Things To Do

Thanksgiving in Charlotte: Parade, Turkey Trots and Where to Eat

Date Published

Illustration of thanksgiving in Charlotte with the Uptown skyline, a parade and runners

At a glance

  • Where: Uptown, SouthPark, University City, south Charlotte and Charlotte-wide food banks
  • When: Thanksgiving Eve parade, Thanksgiving-morning races, take-home meals and holiday lights through the long weekend
  • Cost: Races and take-home meals charge entry or order fees; the parade is a street event; check each official site
  • Plan ahead: Race registration, take-home orders and volunteer shifts all need sign-up before the day

Thanksgiving in Charlotte starts on Wednesday night with the Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade in Uptown, moves to turkey trots on Thursday morning, and ends in a dinner you either book, order to go, or skip by volunteering. This guide groups twelve verified picks by when they happen: Thursday morning, the meal, giving back, and the long weekend.

The detail locals trip over: Charlotte's big parade is the night before Thanksgiving, not on the day. Plan Wednesday evening for it and keep Thursday morning for a race or a long breakfast.

How we chose

Every pick below sits inside Charlotte, North Carolina, and was checked against its own official site or official registration page in November 2026. We kept places that state a Thanksgiving offer or an annual Thanksgiving-week event. Where a roundup elsewhere mentioned a restaurant but the restaurant's own site did not confirm Thanksgiving, we left it out. Exact dates and start times live in one section near the end, because they change every year.

What happens on Wednesday night?

The Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade fills Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte the evening before Thanksgiving, and the official site says it runs rain or shine. It is broadcast live on local television, so you can also watch from home if the weather turns.

1. Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade (Uptown)

What to do: stake out a curb along Tryon Street in Uptown and bring layers, since November evenings get cold once the sun drops. Check the official parade page for the current route and street closures before you leave home. Why it is worth it: it is the one big free-to-watch Thanksgiving event downtown, and it leaves your Thursday free.

Where do you run on Thanksgiving morning?

Charlotte has several turkey trots, and the longest-running of the three below starts at SouthPark Mall. Races usually begin early on Thanksgiving morning, so most finish well before a midday meal.

2. Charlotte Turkey Trot (SouthPark)

The CPI Security Charlotte Turkey Trot starts at SouthPark Mall in SouthPark and, according to its official site at cltturkeytrot.com, has been a Charlotte Thanksgiving tradition for nearly four decades. The lineup includes an 8K, a 5K, a 1-mile fun run and a Tot Trot, which the official site lists as free for kids 8 and under, medal and bib included. Register through the official RunSignup page; the official site lists several packet-pickup locations, including SouthPark Mall. Why: it is the city's Thanksgiving-morning tradition, and kids have their own start.

3. University City Turkey Trot 5K (University City)

The University City Turkey Trot is a 5K run and walk at 3024 Prosperity Church Road in University City. Its registration page also lists a kids' fun run and a costume contest. It is a smaller, neighborhood-scale alternative if SouthPark's crowd is more than you want. Register through its official RunSignup page.

4. Turkey Dash Charlotte (south Charlotte)

Turkey Dash Charlotte starts at the Village at Robinson Farm, 8410 Rea Road, in the Ballantyne-adjacent part of south Charlotte. It is a 4-mile run or walk with a separate 1-mile fun run or walk, and the registration page says signing up for the 4-mile covers the 1-mile at no extra cost, which makes it a good family option. Entry is through its official BikeSignUp page.

Where can you eat Thanksgiving dinner in Charlotte?

Four Charlotte restaurants have official pages that confirm a Thanksgiving offer: two for dining in and two for taking dinner home. Book or order early, because these offers are usually pre-order or reservation based.

5. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (Uptown)

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, at 210 East Trade Street in Uptown Charlotte, lists holiday hours on its Charlotte location page that include Thanksgiving Day, so you can sit down for the holiday without cooking. The page links to a Thanksgiving promotion; see it for the menu.

6. Red Rocks Cafe (SouthPark)

Red Rocks Cafe at 4223-B Providence Road in the SouthPark area publishes a dedicated Thanksgiving menu page, with reservations through the restaurant's site. Its choices include a turkey and spiral ham dinner, a prime rib and a salmon option, plus she crab soup to start and a kids menu. Order the turkey and ham plate if you want the classic.

7. Babe & Butcher (Park Road)

Babe & Butcher, in the Park Road Shopping Center, lists a turkey-shaped Thanksgiving charcuterie board in its holiday collection, and its official site notes that same-day delivery orders have a morning cutoff. It suits hosts who want a showpiece appetizer rather than a full dinner.

8. Midwood Smokehouse (Plaza Midwood, Park Road, Ballantyne)

Midwood Smokehouse takes holiday orders at its Charlotte locations, including 1401 Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood, 540 Brandywine Road on Park Road and 12410 Johnston Road in Ballantyne. Its holiday orders page shows a Thanksgiving whole turkey, and each location links to its own order menu. A smoked bird is the Carolina twist on the table.

For more places to eat year-round, see our food and dining listings.

How can you volunteer around Thanksgiving?

Four Charlotte organizations have official volunteer pages, and the best way to help is to sign up early in November and ask about holiday shifts. None of the sites we checked posted a Thanksgiving-specific sign-up page, so treat these as the places to start and confirm what is needed.

9. Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (Spratt Street)

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina's warehouse is at 500-B Spratt Street, Charlotte, and its official site has a "Volunteer With Us" sign-up link. Sorting and packing food at the warehouse is the most direct way to put a meal on someone's table, and holiday weeks are busy.

10. Crisis Assistance Ministry (Spratt Street)

Crisis Assistance Ministry is at 500-A Spratt Street, next door to Second Harvest. Volunteers create an account at its volunteer portal, linked from crisisassistance.org; youth 10 to 15 need an adult, and 16 and up can go alone. Its holiday giving campaign is described on the site, and groups can ask about holiday shifts.

11. Charlotte Rescue Mission (Uptown)

Charlotte Rescue Mission's men's recovery program is at 915 W. 1st Street, with the women's program at 2855 West Boulevard. Start at the volunteer page , which links to its Volunteer Hub, or call (704) 333-4673. Volunteers help with day-to-day tasks in the residential recovery programs, so ask what is needed in November.

12. Roof Above (Charlotte-wide)

Roof Above, the Charlotte homeless-services organization formed when Urban Ministry Center and the Men's Shelter of Charlotte merged in 2019, according to its about page, lists individual and group volunteering and hosting a collection drive on its volunteer page. A collection drive suits an office or a family that cannot make a weekday shift.

What is open and closed on Thanksgiving Day?

Most Uptown museums close on Thanksgiving Day, so plan the long weekend for them. The official sites say the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Mint Museum and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art are closed on Thanksgiving Day.

  • NASCAR Hall of Fame: 400 East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; typically open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Tuesdays, per its plan a visit page.
  • Mint Museum: Uptown at 500 South Tryon Street and Randolph at 2730 Randolph Road; typically closed Mondays, per its visit page.
  • Bechtler Museum of Modern Art: 420 South Tryon Street; its visit page lists Thanksgiving Day as closed.
  • Discovery Place Science: 168 W. 6th Street; regular hours are on its official site, which does not state a Thanksgiving policy, so call 704-286-8302 first.
  • Transit: the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus schedules page says buses run a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day and a Saturday schedule the day after. The page does not address the LYNX Blue Line, so check rider alerts or call 704-336-7433 before you ride.

What is there to do on the long weekend?

Holiday lights and winter attractions are running by the long weekend, but the two big ones sit just outside the city limits or on its edge.

Speedway Christmas (Concord, just outside Charlotte)

Speedway Christmas is a drive-through light show at Charlotte Motor Speedway, 5555 Concord Parkway South in Concord, which is outside Charlotte city limits. The official page posts evening hours and says the show runs rain or shine; this season it opens before Thanksgiving (see the dates below), so it makes an easy Friday-night outing.

Carowinds Winterfest (Charlotte-Fort Mill line)

Carowinds' Winterfest page lists select dates beginning the day after Thanksgiving. Carowinds lists a Charlotte address on Carowinds Boulevard, but the park sits at the city's southern edge on the South Carolina line, so we do not count it among the twelve picks. Its showtimes are in the park app.

Want the season's kickoff before the turkey? The Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC host an annual Tree Lighting at Bank of America Stadium in Uptown Charlotte, free but with mobile tickets required, per the official event page; this year it falls the week before Thanksgiving. For weekend events, see our events page and this weekend.

This year's dates

Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26, 2026. All times below come from official sites; confirm before you go.

  • Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade: Wednesday, November 25, step-off at 5:30 p.m., with a live broadcast at 6:00 p.m.
  • Charlotte Turkey Trot: Thursday, November 26. RunSignup lists the Harris Teeter 1 Mile at 8:00 a.m., the 8K at 8:10, the Tot Trot at 8:30 and the 5K at 9:10.
  • University City Turkey Trot: Thursday, November 26, 8:00 a.m.
  • Turkey Dash Charlotte: Thursday, November 26; the 4-mile at 8:30 a.m. and the 1-mile fun run at 9:30.
  • Fleming's: holiday hours listed as 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 26.
  • Panthers and Charlotte FC Tree Lighting: Tuesday, November 17; gates at 5:30 p.m., tree lit at 7:00 p.m.
  • Speedway Christmas: Friday, November 20, 2026 through Sunday, January 3, 2027, 6 to 10 p.m.
  • Carowinds Winterfest: select dates from November 27, 2026 through January 3, 2027.

Save this: your Thanksgiving week route

  1. Wednesday evening: watch the Thanksgiving Eve Parade on Tryon Street in Uptown.
  2. Thursday morning: run or walk a turkey trot at SouthPark, University City or Robinson Farm, or volunteer instead.
  3. Thursday midday: sit down at Fleming's or Red Rocks Cafe, or pick up your Midwood Smokehouse turkey or Babe & Butcher board.
  4. Friday: take the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Mint or Discovery Place off your list, after confirming hours.
  5. Friday night: drive through Speedway Christmas in Concord.
  6. Sunday: check the weather page and plan around it.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Thanksgiving Day parade in Charlotte?

Charlotte's main parade is the Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade, held in Uptown the night before Thanksgiving, not on the day itself. The official site says it runs rain or shine and is broadcast live.

Where is the Charlotte Turkey Trot?

The CPI Security Charlotte Turkey Trot starts at SouthPark Mall in the SouthPark neighborhood of Charlotte on Thanksgiving morning. It offers an 8K, a 5K, a 1-mile fun run and a Tot Trot, and registration is through RunSignup.

Which Charlotte restaurants are open for Thanksgiving dinner?

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Uptown Charlotte lists Thanksgiving Day hours, and Red Rocks Cafe in SouthPark publishes a Thanksgiving menu. Book ahead, since holiday seating fills.

Can you order a Thanksgiving meal to go in Charlotte?

Yes. Midwood Smokehouse takes holiday orders including a Thanksgiving whole turkey at its Charlotte locations, and Babe & Butcher in Park Road Shopping Center lists a Thanksgiving charcuterie board. Order early through each official site.

How can you volunteer in Charlotte at Thanksgiving?

Start with Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, Crisis Assistance Ministry, Charlotte Rescue Mission or Roof Above, each of which has an official volunteer page. Sign up early in November and ask about holiday shifts.

Are Charlotte museums open on Thanksgiving?

The NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Mint Museum and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art list Thanksgiving Day as closed on their official sites. Discovery Place Science does not state a policy online, so call ahead.