Thanksgiving in Detroit is not a quiet holiday — and honestly? We wouldn’t have it any other way! This year it is a milestone: America’s Thanksgiving Parade rolls down Woodward Avenue for the 100th time on Thursday, November 26, 2026, the Lions host the Bears a few blocks away that same afternoon, and the long weekend doubles as opening weekend for half of the holiday season. Here is everything worth planning around — the parade, the turkey trots, game day, Thanksgiving Eve, the weekend openers, and one very local way to give back. Every detail below was checked against the organizer’s or venue’s own page.
Real talk — three deadlines to know up front: the Madison Heights senior dinner signup closes Sunday, November 22; grandstand seats and Detroit Turkey Trot registration both close Monday, November 23; and Mighty Gobbler registration closes Tuesday, November 24.
Thanksgiving Morning in Detroit
The 100th America’s Thanksgiving Parade — Detroit
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Step-off: 8:45 a.m. at Woodward Avenue and Kirby
Route: About 3 miles down Woodward, ending near Congress just after noon
Cost: Free along most of the route; grandstand seats $65–$75
One hundred years of balloons, marching bands, floats, and clowns! The centennial parade, presented by Gardner White, is the biggest Thanksgiving morning this city has ever put on, and watching from the curb is free along most of the route. If you want a guaranteed seat, grandstand tickets are on sale through The Parade Company until Monday, November 23, or until they sell out. Staying home? The parade airs live on WDIV Local 4 and streams on clickondetroit.com. One driving note: Woodward closes between West Grand Boulevard and Larned from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, with setup closures starting November 24. Full parade details are on The Parade Company’s site.
S3 Turkey Trot — Detroit
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Time: 10K and Mashed Potato Mile at 7:30 a.m.; 5K Stuffing Strut at 8:30 a.m.
Start: Griswold and Fort St.; finish on Atwater, behind Huntington Place
Price: $35–$50 depending on distance
They call it the parade before the parade — thousands of runners, plenty of them in costume, take over downtown right before the floats roll. The 44th annual 10K and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Mashed Potato Mile start at 7:30 a.m., and the 20th annual 5K Stuffing Strut follows at 8:30. Jogging strollers are welcome, and runners clear Woodward by 9:10 a.m. to make way for the parade. (Yes, you can absolutely run the trot and still catch the parade — that’s kind of the whole point!) Online registration closes Monday, November 23, or earlier if it sells out; race headquarters (Race Central) is Hall E at Huntington Place. Race details and registration.
Go Behind the Scenes: Parade Studio Tours
Where: The Parade Company, 9500 Mt. Elliott, Studio A, Detroit
When: September–November: Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., by reservation only
Phone: 313-432-7833
In the days around the parade, you can tour the 200,000-square-foot studio where the floats are built — home to the world’s largest collection of papier-mâché heads and a costume shop with more than 3,000 costumes. The guided walking tour takes about an hour, it is all indoors, and strollers are welcome. The studio is closed on Sundays. Tour info is on theparade.org.
More Turkey Trots
Canton Turkey Trot for a Cause — Canton
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Time: 1-Mile at 9:00 a.m.; 5K at 9:30 a.m.
Price: $40 for the 5K, $32 for the 1-Mile; virtual option $32
Address: Summit on the Park, 46000 Summit Pkwy, Canton
The 24th annual Canton trot starts and finishes at the Summit on the Park, with a chip-timed course winding through Heritage Park and Pheasant Run Golf Club. It raises money for the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, and registration stays open online until 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day itself — about as last-minute friendly as a race gets! Register on the Canton site.
Mighty Gobbler — Troy
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Time: 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.; 5K at 9:00 a.m.
Address: 3290 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy (start line)
Hosted by Lutheran Church of the Master, the 12th annual Mighty Gobbler runs through a quiet Troy neighborhood, and its 5K is the only USATF-certified Thanksgiving Day 5K course in Michigan. Proceeds support local community organizations. Register online by Tuesday, November 24 at midnight to skip the race-morning lines; packet pickup is Wednesday evening at the church (3333 Coolidge Hwy) or from 7:30 a.m. at the start line. Mighty Gobbler registration.
Ann Arbor Turkey Trot — Ann Arbor
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Time: 1K Tot Trot at 8:15 a.m.; 5K at 8:45 a.m.
Start: E. Liberty and Fourth Ave., downtown Ann Arbor
A downtown Ann Arbor morning run with a 1K Tot Trot for the littlest runners and a 5K for everyone else. The 2026 race benefits the ChadTough Foundation, costumes are encouraged, and the race is part of a Holiday Trio series with the Run Scream Run and Holiday Hustle. Registration details are at theturkeytrot.com.
Game Day in Detroit
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears — Thanksgiving Day Classic
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m.
Where: Ford Field, 2000 Brush St, Detroit
TV: CBS, streaming on Paramount+
The Lions’ 87th Thanksgiving Day game is a division matchup against Chicago, and this year’s halftime show is a headline all by itself: Wu-Tang Clan, executive produced by Eminem and Paul Rosenberg. Antonio Cipriano sings the national anthem. Ford Field sits less than a mile past the end of the parade route — parade in the morning, kickoff at 1. That, friends, is the full Detroit Thanksgiving! The Lions’ announcement.
Michigan State vs. Arkansas — CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Tip-off: 4:30 p.m.
Where: Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave, Detroit
TV: CBS, streaming on Paramount+
The downtown doubleheader continues into the evening: Tom Izzo’s Spartans face John Calipari’s Razorbacks in a neutral-site showcase that tips off just as the Lions game wraps up down the block. Tickets have been on sale since October. Michigan State’s announcement.
Thanksgiving Eve — Wednesday, November 25
Detroit Red Wings vs. Vancouver Canucks
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2026
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
Thanksgiving Eve is one of the biggest hockey nights of the year, and the Wings are home for it against Vancouver. Early fans get the night’s giveaway: Thanksgiving salt and pepper shakers, while supplies last! Red Wings tickets.
MI Bright Lights — Drone Night
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2026 (drone night)
Where: Camp Dearborn, 1700 General Motors Rd, Milford
Price: $25 online in advance, $30 at the gate; $45 VIP
MI Bright Lights runs November 13 through December 30, and Wednesday night is one of only four drone-show nights of the season — the others are December 2, 9, and 16. A drive-through light show with visiting family in the car is a pretty great way to kick off the holiday! It is also one of the picks in our Best Holiday Events guide.
Wayne County Lightfest — Westland
When: Wednesday–Sunday, 6–10 p.m., including Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving night
Price: $5 per car
Entrance: 7651 N. Merriman Rd, Westland
The drive-through Lightfest is open the night before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving night itself — an easy, five-dollar add-on for after dinner or for family visiting from out of town. The season runs November 19 through December 24.
The Long Weekend — Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29
Thanksgiving weekend is also opening weekend for a big part of the holiday season. The highlights (there are a lot!):
Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo — Royal Oak
Open: Friday–Sunday this weekend (Fri & Sat 5–10:30 p.m., Sun 5–9 p.m.); closed Thanksgiving Day
Price: Online $17–$25, members $15.30–$22.50; under 2 free
Millions of LED lights along a half-mile route at the zoo. Dates, gate prices, and parking are all in our Wild Lights guide.
Meadow Brook Hall — Winter Wonder Lights and Holiday Walk
Both open: Friday, November 27, 2026
Winter Wonder Lights: Evenings 6–9:30 p.m.; $23 ages 13+, $13 ages 3–12, ages 0–2 free
Where: Meadow Brook Hall, Rochester
Friday night is opening night for the estate’s outdoor light show, and the daytime Holiday Walk through the decorated mansion starts the same day and runs through December 30.
Home for the Holidays at Ford House — Grosse Pointe Shores
Opens: Friday, November 27, 2026, 5:30–8:00 p.m.
Price: $24 adults, $12 children ages 3–17; ages 0–2 free
A lighted walk around the grounds and a self-paced visit through both floors of the main residence, with Santa stops on the way out through December 20. Dates, member prices, and the separate daytime Photos with Santa sessions are in our Ford House guide.
Glenlore Trails: Aurora — Commerce Township
Open: Friday–Sunday this weekend; closed Thanksgiving Day
Price: $25 ages 13–64, $15 ages 4–12, $20 ages 65+; ages 3 and under free
The illuminated night walk through the woods at Multi Lakes — it’s magical. Bundle up! Full season details are in our Glenlore Trails guide.
Christmas at Crossroads Village — Flint
Opens: Friday, November 27, 2026, 4–9 p.m.
Price: Village only $17/$16/$15; train and village combo $27/$26/$25; 24 months and under free
Historic Crossroads Village dressed for Christmas, with the Huckleberry Railroad running. It is one of the ten picks in our Best Holiday Events guide.
HollyDazzle — Holly
Opens: Friday, November 27, 2026
Hours: Friday and Saturday 5–10 p.m., Sunday 5–9 p.m.
The Renaissance-style village in Holly turns into a walk-through Christmas light show for the season, opening this weekend.
Plymouth Tree Lighting — Friday Night
Date: Friday, November 27, 2026
Time: 8:15 p.m.
Where: Kellogg Park, downtown Plymouth
If your family does the tree lighting after Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, Plymouth flips the switch Friday night. Every lighting in the area, with dates, is in our tree lighting guide.
The Rink at Campus Martius Park — Detroit
Open: Daily, including Thanksgiving Day
Hours: Mon–Thu and Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight (through January 3)
Price: $14 adults, $10 kids 12 and under and seniors; skate rental $5
Skate under the downtown tree — the rink opened for the season on November 21 and runs seven days a week, holidays included. USA Today readers voted it the best ice rink in the country two years running. Hours and group info are on the Downtown Detroit Partnership site.
Big Bright Light Show — Rochester
When: Nightly 5 p.m.–midnight through January 17, 2027
Cost: Free
Where: Downtown Rochester
Downtown Rochester’s buildings have been wrapped in lights since the November 23 switch-on during Lagniappe — a free stroll on any night of the weekend.
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
Thanksgiving weekend is peak tree-cutting weekend. Most area farms opened November 21, and Black Friday is one of the biggest days of their year. Which farms are open this year, their hours, and their prices are all in our Christmas tree farms guide.
Give Back
Deliver Thanksgiving Dinners to Seniors — Madison Heights
Delivery day: Wednesday, November 25, 2026
Sign up by: Sunday, November 22, 2026
Call: (248) 495-5509
Friends of the Madison Heights Area Senior Citizens — a local nonprofit — delivers free Thanksgiving dinners to area seniors on November 25, with the food prepared by John R Grill on John R Road. They need volunteer drivers to make the deliveries, and seniors who would like a dinner delivered can sign up too. Both signups happen by phone at (248) 495-5509, and the deadline for both is November 22. It’s right here in our own neighborhood, and it’s such an easy yes if your family is looking to do a little good this month.
However your family spends it — on Woodward at 8:45 a.m., on a start line, or at home with the game on — happy Thanksgiving! And if the cooking is the main event at your house, our Thanksgiving side dishes are a delicious place to start!
Brittany is a proud mom to two fun loving kiddos, Grayson and Audrey. With a passion for health and fitness, she’s a certified personal trainer and nutritionist who enjoys helping others lead active, enjoyable lives. When she’s not coaching clients, you can find Brittany, her husband, and her kids exploring Michigan’s vibrant scene of indoor play centers, parks, eateries, and events. Whether they’re discovering new hiking trails, celebrating local restaurant openings, or spending the afternoon at the cider mill, they’re always on the lookout for their next adventure. Brittany is passionate about sharing her family’s experiences to help other parents create lasting memories in Metro Detroit. You can follow along with her and her crew here @brittmilesxo.