Thanksgiving events Long Island 2026, all in one spot. Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, and Long Island already has plenty planned before the turkey hits the table.
Run it off before dinner, take the kids back to 1863 or help a neighbor fill their table. Here’s the list.
- What
- Thanksgiving turkey trots, family events and a food drive
- Where
- Nassau and Suffolk
- When
- Nov. 13 through Thanksgiving Day, Thu. Nov. 26
Thanksgiving morning turkey trots (Thu. Nov. 26)
- Garden City Turkey Trot: St. Paul’s, 285 Stewart Ave., Garden City. Fun Run, a 5-mile race and a Challenger Division, starting at 8:30 a.m. Includes a food drive for local families. gcturkeytrot.com
- Massapequa Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K: John J. Burns Park, Massapequa. Half-mile Fun Run at 8:30 a.m., 5K at 9:15 a.m. Proceeds go to the John Theissen Children’s Foundation and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
- Nissequogue River State Park Turkey Trot 5K: 799 St. Johnland Rd., Kings Park, 9 a.m.
- Glen Cove Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk: Glen Cove High School, 9:30 a.m.
Before the big day
- Station Yards Turkey Drive, Ronkonkoma: Fri. Nov. 13, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Drop off frozen turkeys and Thanksgiving staples for Long Island Cares.
- Turkey Time: Tiny Tots, Kings Park: Thu. Nov. 19, 10:30 a.m. at Nissequogue River State Park. Nature walks, animal visitors and Thanksgiving crafts for ages 3 to 5. $4.
- Long Island Turkey Trot 5K, East Meadow: Sat. Nov. 21 at Eisenhower Park Field 2. Free Kiddie Dash at 8:30 a.m., 5K at 9 a.m.
- 1863 Thanksgiving Day Celebration, Old Bethpage: Nov. 21 and 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. Cooking demos, old customs and reenactments. $15, $12 seniors and kids 5 to 12, free 4 and under.
- Turkey Talk, Garden City: Sun. Nov. 22, 1 to 3 p.m. at the Long Island Children’s Museum, included with admission.
A Long Island story
Long Island does Thanksgiving morning right. Half the Island laces up in a turkey hat before the parade even starts on TV, and a lot of these races and drives help local families have a holiday too.
We’ll keep adding events here as they’re announced, including the best Thanksgiving Eve parties. Keep it locked to WLIT.FM, Long Island Tonight Radio.
Sources: Garden City Turkey Trot, Elite Feats, Patch, Long Island Times, New York Family. Photo: Bonnachoven / Wikimedia Commons (CC0), Old Bethpage Village Restoration.
