# Thanksgiving weekend with kids in Fort Wayne, 2026

> We haven’t found a 2026 Thanksgiving parade in Fort Wayne with posted details yet. In all we found four Thanksgiving-weekend outings in and around Fort Wayne: one turkey trot with a kids’ race and three Black Friday weekend picks. We also list two places and whether they’re open on Thanksgiving Day.

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

## Turkey trots with kids’ races

- **Fort Wayne Running Club Turkey Trot: Turkey Toddlers** at Homestead High School Environmental Center, Southwest Fort Wayne. When: Sat, Nov 21, 2026. Time: Saturday before Thanksgiving; Turkey Toddlers at 9:45 a.m.; 5K at 10 a.m. Price: Turkey Toddlers free. For kids: A free 15,000-centimeter trail run for kids 10 and under. No strollers or pets. Official page: https://runsignup.com/Race/IN/FortWayne/FortWayneRunningClubTurkeyTrot (checked 2026-10-18)

## Black Friday weekend with little kids

- **HolidayFest featuring Night of Lights** at Downtown Fort Wayne, Downtown. When: Wed, Nov 25, 2026. The night before Thanksgiving, 5:45–8pm: downtown’s holiday lights switch on. Free. Official page: https://downtownfortwayne.com/events (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Wild Lights over Thanksgiving weekend** at Fort Wayne Zoo, Franke Park. When: Fri, Nov 27, 2026. Open Friday through Sunday, 5:30–9pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day. Official page: https://fwzoo.com/wild-lights/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Breakfast with Santa at the Embassy Theatre** at Embassy Theatre, 125 W Jefferson Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. When: Fri Nov 27 & Sat Nov 28, 2026. Time: 9 a.m. (doors 8:30 a.m.). Price: Ticketed; see the theatre's page. Santa visits opening this weekend. Walk through the Festival of Trees first, then a breakfast buffet with Santa visits, carols, kids' activities and a Fort Wayne Youtheatre performance. Seating is limited. Official page: https://fwembassytheatre.org/events/breakfast-with-santa-saturday-2 (checked 2026-10-19)

## Open or closed on Thanksgiving Day

- **Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory**: Closed Thanksgiving Day. Source: https://www.cityoffortwayne.in.gov/492/Hours-Rates (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Kids Empire Fort Wayne**: Open (it says it’s open every day, including holidays). Source: https://www.kidsempire.com/store-locator/kids-empire-ft-wayne (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

### Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Fort Wayne?
We haven’t found 2026 details for a Thanksgiving parade in Fort Wayne yet. We check again every Thursday and add it as soon as the organizer posts it.

### Are there turkey trots with kids’ races in Fort Wayne?
Fort Wayne Running Club Turkey Trot: Turkey Toddlers: Sat, Nov 21, 2026. A free 15,000-centimeter trail run for kids 10 and under. No strollers or pets.

### What’s open on Thanksgiving Day in Fort Wayne with kids?
Open on Thanksgiving: Kids Empire Fort Wayne. Closed on Thanksgiving: Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory. Check the venue page the morning of, since holiday hours can change.

### What can we do with little kids on Black Friday weekend in Fort Wayne?
HolidayFest featuring Night of Lights, Wild Lights over Thanksgiving weekend and Breakfast with Santa at the Embassy Theatre. Dates and times are on each card.

### 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/).