Things To Do

Thanksgiving in Omaha: Turkey Trots, Dinner and Holiday Lights

Date Published

Illustration of Thanksgiving in Omaha with runners, a roast turkey and holiday lights

At a glance

  • Where: Across Omaha, Nebraska: downtown, Dundee, Lake Cunningham, Aksarben Village and The RiverFront
  • When: Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday of November) through the following weekend
  • Cost: Memorial Park Turkey Trot is free with a food or cash donation; Midtown Crossing's Season of Lights is free; races and some events charge, so check each official site
  • Plan ahead: Take-home meals and dine-in seats usually need advance orders by phone or online

Thanksgiving in Omaha runs on a simple rhythm: a Thursday-morning race, a meal you booked days earlier, and a long weekend when the holiday lights and tree lightings begin. We could not confirm an official Thanksgiving Day parade in Omaha, so the morning tradition here is the turkey trot. This guide groups the picks by when they happen, and every place below was checked against its own official site.

How we chose

We kept only things inside Omaha that an official site or official registration page confirms as active. We left out anything we could only find on third-party listings, including one free Thanksgiving fun run at Lake Zorinsky that has no official page of its own. Hours, prices and sign-up rules change, so treat every detail here as typical and check the official site before you go.

What can you do on Thanksgiving morning in Omaha?

Thanksgiving morning in Omaha usually means a 5K, and three of them return every year. Start times differ by race, so decide early.

Omaha Turkey Trot 5K, North Downtown

The Omaha Turkey Trot 5K starts at 1200 Mike Fahey Street, on the edge of downtown near The RiverFront. The official registration page on RunSignup lists timed and untimed 5K options and a kids' fun run, plus a free 100-meter Kid's Dash for ages 8 and under. The organizer's site, nebraskaruns.com, posts the race-day schedule; the 5K usually starts around 9 AM, with the Kid's Dash just before it.

Memorial Park Turkey Trot, Dundee-Memorial Park area

The Memorial Park Turkey Trot is the neighborhood one: free to enter, with a 5K (two loops) or a 2.5K walk (one loop) around Memorial Park, with runners meeting at the Memorial Park roundabout and starting from the Memorial Park Monument. It usually starts at 9 AM on Thanksgiving. Instead of a fee, you bring five cans of food or a cash donation for the Food Bank for the Heartland. The race page calls it one of Omaha's longest-running Thanksgiving Day races.

Feast and Feathers Thanksgiving Trail Run, Lake Cunningham

Feast and Feathers is the trail option at Lake Cunningham, 8965 State Street (Entrance 1, the marina). The official site lists a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a kids' race called the Little Gobbler Trot, all on Thanksgiving morning, with the early distances starting around 8 AM. Registration can close before race day, but the site says donations and volunteering stay open.

Where can you eat Thanksgiving dinner in Omaha?

Two Omaha restaurants confirm Thanksgiving food on their own sites, and both want you to plan ahead.

Beacon Hills, Aksarben Village area

Beacon Hills, at 6750 Mercy Road, Suite 107, posts a holiday menu page with both options. Dine-in is a Thanksgiving Day seating window in the late morning and afternoon, with dine-in and to-go orders placed by phone and a credit card required to hold a reservation. Take-home orders come with an order deadline the Monday before Thanksgiving, cold pickup on Wednesday and hot pickup on Thursday. Call 402-933-3115.

Big Mama's Kitchen & Catering, North Omaha

Big Mama's Kitchen & Catering, at 2112 N. 30th Street, Suite 201, takes holiday catering orders for in-store pickup only. Its holiday page lists turkey, cornbread dressing, traditional sides and Big Mama's Sweet Potato Pie. You choose a pickup date and time when you order online. The page lists early-bird pricing in late October and new prices from November, so order early.

How can you volunteer or give around Thanksgiving?

Four Omaha charities have official volunteer or donation pages. Most Thanksgiving shifts fill early, so sign up in October or early November.

  • Open Door Mission, 2828 N. 23rd Street, North Omaha: its Thanksgiving appeal asks for donations toward hot meals, and it has a year-round volunteer page and a donate page. Before Thanksgiving it usually runs Hy-Vee Turkey 'N' Fixin's, where shoppers at Omaha Hy-Vee stores buy meal bags so families can cook Thanksgiving at home.
  • Food Bank for the Heartland, 4645 S. 84th Street: it has a volunteer page and one-time or monthly giving. It does not run a Thanksgiving meal, but it is the destination for the cans from the Memorial Park Turkey Trot.
  • Heartland Hope Mission, 2021 U Street, South Omaha: a pantry that lists volunteer sign-up and donation pages. Its South O pantry hours are posted on its site with a note to check for changes. Call (402) 733-1904.
  • Siena Francis House, 1117 N. 17th Street: it lists volunteer, donate and host-a-drive options. Its site does not detail Thanksgiving shifts, so call (402) 341-1821.

What happens the weekend after Thanksgiving in Omaha?

The weekend after Thanksgiving is when Omaha switches its holiday lights on, usually starting that Friday or Saturday.

Holiday Lights Festival, four districts

The Holiday Lights Festival is the big one. Its official site lists light displays in four areas: the Old Market, North 24th Street, South 24th Street, and The RiverFront (Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing). It usually begins with a Lighting Ceremony at Gene Leahy Mall on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the lights run nightly into the new year, ending around a New Year's Eve fireworks show.

Holly Days at The RiverFront

The RiverFront's own events page lists Holly Days on the same weekend, with hot cocoa, ice skating, a photo booth, ice sculpting and holiday DJs. It usually continues into Sunday afternoon, so check the events page for times and skating details.

The Durham Museum tree lighting, Old Market area

The Durham Museum, at 801 S. 10th Street in the former Union Station, usually lights its tree on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The same day it opens Christmas at Union Station and the White Christmas exhibition. The museum is typically closed Mondays and open Tuesday through Sunday.

Lights of Aksarben, Aksarben Village

Aksarben Village's events page lists the Lights of Aksarben tree lighting at 67th and Center on the Friday after Thanksgiving, with more Lights of Aksarben Fridays into December and a holiday market the first weekend of December.

Season of Lights, Midtown Crossing

Midtown Crossing's Turner Park runs a Season of Lights from mid-November, nightly at dusk, with a decorated tree in Farnam Court and a Santa sleigh photo spot. It is a good low-effort stop on Thanksgiving night or after.

Omaha Children's Museum, Santa's Arrival weekend

The Omaha Children's Museum, at 500 S. 20th Street, lists a Santa's Arrival family weekend on the Friday through Sunday after Thanksgiving. Check its site for tickets and hours.

What is open or closed on Thanksgiving Day in Omaha?

Several of Omaha's big attractions close on Thanksgiving Day, so plan your afternoon before you leave the house.

  • Metro Transit: runs no fixed-route or MOBY service on Thanksgiving Day, according to its Closings and Observances page. Customer service runs as normally scheduled at 402-341-0800, and Metro's administrative offices close Thursday and Friday.
  • Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium: its hours page says it is open year-round except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Its Zoolightful evenings have their own dates on the zoo's site, so check there before planning a Thanksgiving-week visit.
  • Lauritzen Gardens: its visit page says the gardens are closed on Thanksgiving Day.
  • Omaha Children's Museum: says it is closed on major holidays without naming Thanksgiving, so check before you go.
  • Joslyn Art Museum and Kiewit Luminarium: neither homepage lists Thanksgiving hours. Call Joslyn at (402) 342-3300 or the Kiewit Luminarium at 402-502-3366.

This year's dates

Thanksgiving Day 2026 is Thursday, November 26. The dates below come from each official site as of November 2026.

  • Thursday, November 26: Omaha Turkey Trot 5K (packet pickup 7:30 to 8:30 AM, Kid's Dash 8:45, 5K 9:00), Memorial Park Turkey Trot (9 to 10 AM), Feast and Feathers (half marathon 8:00, 10K 8:10, 5K 8:15, Little Gobbler Trot 10:30). Beacon Hills dine-in runs 10 AM to 3 PM, with last seating at 2 PM. Metro Transit has no fixed-route service.
  • Monday, November 23: Beacon Hills take-home order deadline. Cold pickup is Wednesday, November 25.
  • Friday, November 27: The Durham Museum tree lighting (4 to 8 PM); Lights of Aksarben at Stinson Park (6 to 8 PM); Omaha Children's Museum Santa's Arrival weekend begins (November 27 to 29).
  • Saturday, November 28: Holiday Lights Festival opens with music at 5 PM and the Lighting Ceremony at 6 PM at Gene Leahy Mall; Holly Days at The RiverFront runs 4 to 8 PM, and again Sunday, November 29, 11 AM to 4 PM. Lights run nightly through January 1.
  • Midtown Crossing: Season of Lights has run nightly since November 15.

Save this: a Thanksgiving week checklist

  1. In late October, book Beacon Hills or order from Big Mama's Kitchen & Catering, and sign up to volunteer.
  2. By the Monday before, place any Beacon Hills take-home order and pick up Wednesday or Thursday.
  3. Thursday morning: pick a race, and pack five cans if you are heading to Memorial Park.
  4. Thursday afternoon: transit and the zoo are off; take a walk along The RiverFront instead.
  5. Friday evening: tree lightings at The Durham Museum and Aksarben Village.
  6. Saturday evening: the Holiday Lights Festival ceremony at Gene Leahy Mall, then a loop through the Old Market.

For more of the districts mentioned here, see the Old Market, North Downtown, Aksarben Village, Midtown Crossing, Dundee and North Omaha pages, plus events this weekend and food and dining.

Official sources: Holiday Lights Festival, Metro Transit, Beacon Hills holiday menus, Open Door Mission.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Thanksgiving Day parade in Omaha?

We could not confirm an official Thanksgiving Day parade in Omaha. The morning tradition is the turkey trots, including the Omaha Turkey Trot 5K downtown and the free Memorial Park Turkey Trot.

Is Omaha's Metro Transit running on Thanksgiving?

No. Metro Transit's Closings and Observances page says it runs no fixed-route or MOBY service on Thanksgiving Day. Customer service is available as normally scheduled at 402-341-0800.

Which Omaha restaurants confirm Thanksgiving meals?

Beacon Hills lists Thanksgiving Day dine-in and phone-only take-home orders, and Big Mama's Kitchen & Catering lists Thanksgiving catering for in-store pickup. Order or reserve ahead.

When does the Holiday Lights Festival start in Omaha?

The Holiday Lights Festival usually begins with a Lighting Ceremony at Gene Leahy Mall on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the lights then run nightly into the new year.

Are the Omaha zoo and Lauritzen Gardens open on Thanksgiving?

No. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium is open year-round except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and Lauritzen Gardens says it is closed on Thanksgiving Day.

How can I volunteer in Omaha at Thanksgiving?

Open Door Mission, Heartland Hope Mission, Siena Francis House and Food Bank for the Heartland all have official volunteer or donation pages. Shifts fill early, so sign up in October or early November.