strut 5K starts at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, 2825 University Parkway, on Thanksgiving morning. It benefits We Care House of Winston-Salem, and runners are asked to bring three canned goods. Turkeys go to the top finishers. Registration is on the official RunSignup page. See our Winston-Salem area page for more.

6. Old Salem Museums & Gardens, Winston-Salem

Old Salem, at 900 Old Salem Road, lists Thanksgiving Day as a closure, so plan it for the day after. Its hours are typically 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The official site is oldsalem.org.

7. Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury

Hanging Rock State Park, at 1790 Hanging Rock Park Road in Danbury, is open on Thanksgiving Day, with Christmas Day as its only holiday closure. November hours at the main gate are typically 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The park lists 48 miles of hiking trails; the swim lake and boat rentals are seasonal and closed by late fall. See the official park page.

8. Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap

Stone Mountain State Park, at 3042 Frank Parkway in Roaring Gap, is open on all holidays except Christmas Day. Its granite dome is about 600 feet tall and is a National Natural Landmark. Trail sections near the waterfalls can close for repairs, so check the official park page for current trail status.

Mountains: Asheville and the High Country

The mountains pair a downtown race with the state's most famous holiday house.

9. Asheville Turkey Trot, downtown Asheville

The Asheville Turkey Trot starts at 30 Woodfin Street, in front of the downtown YMCA, and finishes at Pack Square Park. A 1-mile Gobble Wobble fun run goes first, followed by the 5K. Early packet pickup is typically the day before Thanksgiving. Everything is on the official site. See our North Carolina events calendar for the rest of the weekend.

10. Christmas at Biltmore, Asheville

Biltmore, at 1 Lodge Street in Asheville, runs its Christmas season from early November into January. Its press page highlights about 50 decorated trees inside Biltmore House, a 35-foot Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall and Candlelight Christmas Evenings. The Christmas page does not list Thanksgiving Day hours, so confirm them and book ahead through the official Biltmore Christmas page.

11. Tweetsie Christmas, Blowing Rock

Tweetsie Railroad, at 300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, is closed until the day after Thanksgiving, when Tweetsie Christmas begins on select evenings. The night steam-train ride passes over a million lights, and there is a live variety show and Santa in his Gingerbread House. Dates are on the official Tweetsie site. Visit our Blowing Rock area page for nearby stops.

Two more mountain notes: the free Rumbling Bald Access of Chimney Rock State Park near Lake Lure is typically open on Thanksgiving, while the main Chimney Rock access is closed that day. Grandfather Mountain in Linville is typically closed on Thanksgiving Day and open the day after, weather permitting.

Coast: Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach and the Outer Banks

The coast trades parades for boats, dunes and open beaches.

12. Cape Fear Habitat Turkey Trot, downtown Wilmington

The Cape Fear Habitat Turkey Trot starts at the Live Oak Bank Pavilion in downtown Wilmington, and its 1 Mile and 5K run along the Cape Fear River on Thanksgiving morning. Turkey costumes are encouraged, pets included. Proceeds go to Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity. Register on RunSignup. See our Wilmington area page.

13. NC Holiday Flotilla, Wrightsville Beach

The NC Holiday Flotilla is a decorated boat parade at Wrightsville Beach, and it happens on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Saturday has a Day in the Park at Wrightsville Beach Park, then a boat parade and fireworks in the evening. Weekend details are on the official flotilla site.

14. Jockey's Ridge State Park, Nags Head

Jockey's Ridge State Park, at 300 W. Carolista Drive in Nags Head, is open on Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day is its only holiday closure. It has the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic coast. November hours are typically 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. See the official park page and our Nags Head area page.

15. Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills

The Wright Brothers National Memorial lists Christmas Day as its only closure and is typically open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, so Thanksgiving Day and the day after are open. It marks where Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first successful airplane flights on December 17, 1903, according to the National Park Service. Check the National Park Service hours page.

This year's dates

Thanksgiving Day 2026 is Thursday, November 26. These dates come from each official site and can change.

  • Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade: Wednesday, November 25, step-off at 5:30 p.m. in Uptown Charlotte.
  • Skinny Turkey Raleigh: Thursday, November 26, with the half marathon at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K at 8 a.m.
  • Asheville Turkey Trot: Thursday, November 26, with the 1-mile run at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K at 9:15 a.m.
  • Turkey Strut 5K, Winston-Salem: Thursday, November 26, with the 5K at 9 a.m.
  • Cape Fear Habitat Turkey Trot, Wilmington: Thursday, November 26, with the 1 Mile at 8 a.m. and the 5K at 8:30 a.m.
  • Tweetsie Christmas: begins Friday, November 27, on select evenings through December 30.
  • NC Holiday Flotilla: November 27 to 29, boat parade on Saturday at 6 p.m.
  • NC Chinese Lantern Festival: November 21, 2026 to January 10, 2027.

What food traditions go with the day?

The sweet potato on your Thanksgiving table very likely came from North Carolina. The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission says North Carolina is the No. 1 sweet potato producing state in the U.S. and grows nearly 60% of the country's supply, so a sweet potato casserole or pie is the most local dish you can serve. Look for North Carolina-grown sweet potatoes at farmers markets and grocery stores through the fall. If you would rather not cook, book a restaurant or order a takeout meal well ahead, since holiday menus fill up.

A Thanksgiving weekend route to keep

  1. Wednesday evening: watch the Thanksgiving Eve parade on Tryon Street in Charlotte.
  2. Thursday morning: run or walk a turkey trot in your region, then hike a state park that stays open, such as Hanging Rock, Stone Mountain or Jockey's Ridge.
  3. Friday: visit Old Salem or head up to Blowing Rock for Tweetsie Christmas.
  4. Saturday: catch the Wrightsville Beach boat parade or tour Biltmore at Christmas.
  5. Check hours the day before. State park pages list holiday closures clearly.

For more ideas, browse our events calendar and outdoors guides.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Thanksgiving Day parade in North Carolina?

Charlotte's Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade runs on Tryon Street in Uptown the night before Thanksgiving, not on the day itself. It is free to watch and goes ahead rain or shine.

Are North Carolina state parks open on Thanksgiving Day?

Many are, but not all. The official pages for Hanging Rock, Stone Mountain and Jockey's Ridge list Christmas Day as the only holiday closure, so Thanksgiving Day is open, while the main Chimney Rock access at Chimney Rock State Park closes on Thanksgiving. Confirm the specific park on ncparks.gov first.

Where can I run a turkey trot in North Carolina?

North Carolina's well-known turkey trots include the Charlotte Turkey Trot at SouthPark, which says it has sold out in recent years, plus Raleigh's Skinny Turkey, the Asheville Turkey Trot, the Turkey Strut 5K in Winston-Salem and Wilmington's Cape Fear Habitat Turkey Trot. Register early, since fees rise close to race day.

What is open the day after Thanksgiving in North Carolina?

Old Salem in Winston-Salem, Wright Brothers National Memorial, Grandfather Mountain (weather permitting) and Tweetsie Christmas in Blowing Rock open on that Friday. The NC Holiday Flotilla at Wrightsville Beach also takes place that weekend.

Is Biltmore open on Thanksgiving Day?

Biltmore in Asheville does not list Thanksgiving Day hours on its Christmas at Biltmore page, so check biltmore.com before you go. Its Christmas season typically runs from early November into January.