# Thanksgiving weekend with kids in Detroit, 2026

> The big one for little kids is America's Thanksgiving Parade (Thu Steps off at Kirby and Woodward at 8:45 a.m.). In all we found five Thanksgiving-weekend outings in and around Detroit: one parade, one turkey trot with a kids’ race and three Black Friday weekend picks, and one is free. We also list three places and whether they’re open on Thanksgiving Day.

- Last checked: 2026-10-18
- 5 listings with dates; 0 not posted or announced yet
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/thanksgiving/
- Free things to do (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/free/index.md
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/llms.txt

## Thanksgiving parades

- **America's Thanksgiving Parade** at Woodward Avenue, from Kirby to Congress, Midtown to Downtown. When: Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Time: Steps off at Kirby and Woodward at 8:45 a.m.; about 90 minutes. Price: Free to watch; grandstand tickets sold separately. The 100th parade, three miles down Woodward to the Celebration Zone. Parking along the route is paid. Official page: https://theparade.org/americas-thanksgiving-parade/visitor-info/ (checked 2026-10-18)

## Turkey trots with kids’ races

- **Detroit Turkey Trot and Mashed Potato Mile** at Huntington Place, Downtown. When: Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Time: Mashed Potato Mile 7:30 a.m. (Atwater, behind Huntington Place). Price: See the registration page. For kids: Mashed Potato Mile: a family mile; kids run with an adult. Run before the parade, then grab a curb spot. Official page: https://theparade.org/turkeytrot/general-info/events-schedule/ (checked 2026-10-18)

## Black Friday weekend with little kids

- **Photos with Santa at Ford House** at Ford House, St. Clair Room, 1100 Lake Shore Rd, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI. When: Sun Nov 29; Wed Dec 2; Sun Dec 6; Wed Dec 9; Sun Dec 13; Wed Dec 16, 2026. Time: Sundays 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wednesdays 2–8 p.m. Price: $35 per child (Friends of Ford House $25). Santa visits opening this weekend. Private timed sessions; public sale Oct 23, 10 a.m. Official page: https://fordhouse.org/events/photos-with-santa/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Santa Photos at Fairlane Town Center** at Fairlane Town Center, 18900 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI 48126. When: Nov 27–Dec 24, 2026. Time: Most days 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Dec 24 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; hours change by day, full schedule on the booking page. Price: See photo packages on the booking page. Santa visits opening this weekend. Walk-ups welcome; booking a 15-minute slot online is encouraged (a few families share each slot). Official page: https://whereissanta.com/mall/0099 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Santa Photos at Westland Shopping Center** at Westland Shopping Center, 35000 W Warren Road, Westland, MI 48185. When: Nov 27–Dec 24, 2026. Time: Most days 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Dec 24 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; hours change by day, full schedule on the booking page. Price: See photo packages on the booking page. Santa visits opening this weekend. Walk-ups welcome; booking a 15-minute slot online is encouraged (a few families share each slot). Official page: https://whereissanta.com/mall/0726 (checked 2026-10-19)

## Open or closed on Thanksgiving Day

- **Detroit Zoo**: Closed Thanksgiving Day. Source: https://detroitzoo.org/visit/hours/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Detroit Institute of Arts**: Closed Thanksgiving Day. Source: https://dia.org/visit (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Ward Church Playscape**: Closed Thanksgiving Day. Source: https://ward.church/playscape (checked 2026-10-18)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### When is the Thanksgiving parade in Detroit?
America's Thanksgiving Parade: Thu, Nov 26, 2026, Steps off at Kirby and Woodward at 8:45 a.m.; about 90 minutes, Midtown to Downtown. Times come from each organizer’s own page.

### Are there turkey trots with kids’ races in Detroit?
Detroit Turkey Trot and Mashed Potato Mile: Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Mashed Potato Mile: a family mile; kids run with an adult.

### What’s open on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit with kids?
Closed on Thanksgiving: Detroit Zoo, Detroit Institute of Arts and Ward Church Playscape. Check the venue page the morning of, since holiday hours can change.

### What can we do with little kids on Black Friday weekend in Detroit?
Photos with Santa at Ford House, Santa Photos at Fairlane Town Center and Santa Photos at Westland Shopping Center. Dates and times are on each card.

### What’s free on Thanksgiving weekend in Detroit?
America's Thanksgiving Parade is free to watch or attend. More free ideas are on [free things to do in Detroit](https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/free/).

### How do you check these Thanksgiving listings?
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 18, 2026, and we recheck them every Thursday through Thanksgiving week. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).