Thanksgiving 2026Sacramento · City of Trees

Thanksgiving weekend in Sacramento, with little ones.

There’s no Thanksgiving Day parade on our Sacramento list, but Elk Grove Holiday Parade of Lights is Saturday, Nov 28 at 6pm. In all we found four Thanksgiving-weekend outings in and around Sacramento: one turkey trot with a kids’ race and three Black Friday weekend picks, and three are free. We also list four places and whether they’re open on Thanksgiving Day.

The quick answersChecked
Is there a parade?No 2026 parade posted yet. We check weekly.Not yetTurkey trot with a kids’ race?Run to Feed the Hungry · 10K 8:15am1 raceWhat’s open Thursday?Open: Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink.1 of 4 openAnything free this weekend?Theatre of Lights in Old Sacramento · Shows 6:30 and 7:30pm Fri–Sat, 6:30pm Sun (+2 more)3 free

Last checked · Every listing links to its official page. How we choose

Wednesday night to Sunday

The weekend at a glance.

Everything below, laid out by day. Tap any outing to jump to its details.

Wednesday
Nov 25 · Thanksgiving Eve
Theatre of Lights in Old SacramentoFree · Shows 6:30 and 7:30pm Fri–Sat, 6:30pm SunOld Sacramento Holiday Tree LightingFree · Festivities from 5:30pm
Thursday
Nov 26 · Thanksgiving
Run to Feed the Hungry10K 8:15amTheatre of Lights in Old SacramentoFree · Shows 6:30 and 7:30pm Fri–Sat, 6:30pm Sun
Friday
Nov 27
Theatre of Lights in Old SacramentoFree · Shows 6:30 and 7:30pm Fri–Sat, 6:30pm Sun
Saturday
Nov 28
Theatre of Lights in Old SacramentoFree · Shows 6:30 and 7:30pm Fri–Sat, 6:30pm SunElk Grove Holiday Parade of LightsFree · 6pm
Sunday
Nov 29
Theatre of Lights in Old SacramentoFree · Shows 6:30 and 7:30pm Fri–Sat, 6:30pm Sun

Monday to Wednesday, Nov. 23–25

Thanksgiving week with little kids

Many schools are off all week. The full Monday-to-Wednesday list goes up with the weekly update on Monday, Nov. 23; what’s already posted is below.

The Thanksgiving week list goes up Monday, Nov. 23.

It comes from the same weekly check as the Sacramento this-week page.

Email me when it’s posted

Wednesday night

Thanksgiving Eve in Sacramento

Parades and lightings the night before Thanksgiving, from each organizer’s page.

Nov25to Dec 24

Theatre of Lights in Old Sacramento

K Street, Old Sacramento · K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

LightsFreeEvening
Time
Shows 6:30 and 7:30pm Fri–Sat, 6:30pm Sun; Dec 23 at 6:30 and 7:30pm; Dec 24 at 6:30pm only
Price
Free

With littles: Light display opening this weekend. A free 20-minute retelling of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas on the K Street balconies, ending with the 60-foot tree lighting up. No show on Thanksgiving. Holidays on K Street adds lawn games, pop-up vendors and a Letters to Santa station on Saturdays and Sundays from Nov 28 to Dec 20.

Official page ↗Checked Report a problem

Thursday morning

Thanksgiving parade in Sacramento

Start time, route and what to know with a stroller, from the organizer’s page.

No 2026 parade posted yet.

We check the organizers every week. The 4 outings below are confirmed on their official pages.

Email me when it’s posted

Run it off

Turkey trots with kids’ races

Kids’ races, family walks and stroller rules, from each race’s own page. Kids’ turkey trots in other cities.

Nov26Thu

Run to Feed the Hungry

Sacramento State, J Street entrance · J Street at Sacramento State, Sacramento, CA 95819

Time
10K 8:15am; 5K 9am
Price
Register online

With littles: A loop through East Sacramento for the Sacramento Food Bank. Strollers and wagons are welcome in the untimed events.

Official page ↗Checked Report a problem
Know a trot with a kids’ dash we missed?Send us the race page and we’ll check it.Suggest a race

Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday

Open or closed Thursday and Friday

Holiday hours from each place’s own hours page. “Not posted” means the page doesn’t list Friday hours yet. Worth a quick check that morning.

PlaceThursdayFridayNoteChecked
Fairytale TownClosedNot postedSpecial hours the rest of Thanksgiving week.Hours page ↗ · Oct 28
Sacramento ZooClosedNot postedNov 26.Hours page ↗ · Oct 28
California State Railroad MuseumClosedNot posted—Hours page ↗ · Oct 28
Downtown Sacramento Ice RinkOpenNot posted10am–4pm on Thanksgiving.Hours page ↗ · Oct 28

Friday, Nov. 27

The day after Thanksgiving

Tree lightings, parades, light-display openings and Santa arrivals on Black Friday.

Nothing posted for Friday yet.

Tree lightings and holiday openings often post closer to the holiday. We recheck every Thursday.

Email me when it’s posted

Saturday and Sunday

Thanksgiving weekend with little kids

Parades, lightings, light displays and other easy outings Saturday and Sunday.

More to come.Tree lightings and holiday openings often post closer to the holiday. We add them every Thursday.Get the Thursday email

Every year

Thanksgiving events that come back every year

Each of these comes back every year. Its page keeps the last confirmed dates, and the new ones go up there once they’re posted. Every year in Sacramento

Run to Feed the HungryNext: Nov 26, 2026

Keep planning

More for little kids in Sacramento

November: things to do in SacramentoEvery dated listing for the month, by weekDecember: things to do in SacramentoEvery dated listing for the month, by weekFree things to do in SacramentoFree days, free events and places that never chargeIndoor play in SacramentoIndoor playgrounds, toddler times, museums and classes, with pricesLibrary storytimes in SacramentoBaby, toddler and preschool storytimes by day and branchIce skating in SacramentoHoliday and indoor rinks, skate aids and pricesNoon Year’s Eve in SacramentoKid-friendly countdowns, home by napChristmas parades in SacramentoParades and tree lightings with dates and start timesChristmas trains in SacramentoPolar Express, Santa and lights trains with datesThe Nutcracker in SacramentoBallet and touring shows, sensory-friendly flaggedChristmas markets in SacramentoChristkindlmarkts and winter wonderlands with hoursChristmas break in SacramentoWhat’s open on Dec 24, Dec 25 and Jan 1This week in SacramentoDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every Thursday

Good questions

Thanksgiving in Sacramento: the FAQ

We haven’t found 2026 details for a Thanksgiving parade in Sacramento yet. We check again every Thursday and add it as soon as the organizer posts it.

Run to Feed the Hungry: Thu, Nov 26, 2026.

On Thanksgiving Day (Thu, Nov 26, 2026) our list has Run to Feed the Hungry. Times, prices and the official links are on each card.

Open on Thanksgiving: Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink. Closed on Thanksgiving: Fairytale Town, Sacramento Zoo and California State Railroad Museum. Check the venue page the morning of, since holiday hours can change.

No. Its hours page lists it as closed Nov 26. Holiday hours can change, so check the hours page that morning.

Old Sacramento Holiday Tree Lighting: Wed, Nov 25, 2026, Festivities from 5:30pm; first Theatre of Lights show 6:15pm, Old Sacramento. Times come from each organizer’s page.

Theatre of Lights in Old Sacramento, Old Sacramento Holiday Tree Lighting and Elk Grove Holiday Parade of Lights. Dates and times are on each card.

Theatre of Lights in Old Sacramento, Old Sacramento Holiday Tree Lighting and Elk Grove Holiday Parade of Lights are free to watch or attend. More free ideas are on free things to do in Sacramento.

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 28, 2026, and we recheck them every Thursday through Thanksgiving week. How we choose and check.

Holiday plans every Thursday.

One short email every Thursday evening: the best things to do with little kids in Sacramento that weekend, Thanksgiving week included.

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