Thanksgiving in Seattle: Turkey Trots, Dinner and the Long Weekend

At a glance

• Where: Seattle, Washington: Magnuson Park, Montlake, Green Lake, Ballard, Seattle Center, Downtown and more
• When: Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday of November; the holiday kickoff runs through the long weekend that follows
• Cost: Turkey trots charge registration fees and restaurant dinners vary; many Winterfest activities are free; check each official site
• Parade: We found no official Thanksgiving Day parade in Seattle; the big public moments are the morning races and the Friday tree lighting

Thanksgiving in Seattle is a three-part plan: run or walk a turkey trot on Thursday morning, eat dinner out or take it home, then spend the long weekend at the tree lightings, markets and light displays that open the holiday season. We found no official Thanksgiving Day parade in Seattle, so the morning belongs to the races, and the first big public celebration is the tree lighting the day after. In Seattle, the Thanksgiving parade is a 5K, and you get to be in it.

Everything below returns every year and is described by its usual timing. Exact dates for this year are in one labelled section near the end, taken from official sites.

Thursday morning: which turkey trots are in Seattle?

Three Thanksgiving-morning 5Ks run inside Seattle city limits, and all three have official pages listing a Thursday-morning start. Pick the one closest to your kitchen, because you will want to be home in time to cook.

Montlake Turkey Trot (Montlake)

The Montlake Turkey Trot starts at East Lynn Street and 25th Avenue East in Montlake and runs through the Washington Park Arboretum. The race page names the University District Food Bank as the owner, and the event is a fundraiser for local families, so your entry fee goes to the neighbors who rely on that food bank. Race day check-in typically opens early, well before the 5K start. Register on the official race page.

Magnuson Series Turkey Trot (Sand Point)

The Turkey Trot at Magnuson Park in northeast Seattle is part of the Magnuson Series and usually starts mid-morning on Thanksgiving. Packet pickup typically happens a couple of days earlier at a running store, and the organizers advise arriving at least an hour before the start because parking at Magnuson Park fills up. Details are on the Magnuson Series site.

Thanksgiving Day Apple Cup 5K (Green Lake)

The Apple Cup 5K, produced by Hi5K, starts at the Green Lake basketball courts at 7201 East Green Lake Drive North, so you finish beside the paved path around the lake and can keep walking. It has bib pickup on race morning before the start. See the registration page and our guide to the Green Lake area.

A tip for the whole category: Seattle weather in late November is usually cool and wet, so dress in layers you can tie around your waist. Check the Seattle weather page before you leave.

The meal: where can you eat Thanksgiving dinner in Seattle?

Four Seattle restaurants and one bakery post Thanksgiving service on their own sites. Menus change and tables fill, so book early and confirm hours directly.

Ray's Boathouse (Ballard)

Ray's Boathouse, at 6049 Seaview Avenue NW in Ballard, serves Thanksgiving dinner on both floors. The first-floor Boathouse offers a three-course Thanksgiving dinner with children's options, and the second-floor Cafe runs a holiday buffet with fresh seafood, salads, appetizers and desserts. Both take reservations online through links on rays.com. The site does not mention take-home meals.

Palisade (Magnolia)

Palisade, at 2601 West Marina Place in Magnolia, has a dedicated Thanksgiving dine-in page showing a three-course dinner built around a traditional turkey dinner, with a seafood course option on the menu. The menu PDF and booking details are on palisaderestaurant.com. The site does not mention take-home.

Wild Ginger (Downtown)

Wild Ginger, at 1401 3rd Avenue in Downtown Seattle, lists Thanksgiving in its holiday hours, typically a mid-afternoon-to-evening window rather than its usual schedule. That makes it a useful late option when your own table is finished at noon. Confirm the hours at wildginger.net or by phone.

Cafe Flora (Madison Valley)

Cafe Flora, at 2901 East Madison Street in Madison Valley, is a vegetarian restaurant whose home page announces Thanksgiving reservations each year. If you host vegetarian guests, this is the sit-down answer. Details are on Flora Restaurant Group's site.

Flora Bakehouse (Beacon Hill)

Flora Bakehouse, at 1511 South Lucile Street on Beacon Hill, announces Thanksgiving pre-orders on the same site. Treat it as the pick-up route for bread, pies or sides when you cook the rest yourself. The site does not list items here, so check the Flora Restaurant Group page and order ahead.

The long weekend: what opens the holiday season?

The holiday season starts the moment Thursday ends. The tree lighting, the light displays and the markets all return on the same long weekend.

Westlake Tree Lighting Celebration (Downtown)

The Downtown Seattle Association's Tree Lighting Celebration at Westlake Park in Downtown Seattle is held on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The day typically runs family activities through the afternoon, then the lighting of a 45-foot tree and the Holiday Star, followed by fireworks. The association says its downtown holiday celebrations have run for more than 30 years. Details are on the Downtown Seattle Association holidays page.

Winterfest at Seattle Center (Queen Anne)

Winterfest at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, opens around Thanksgiving weekend and runs through New Year's Eve. The official page lists the Winter Train and Village daily, weekend shows on the Armory stage, free Friday movie nights, Saturday ice sculpting and a New Year's Eve celebration. See the official Winterfest page and our Queen Anne guide.

Woodland Park Zoo WildLanterns (Phinney Ridge)

WildLanterns at Woodland Park Zoo, 5500 Phinney Avenue North, is a nightly lantern display typically running from mid-November into January. The display goes dark on a handful of nights, and Thanksgiving Day has been one of them, so check the calendar rather than assuming. See the zoo's WildLanterns page.

Magic in the Market at Pike Place Market (Downtown waterfront)

Magic in the Market is a Saturday signature event at Pike Place Market, 85 Pike Street, that includes a lighting ceremony, and the market has held it for more than 30 years. Pike Place also holds a Holiday Night Market with Santa in December. Times are on the Pike Place Market events page. More ideas are in our events listings.

How can you volunteer around Thanksgiving?

Three Seattle organizations take volunteers through their own sites, though none lists a dedicated Thanksgiving-day shift, so apply early and ask about holiday roles.

Union Gospel Mission (Pioneer Square)

Union Gospel Mission's Men's Shelter, at 318 2nd Avenue Extension South, takes volunteers who submit an online application and pass a background check, usually approved within a day or two. After approval you can sign up for meal shifts and other roles. The mission also runs a Thanksgiving giving campaign that funds holiday meals. For holiday roles, email the volunteer team listed on the volunteer page.

Food Lifeline (South Seattle)

Food Lifeline's Hunger Solution Center, at 815 South 96th Street on Seattle's southern edge south of Boeing Field, runs sort-and-repack warehouse shifts Monday through Saturday. Individuals sign up in advance through an account, and volunteers must be 10 or older, with an adult chaperone for ages 10 to 15 and a signed guardian form for anyone under 18. Book on the volunteer page.

University District Food Bank (University District)

The University District Food Bank, at 5017 Roosevelt Way NE, takes individual volunteers by application and sign-up portal, Monday through Saturday, with groups capped at 12. Its official page promotes the Montlake Turkey Trot as its Thanksgiving fundraiser. See the volunteer page and our University District guide.

What is open on Thanksgiving Day?

Most of Seattle slows down, and the list is short. The Seattle Aquarium, at 1483 Alaskan Way on the waterfront, posts shortened Thanksgiving Day hours on its official site, with last entry an hour before closing. The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), at 325 5th Avenue North, is regularly closed on Thursdays and Fridays, so plan it for Saturday instead.

For the Space Needle and the Seattle Art Museum, check each official site's hours before you go, because holiday schedules are posted close to the date.

King County Metro typically runs Thanksgiving Day on a Sunday schedule, and Metro customer service offices close. Link light rail and the First Hill Streetcar have also run Sunday schedules, while the South Lake Union Streetcar and the King County Water Taxi have not run on the holiday. Check Metro's holiday service page for the current year.

This year's dates

Dates below come from the organizers' own sites; always recheck before you go.

• Thursday, November 26, 2026: Montlake Turkey Trot 5K at 9:00 a.m. (check-in opens 7:30 a.m.); Magnuson Series Turkey Trot at 9:30 a.m.; Apple Cup 5K at 9:30 a.m. (bib pickup 7:45 to 9:10 a.m.).
• Thursday, November 26, 2026: Ray's Boathouse Thanksgiving dinner; Wild Ginger Downtown open 2 to 8 p.m.; Seattle Aquarium open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., last entry 3 p.m.; University District Food Bank closed November 26 and 27.
• Friday, November 27, 2026: Tree Lighting Celebration at Westlake Park, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• November 27 to December 31, 2026: Winterfest at Seattle Center; the Winter Train and Village runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
• Saturday, November 28, 2026: Magic in the Market at Pike Place Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• November 13, 2026 to January 17, 2027: WildLanterns at Woodland Park Zoo, 4 to 9 p.m. nightly with some closed nights including November 26.

How we chose

We started from a long list of races, restaurants, holiday events and charities in Seattle city limits. We kept only the ones whose own official pages confirmed they are active and in Seattle, and we dropped anything we could only find on third-party listings, including a West Seattle race whose official pages were out of date. We also left out several restaurants whose own sites said nothing about Thanksgiving.

Your Thanksgiving week checklist

1. Register for your turkey trot and note the early check-in.
2. Book dinner or pre-order from Flora Bakehouse before the holiday.
3. Apply early to volunteer; approvals can take a day or two.
4. Plan the Friday tree lighting at Westlake Park, then Winterfest at Seattle Center.
5. Save Saturday for Magic in the Market at Pike Place Market.
6. Confirm Metro and attraction hours before leaving the house.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Seattle?

We found no official Thanksgiving Day parade in Seattle. The main public events are the Thursday-morning turkey trots and the Tree Lighting Celebration at Westlake Park, held the Friday after Thanksgiving.

What turkey trots are in Seattle on Thanksgiving?

The Montlake Turkey Trot, the Magnuson Series Turkey Trot and the Apple Cup 5K at Green Lake all start on Thanksgiving morning in Seattle. Each has its own registration page with this year's start time.

Which Seattle restaurants serve Thanksgiving dinner?

Ray's Boathouse in Ballard and Palisade in Magnolia post Thanksgiving dinner on their own sites. Wild Ginger Downtown lists Thanksgiving hours and Cafe Flora in Madison Valley takes Thanksgiving reservations, so book early.

Is Seattle public transit running on Thanksgiving?

King County Metro typically runs a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day. Check Metro's holiday service page for the current year, since some services such as the King County Water Taxi may not run.

When is the Seattle tree lighting after Thanksgiving?

The Downtown Seattle Association's Tree Lighting Celebration at Westlake Park in Downtown Seattle is held on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Check the association's holidays page for the current year's times.