# Thanksgiving weekend with kids in St. Louis, 2026

> The big one for little kids is Ameren Thanks-For-Giving Parade (Sat 2 p.m.). In all we found five Thanksgiving-weekend outings in and around St. Louis: one parade, two turkey trots with kids’ races and two Black Friday weekend picks, and one is free. We also list two 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/st-louis/thanksgiving/
- Free things to do (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/st-louis/free/index.md
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/st-louis/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/st-louis/llms.txt

## Thanksgiving parades

- **Ameren Thanks-For-Giving Parade** at Downtown St. Louis, Downtown. When: Sat, Nov 21, 2026. Time: 2 p.m. The 42nd parade is the Saturday before Thanksgiving, with floats, drumlines, marching bands and Santa. Official page: https://www.celebratesaintlouis.org/thanks-for-giving-parade (checked 2026-10-18)

## Turkey trots with kids’ races

- **St. Louis Turkey Trot** at Forest Park, Forest Park. When: Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Time: Kids Dash 7:45 a.m.; 5K and 8K 8 a.m. Price: See the registration page. For kids: Kids Dash with a finisher award for every child. Official page: https://missouriruns.com/stlouisturkeytrot/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Turkey Trot STL | St. Charles** at The Family Arena, St. Charles. When: Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Time: 5K 8 a.m.; ½-mile Kids Run about 9:15 a.m. Price: 5K $25–$38 depending on when you sign up; Kids Run free. For kids: Free half-mile Kids Run. Official page: https://turkeytrotstl.raceroster.com/ (checked 2026-10-18)

## Black Friday weekend with little kids

- **Wild Lights** at Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, MO. When: Select nights Nov 27 – Dec 30, 2026. Time: 5–8:30 p.m. (last entry 8). Price: $19; members $16; under 2 free; on sale late October. Light display opening this weekend. S'mores, Santa, 4D Rudolph, carousel; expanded onto Historic Hill. Official page: https://www.stlzoo.org/events/wild-lights (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Santa Photos at Saint Louis Galleria** at Saint Louis Galleria, 1155 Saint Louis Galleria, St. Louis, MO 63117. When: Nov 27–Dec 24, 2026. Time: Most days 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Dec 24 9 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). Pet photo nights on 6 evenings (Nov 30, Dec 1, Dec 7, Dec 8, Dec 14, Dec 15). Official page: https://whereissanta.com/mall/1103 (checked 2026-10-19)

## Open or closed on Thanksgiving Day

- **Saint Louis Zoo**: Open Thanksgiving Day, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Source: https://stlzoo.org/visit/hours-and-prices (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Saint Louis Art Museum**: Closed Thanksgiving Day. Source: https://www.slam.org/hours-location-parking/ (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 St. Louis?
Ameren Thanks-For-Giving Parade: Sat, Nov 21, 2026, 2 p.m., Downtown. Times come from each organizer’s own page.

### Are there turkey trots with kids’ races in St. Louis?
St. Louis Turkey Trot: Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Kids Dash with a finisher award for every child. Turkey Trot STL | St. Charles: Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Free half-mile Kids Run.

### What’s open on Thanksgiving Day in St. Louis with kids?
Open on Thanksgiving: Saint Louis Zoo (9 a.m.–2 p.m.). Closed on Thanksgiving: Saint Louis Art Museum. Check the venue page the morning of, since holiday hours can change.

### What can we do with little kids on Black Friday weekend in St. Louis?
Wild Lights and Santa Photos at Saint Louis Galleria. Dates and times are on each card.

### What’s free on Thanksgiving weekend in St. Louis?
Ameren Thanks-For-Giving Parade is free to watch or attend. More free ideas are on [free things to do in STL](https://littlesweekly.com/st-louis/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/).