Thanksgiving Break will be here before we know it, parents! There are a few Thanksgiving-specific events coming up, as well as Family Volunteering opportunities and Thanksgiving Break Camps. We’ve included it all here to help you get a jump start on your planning for the big day on Thursday, Nov. 27. Gobble, gobble!
— ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot
Thursday, Nov. 27 | Start times vary | Long Center for the Performing Arts | Register here
Get the whole family out for a morning run with the 35th annual ThunderCloud Subs‑Turkey Trot in Austin on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2025. Choose from a 5-mile run (timed or untimed), a 1-mile walk or run, or the Kids K at the Long Center. One hundred percent of the proceeds go directly to Caritas of Austin, a nonprofit that provides housing, jobs, education, and food services to thousands of Austinites in need. Come for the movement, stay for the community spirit, fun kids’ activity tent, moonwalk, raffle prizes, live music, and more.
— Thanksgiving Week at the Science Mill
November 24–30 | Johnson City
Celebrate the season of gratitude with a visit to the Science Mill for Wild at Risk, a Thanksgiving week exhibit all about endangered and extinct animals. Kids can explore how wildlife adapts to challenges and discover ways we can help shape the future of our planet’s most vulnerable species. Learn more here.
— Thanksgiving week is also the start of many beloved local holiday events. Mozart’s Festival of Lights, A Christmas Carol at Zach Theater, and Austin Steam Train’s North Pole Flyer.
— Start your holiday shopping. You can check out our tips on Where to Shop Locally for Kids’ Clothes. There are also local book stores and toy shops, in addition to local holiday shops and pop-ups like:
— Volunteering
Interested in giving back to the community this Thanksgiving season? There are plenty of local charities that could use a hand, and we’ve rounded up some opportunities where families can get involved here. Here are a few from our round-up:
- Coats for Kids
- Austin Empty Bowl Project
- Operation Turkey
- Operation Blue Santa
- SAFE Alliance Holiday Wish Lists
- Generation Serve
— Thanksgiving Break Camps
In need of childcare over the break, or just looking for something fun for the kids to get immersed in? Check out our Roundup of Fall Camps and Classes, as well as a few local places that have Thanksgiving break-specific camps planned:
Looking for more, easy family fun over Thanksgiving break? Check out:
- Best Things to Do During Thanksgiving Week
- Things to Do Any Time
- Best Playgrounds in Austin
- Great Family Hiking Spots in ATX
- Family-Friendly Resorts Near Austin
- Drive-In Movie Theaters Around Austin
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
