Thanksgiving in Denver: Turkey Trot, Parade and Where to Eat

At a glance

• Where: Denver, Colorado: Washington Park, Auraria Campus, Denver Botanic Gardens, City Park and downtown
• When: Thanksgiving Thursday (fourth Thursday of November) through the first weekend of December
• Cost: Turkey trot and Christkindlmarket entry: see official sites; Blossoms of Light and Zoo Lights need tickets
• Best for: Locals and visitors who want a morning race, a meal and a holiday-lights weekend

Thanksgiving in Denver starts with the Mile High United Way Turkey Trot in Washington Park on Thursday morning, continues with dinner at a restaurant or a take-home feast, and rolls into a long weekend of holiday lights, a German-style market and the downtown Parade of Lights. This guide groups 13 verified picks by when they happen: Thursday morning, the meal, and the long weekend.

Every event below returns each year. Usual timing is described in the picks; exact 2026 dates sit in one section near the end, taken from each organizer's own site.

What happens on Thanksgiving morning in Denver?

The main tradition is a race. Two picks cover the morning: one to run, one to give.

Mile High United Way Turkey Trot (Washington Park)

The Mile High United Way Turkey Trot is held every year on Thanksgiving morning, starting at South High School, 1700 E. Louisiana Ave., beside Washington Park. It is a 4-mile race or walk, with a shorter family fun run for kids. Costumes are part of the culture. Register ahead on the official page and plan to arrive early, since street parking around the park fills up. For the neighborhood, see our Washington Park guide.

Denver Rescue Mission (volunteer and turkey drive)

The Denver Rescue Mission says it holds Thanksgiving banquets each year, and its volunteer page runs a turkey drive: you bring a frozen turkey when you come to a volunteer shift. Meal-service volunteer sites include The Crossing, Lawrence Street Community Center, the 48th Avenue Center and the Ministry Outreach Center. Sign up through the volunteer page or call Volunteer Services at 303.953.3955. Holiday shifts fill early, so ask well before the week itself.

One note on geography: the Food Bank of the Rockies runs a volunteer program Monday to Saturday, but its distribution center is at 20600 E. 38th Avenue in Aurora, just outside Denver, so we haven't counted it among the picks.

Where can you eat Thanksgiving dinner in Denver?

Five restaurants confirm a Thanksgiving meal on their own sites: three dine-in, two take-home. Menus, prices and deadlines change every year, so treat this as where to look first.

Chez Maggy (downtown)

Chez Maggy, at 1616 Market Street in downtown Denver, lists a Thanksgiving feast for Thanksgiving Day on its Happenings page and takes reservations on its official site. The page gives no hours or price, so call 720-794-9544 or book online to confirm.

Ajax Downtown (Union Station area)

Ajax Downtown, 1899 16th Street near Denver Union Station, posts a dedicated Thanksgiving menu on its holidays page, available on Thanksgiving Day, with a reservation form on the same page. Turkey roulade headlines it. Hours aren't listed, so confirm before you go.

Water Grill (downtown)

Water Grill, 1691 Market Street in downtown Denver, posts a three-course Thanksgiving menu on its Denver page, served all day on Thanksgiving alongside the regular menu, with reservations through OpenTable. It is the seafood option when you'd rather skip turkey.

Guard and Grace (downtown)

Guard and Grace, 1801 California Street, promotes a Thanksgiving at Home package on its official site: a take-home meal that serves six, picked up at the downtown restaurant, with an order deadline before the holiday. It is the easy answer if you want a steakhouse spread without a restaurant table.

Luca (Governor's Park)

Luca, 711 Grant Street in Governor's Park, offers take-home Thanksgiving meals through its parent company's Thanksgiving page, with pickup the day before the holiday. The menu leans Italian: gnocchetti and polenta stuffing sit beside braised ham.

What is there to do on Thanksgiving weekend in Denver?

The long weekend is when Denver switches on its holiday lights. These picks come back every year, mostly from late November.

Denver Christkindlmarket (Auraria Campus)

The Denver Christkindlmarket is a German-style holiday market in Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus, 1000 Larimer Street. It usually runs from around Thanksgiving week to just before Christmas, is free to enter, and typically hosts 40-plus vendors. Come hungry: it is built around mulled drinks and German food.

Blossoms of Light (Denver Botanic Gardens)

Blossoms of Light turns the York Street gardens at 1007 York Street into an evening light display, typically from mid-to-late November into early January. Timed tickets are required, and children 2 and under are free. See the Cheesman Park area guide for the neighborhood.

Mile High Tree (Auraria Campus)

The Mile High Tree is Denver's holiday tree, lit in Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus right beside the Christkindlmarket. Its official page describes a lighting ceremony followed by light-and-music shows every 15 minutes in the evenings, and free admission. It typically switches on in the days before Thanksgiving and runs through New Year's Eve.

Zoo Lights (Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance)

Zoo Lights lights up the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, 2300 Steele Street in City Park, on select nights from late November to early January. Its official page says it is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, so save it for Friday or later. Check the ticket calendar for theme nights. More on City Park.

9NEWS Parade of Lights (downtown)

Denver's big downtown parade is the Parade of Lights, a free event held on a Saturday in early December, so it lands the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend rather than on the holiday itself. The Downtown Denver Partnership says the parade drew more than 200,000 people in 2025, and the route can shift from year to year, so check the map. See Downtown.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science (City Park)

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., stays open on Thanksgiving Day with shortened hours, which makes it a rare indoor option on a day when much of the city shuts. It is closed on December 25.

This year's dates

These dates come from the organizers' own sites for 2026 and were checked in November 2026.

• Turkey Trot: Thursday, November 26, 2026, the 53rd annual. The first wave starts at 9:00 a.m. and the 1-mile Lil' Gobbler fun run at 10:15 a.m.
• Christkindlmarket: November 20 to December 23, 2026. Hours are listed as Thanksgiving Day 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Blossoms of Light: November 20, 2026 to January 10, 2027, 4:30 to 9 p.m. It is closed November 26. Tickets are listed from $19 to $45.
• Mile High Tree: November 20 to December 31, 2026, 5 to 10 p.m., with the lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on November 20. Free.
• Zoo Lights: the official page lists select nights from November 23 to January 3, 4:30 p.m. onward. Confirm the year on the ticket calendar.
• Parade of Lights: Saturday, December 5, 2026. The televised broadcast runs 6 to 7 p.m.
• Museum of Nature & Science: open November 26, 2026, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Luca take-home: pickup Wednesday, November 25, 2026, 2 to 4 p.m., at $70 per person plus tax.
• Guard and Grace: $345 serves six, with orders due November 22.

What is open or closed on Thanksgiving Day?

Much of Denver slows down, and the details change by venue. Confirmed this year: the Museum of Nature & Science is open until 3 p.m., Christkindlmarket is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Blossoms of Light, the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance and every Denver Public Library location are closed. Libraries also close at 4 p.m. the day before. The Denver Art Museum and the Denver Botanic Gardens did not state Thanksgiving hours on the pages we could reach, so check them directly. For buses and trains, look at the service changes page at RTD before you travel, since we could not confirm a holiday schedule.

A Thanksgiving week plan to keep

1. Register for the turkey trot early, then plan a Thursday-morning parking or rideshare strategy around Washington Park.
2. Book Chez Maggy, Ajax Downtown or Water Grill, or order a take-home meal from Guard and Grace or Luca, before the order deadlines.
3. Call the Denver Rescue Mission about volunteer shifts or a turkey drop.
4. Do the Museum of Nature & Science on Thursday afternoon.
5. Friday onward: Christkindlmarket, Blossoms of Light and Zoo Lights.
6. A Saturday in early December: the Parade of Lights downtown.

Browse more at events this weekend and our guides to free things to do in Denver and family days in Denver.

How we chose

We picked events and restaurants inside Denver whose own websites or organizer pages describe them as active, and restaurants whose own sites mention a Thanksgiving meal. We dropped places whose official pages said nothing about Thanksgiving, and the Food Bank of the Rockies because its center is in Aurora. Hours, prices and menus change yearly, so confirm with each venue.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What time is the Denver Turkey Trot?

The Mile High United Way Turkey Trot is held on Thanksgiving morning each year. In 2026 the first wave starts at 9:00 a.m. and the family fun run at 10:15 a.m. Check the official page for the current schedule.

Does Denver have a Thanksgiving Day parade?

Not on Thanksgiving itself, based on the official pages we checked. Denver's big downtown parade is the free 9NEWS Parade of Lights, held on a Saturday in early December.

Which Denver restaurants serve Thanksgiving dinner?

Chez Maggy and Ajax Downtown list Thanksgiving Day dine-in on their own sites, while Guard and Grace and Luca offer take-home meals. Confirm times and ordering deadlines with each restaurant.

Is the Denver Christkindlmarket open on Thanksgiving?

Yes, in 2026 its official site lists Thanksgiving Day hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The market is in Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus and is free to enter.

Can I volunteer in Denver on Thanksgiving?

Yes. The Denver Rescue Mission runs Thanksgiving banquets and a turkey drive, and you can call Volunteer Services at 303.953.3955. Shifts fill early, so ask well ahead.