Thanksgiving in Arizona: Parades, Turkey Trots and Holiday Traditions

At a glance

• Where: Statewide, with the densest cluster of events in Phoenix, Mesa, Fountain Hills and Tucson
• When: Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday of November; this year it falls on November 26, 2026
• Typical timing: Turkey trots usually start between about 7:15 and 9:00 AM; holiday light shows usually open that Wednesday or Friday
• Cost: Races charge entry fees; parades and most park visits vary, so check each official site before you go

Thanksgiving in Arizona is a morning turkey trot followed by an outdoor afternoon: the Phoenix Turkey Trot at Wesley Bolin Plaza, the Fountain Hills Thanksgiving Day parade and the Mesa and Tucson races all run on the holiday itself. The weekend then flips to lights, with Phoenix Zoo ZooLights, the Desert Botanical Garden luminarias and Glendale Glitters switching on around it. This guide covers what returns every year, organized by region, with this year's dates in one section near the end.

The short version: run before breakfast, watch a parade, and plan a light show for the evening. The weather is usually friendly enough for all three.

How we chose

We picked events and places in Arizona that we could confirm on an official site (the organizer, the city, a park agency or the registration page the organizer uses). We left out races that ran on a different weekend, and anything we could not tie to an official page. Dates and start times change, so each pick tells you what is typical and points you to the official site to confirm.

Where are the biggest Thanksgiving events in Phoenix and the Valley?

The Phoenix area holds most of the Thanksgiving Day races in this guide, plus three of its holiday light shows.

Phoenix Turkey Trot, downtown Phoenix

The Phoenix Turkey Trot is a Thanksgiving morning race that starts at Wesley Bolin Plaza, near the State Capitol. Its official site lists a 1-mile Gobbler Dash, a 10K, a 5K and a Tot Trot for small children. Race-day packet pickup typically opens at 6:30 AM at the plaza, and the first race, the 1-mile, goes off around 7:30 AM. Early pickup is usually offered at Sole Sports stores in Scottsdale and Tempe earlier in the week. Details are at phoenixturkeytrot.com.

Mesa Turkey Trot, Red Mountain Park, Mesa

The Mesa Turkey Trot 5K and 10K is run by the Sertoma Club of Mesa and held at Red Mountain Park on East Brown Road, with parking at Red Mountain High School across the street. The 1-mile fun run typically starts about 8:00 AM, the 10K about 8:20 and the 5K about 8:40. Its registration page has run the same event for several years.

Fountain Hills Thanksgiving Day Parade and Turkey Trot, Fountain Hills

Fountain Hills holds a Thanksgiving Day parade and a turkey trot on the same morning, both on the Avenue of the Fountains. The Turkey Trot 5K Run and Fitness Walk is run by Fountain Hills Community Services, typically starts at 7:15 AM at 16701 E Avenue of the Fountains, and needs pre-registration. The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce parade, held for more than 40 years, follows from about 9:30 AM, with Santa at the end. Run the 5K, and you can still get a spot on the curb in time for the floats. See the Chamber event page and the Turkey Trot page.

Run, Turkey, Run!, Goodyear Recreation Campus, Goodyear

Goodyear's Run, Turkey, Run! 5K and 1-mile is held on Thanksgiving morning at the Goodyear Recreation Campus, 420 S Estrella Pkwy. The 5K typically starts at 8:30 AM and the 1-mile at 8:40 AM, with race-morning packet pickup from 7:00 AM. Confirm the details on the registration page before you go.

ZooLights, Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix

Phoenix Zoo ZooLights, at 455 N. Galvin Parkway, opens the evening before Thanksgiving and runs into mid-January, typically 5:30 to 10:30 PM. It is the easiest after-dinner outing in the Valley if the family needs to get out of the house. Check phoenixzoo.org/zoolights for tickets and any Thanksgiving Day schedule.

Las Noches de las Luminarias, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix

Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, begins on the Friday after Thanksgiving and runs on select nights through early January, typically 5 to 9:30 PM. The paths are lined with luminarias, the paper-bag lanterns of the Southwest, and the garden's desert plants sit in the glow. Entry is ticketed, so book on the official page.

Glendale Glitters, downtown Glendale

Glendale Glitters lights up Murphy Park in Historic Downtown Glendale, Arizona. It kicks off on the Friday after Thanksgiving with a lighting ceremony at the E. Lowell Rogers Amphitheatre, and the lights then typically stay on nightly from 5 to 10 PM through New Year's Day. The City of Glendale posts the current schedule.

What is there to do in Tucson and southern Arizona on Thanksgiving?

Tucson's Thanksgiving tradition is a cross-country race on grass, and the holiday weekend is also a good one for the caves.

Thanksgiving Cross Country Classic, Reid Park, Tucson

The Thanksgiving Cross Country Classic is a Thanksgiving morning 5K and 1.5-mile fun run at the Ramada 10 area of Reid Park, near 22nd Street and Country Club Road. The hilly course runs mostly on grass and dirt, with hay bales to clear, rather than on pavement. Race-day registration typically starts at 7:00 AM. Details are on the RunSignup page.

Kartchner Caverns State Park, near Benson

Kartchner Caverns State Park, at 2980 S Hwy 90 in Benson, lists reduced Thanksgiving Day hours on its official page, typically 8 AM to 2 PM, and closes on Christmas. Two cavers found the cave in November 1974 and kept it secret, even from the landowners, until February 1978. Book tours through Arizona State Parks. For the rest of the system, see our guide to Arizona State Parks.

Downtown Parade of Lights, Tucson

The Downtown Parade of Lights in Tucson falls on the first weekend of December, a week after Thanksgiving, as part of the Desert Nights Downtown Lights campaign. Its official page lists a free afternoon festival around the holiday tree at Jácome Plaza and a parade that starts in the El Presidio neighborhood in the evening. It is the natural second weekend for a Tucson trip. More on the city is at Tucson.

Which northern Arizona places stay open?

The Grand Canyon does not close for Thanksgiving, and the Page balloons fly just before it.

Grand Canyon National Park, South Rim

Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to the National Park Service, and the Grand Canyon Visitor Center is typically open daily 9 AM to 4 PM in fall. The park's pages don't list a separate holiday schedule, so check nps.gov/grca for shuttle and services before you go. Our national parks guide compares the options.

Page, AZ Balloon Regatta, Page

The Page, AZ Balloon Regatta usually fills the first weekend of November in Page, Arizona, so it is a pre-Thanksgiving trip rather than a Thanksgiving Day one. The City of Page events site at events.cityofpage.org posts each year's dates and program. It makes sense as the opening of an Arizona holiday season. See Page for the town.

What food traditions is Arizona known for?

Arizona's holiday table borrows from Sonoran Mexican cooking as much as from the turkey dinner. Arizona Highways traces the chimichanga's likely origin to Southern Arizona early in the 20th century and notes that the Sonoran hot dog came north from Hermosillo, Mexico, before Tucson made it its own. Visit Tucson says Tucson was the first US city named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, crediting its native ingredients and farming that goes back thousands of years to the Hohokam people. To give your own table an Arizona accent, set tamales or red chile next to the turkey. If you want a restaurant meal rather than a kitchen, browse the food and dining listings and call ahead, because holiday hours vary.

This year's dates

Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Per the official sites we checked: the Phoenix Turkey Trot, Mesa Turkey Trot, Fountain Hills parade and Turkey Trot, Goodyear's Run, Turkey, Run!, and Tucson's Thanksgiving Cross Country Classic are all listed for that date. Phoenix Zoo ZooLights opens Wednesday, November 25, 2026, running through January 15, 2027. Desert Botanical Garden luminarias opens Friday, November 27, 2026, and Glendale Glitters has its lighting ceremony at 5:30 PM that evening, with lights through January 1, 2027. Tucson's Parade of Lights and Festival is Saturday, December 5, 2026, with the festival from 3 PM and the parade at 6:30 PM. The 2026 Page, AZ Balloon Regatta ran November 5 to 8. Goodyear's registration page lists the 26th in its header but the 27th in its schedule, so confirm with the organizer. Kartchner Caverns State Park's Thanksgiving hours should be confirmed on its page. For anything else, see what's on this weekend.

Your Thanksgiving weekend checklist

1. Register early for any turkey trot; Fountain Hills requires pre-registration and has no race-day sign-up.
2. Wednesday evening: ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo.
3. Thursday morning: run in Phoenix, Mesa, Goodyear, Fountain Hills or Tucson, then watch the Fountain Hills parade.
4. Thursday afternoon: Grand Canyon South Rim or Kartchner Caverns, after checking holiday hours.
5. Friday night: Las Noches de las Luminarias or Glendale Glitters.
6. The following Saturday: Tucson's Parade of Lights.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest turkey trot in Arizona?

No official source ranks Arizona turkey trots by size, but the Phoenix Turkey Trot at Wesley Bolin Plaza offers a 1-mile, 5K, 10K and Tot Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Mesa, Fountain Hills, Goodyear and Tucson also hold Thanksgiving Day races.

Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Arizona?

Yes. The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce holds an annual Thanksgiving Day parade on the Avenue of the Fountains, typically starting around 9:30 AM, with Santa as the finale. Check the Chamber's event page for the current year.

Are Arizona state parks open on Thanksgiving?

It depends on the park. Kartchner Caverns State Park lists reduced Thanksgiving Day hours on its official page, typically 8 AM to 2 PM. Check azstateparks.com for the specific park, because we found no system-wide holiday schedule.

Is the Grand Canyon open on Thanksgiving Day?

Yes. The National Park Service says the South Rim is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Visitor center hours and services can differ on holidays, so confirm them on nps.gov/grca.

When do the Phoenix holiday lights start?

Phoenix Zoo ZooLights typically opens the day before Thanksgiving, and the Desert Botanical Garden luminarias and Glendale Glitters typically start the Friday after. Confirm each year's dates and tickets on the official sites.