Thanksgiving in Salt Lake City: Races, Meals and Lights

Thanksgiving in Salt Lake City is built around three things: a Thursday-morning race run by Utah Food Bank, a short list of places that confirm Thanksgiving dinner or take-home meals, and a long weekend when the holiday season switches on downtown and at Utah's Hogle Zoo. There is no big televised Thanksgiving parade in the city that we could confirm on an official site, so plan around the picks below instead.

This guide is grouped by when things happen: Thursday morning, the meal, and the long weekend. Ten picks are inside Salt Lake City, plus one race just south of the city line that is too good to skip. Hours and menus change, so check each official site before you go.

Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Salt Lake City?

Not one we could verify. We found no official downtown Thanksgiving Day parade for Salt Lake City, Utah. The city's big downtown parade is a summer one, tied to Pioneer Day in July. If a parade is part of your family tradition, check Visit Salt Lake and the city events calendar at slc.gov for anything new.

Our local advice: swap the parade for the morning race and an afternoon at the ice rink. Both are easier to park for.

Thursday morning: the turkey trot

Utah Human Race, Utah Food Bank (Sandy, just south of the city)

The Utah Human Race is the Thanksgiving-morning 5K and 10K that benefits Utah Food Bank, and it starts at Sandy Promenade, 10085 S Centennial Parkway in Sandy. That is outside Salt Lake City, so give yourself drive time. The race is usually held on Thanksgiving morning, and registration closes before race day, with no same-day sign-up in the year we checked.

Here is the Salt Lake City detail most people miss: packet pickup is typically at the west wing of Utah Food Bank's Salt Lake warehouse, 3160 S 930 W in Salt Lake City, on weekdays in the week or two before the race and not on race day. Plan that errand early. Registration and details are on RunSignup and at utahfoodbank.org.

A quick note on other trots: the races we found in searches for Salt Lake City are in Lehi, Ogden or at Solitude, or are virtual. We did not find an official in-city turkey trot, so we are not listing one.

Feast with the Beast at Utah's Hogle Zoo (East Bench)

Feast with the Beast is Utah's Hogle Zoo's Thanksgiving-morning event in Salt Lake City, when animals from red pandas to crocodiles get pumpkins and other holiday treats to stomp, roll and chomp. It is included with daytime admission or a zoo membership, and the zoo's event page says the zoo closes early on Thanksgiving, typically at 2 p.m., so go in the morning. Details are on hoglezoo.org.

Gallivan Center ice rink (Downtown)

The Gallivan Center ice rink, 239 S Main St downtown, is a good second act after a run or a late breakfast. The rink's official page says it has been open on Thanksgiving Day, typically from noon to 10 p.m., and the season usually opens in mid-to-late November and runs into March. Regular hours differ by weekday, so check thegallivancenter.com for the current schedule and rentals.

Why it works: it is one of the few outdoor things you can confirm is open on the holiday itself, and it is a short walk from Downtown hotels.

The meal: dinner out and take-home

Little America Hotel, The Coffee Shop and Lucky H (Downtown)

Little America Hotel at 500 S Main St in Salt Lake City offers dine-in Thanksgiving at two of its restaurants, according to the hotel's own Thanksgiving page. The Coffee Shop serves a three-course meal with a soup or salad, a choice of roast turkey or slow-roasted prime rib, and a seasonal dessert such as pumpkin pie. Lucky H does a family-style buffet with a prime rib carving station and turkey. In-room dining is also offered, and guests can take home the hotel's rolls.

The page does not give prices or reservation rules, so call 801-596-5700 or check saltlake.littleamerica.com before you drive down.

Harmons City Creek (Downtown)

Harmons at City Creek, 135 E 100 S in Salt Lake City, is the easiest way to host without cooking everything. Harmons' catering site lists heat-and-serve complete dinners, including a traditional turkey dinner in medium (serves 6 to 8) and large (serves 10 to 12) sizes, a turkey breast dinner, a pecan-smoked whole turkey meal, a plant-based holiday meal and ham dinners, and several of the dinners include a pie. Orders are placed through the Harmons catering site.

The catering pages do not list Thanksgiving-specific deadlines, so order through Harmons as early as you can and confirm pickup details for your store.

Liberty Heights Fresh (Liberty Wells and Sugar House border)

Liberty Heights Fresh, 1290 South 1100 East in Salt Lake City, is a neighborhood market whose website shop menu links to Thanksgiving pre-orders. The site says the market is open daily, typically 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the fall. We could not read the pre-order menu itself, so we are not naming dishes: call 801-583-7374 or look at libertyheightsfresh.com to see what is on offer this year. It sits between Liberty Wells and Sugar House.

Anywhere else for dinner?

Many Salt Lake City restaurants close on Thanksgiving or post their plans late, so call any restaurant not listed here before you count on it. For everyday options, browse food and dining listings.

The long weekend: lights, markets and giving back

Temple Square Christmas lights (Downtown)

The Christmas lights at Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City typically run from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year's Day; in 2025 the Church's official newsroom listed Friday, November 28 through January 1, lit daily from 6 to 8 a.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m. in the areas that are open. Temple Square today refers to a 35-acre area, according to its official site. Confirm this year's dates and hours at templesquare.org or the Church newsroom before you go. Plan for a crowd on opening night and go midweek if you want room to wander.

Hogle Holidays (ZooLights) at Utah's Hogle Zoo (East Bench)

Hogle Holidays, the light show still widely known as ZooLights, at Utah's Hogle Zoo, 2600 Sunnyside Ave (840 South) in Salt Lake City, is a nighttime light show that usually starts around Thanksgiving week. The zoo's official page says it is closed on Thanksgiving Day itself, which catches people out, and open on the nights around it. Typical hours run from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Dates and tickets are on hoglezoo.org. Book ahead for the first weekend.

Downtown Farmers Market Winter Market (Civic Center)

The Downtown Farmers Market runs a Winter Market on Saturdays at the Civic Center, 209 E 500 South in Salt Lake City, typically from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from mid-November into April. The Saturday after Thanksgiving falls inside that run, which makes it a good place for gifts, baked goods and a walk after the big meal. Confirm that week's schedule at slcfarmersmarket.org.

Volunteer: Utah Food Bank (Salt Lake City)

Utah Food Bank, 3150 S 900 W in Salt Lake City, runs a Holiday Food and Fund Drive that its site says covers mid-October to mid-January, and it links to a Give Time page for volunteering. That is the practical way to help on a holiday weekend: shifts and drives book up fast, so look at utahfoodbank.org in early November, not on Thanksgiving week.

Volunteer: Crossroads Urban Center (Downtown and Westside)

Crossroads Urban Center runs the Downtown Emergency Food Pantry at 347 S 400 E, plus a Westside Food Pantry and thrift store on Indiana Ave. Its site describes volunteers sorting donations, preparing food orders and stocking the thrift store, and it lists a Thanksgiving food giveaway. Call before showing up to volunteer. Details are at crossroadsurbancenter.org.

This year's dates

Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26, 2026. These are the dates posted on official sites when we checked:

• Utah Human Race (Sandy): Thursday, November 26, with 5K and 10K starts between 8 and 10 a.m. The 5K was listed at $30 and the 10K at $35, with registration closing November 24.
• Gallivan Center ice rink: opening day listed as November 17, and open on Thanksgiving from noon to 10 p.m.
• Feast with the Beast at Utah's Hogle Zoo: Thursday, November 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the zoo closes at 2 p.m. that day.
• Hogle Holidays (ZooLights): listed for November 25 and November 27 to 29, then most nights from December 3 into early January, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
• Winter Market: Saturdays from November 14, so November 28 is a market day.
• Temple Square lights: 2026 dates not yet posted on official sites when we checked.
• Crossroads Urban Center Thanksgiving food giveaway: listed on its site for November 25.

What is open and closed on the day?

On Thanksgiving Day, the Natural History Museum of Utah is closed, Utah Transit Authority (UTA) runs no bus, TRAX, S-Line or FrontRunner service, and the zoo's evening light show is dark, while the Gallivan Center rink and the dine-in meals above are open. The Natural History Museum of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, lists Thanksgiving as a closure and an early 3 p.m. close the day before; its regular hours are typically 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (nhmu.utah.edu). Utah's Hogle Zoo is open on Thanksgiving morning for Feast with the Beast and closes early, typically at 2 p.m.

UTA's holiday page says that on the Friday after Thanksgiving, buses and FrontRunner run a Saturday schedule, while TRAX and the S-Line run a weekday schedule. Confirm at rideuta.com.

How we chose

We started from a long list of places that turned up for Salt Lake City Thanksgiving searches and checked each one against its own official site. We kept only places inside the city, plus one race that we flagged as just outside it. Anything that did not confirm a Thanksgiving offering on its own pages is left out of the picks, and we say so. We give hours as typical, because they change. There is no invented menu or price in this guide.

The local's Thanksgiving week plan

1. Early November: sign up for the Utah Human Race and pick up your packet at 3160 S 930 W the week before.
2. Early November: order your Harmons dinner or pies, or call Liberty Heights Fresh about its pre-order.
3. Early November: look at Utah Food Bank's Give Time page for a shift.
4. Thursday morning: run or cheer in Sandy, or catch Feast with the Beast at the zoo before its 2 p.m. close.
5. Thursday afternoon: dinner at home, or at Little America, then skating at the Gallivan Center.
6. Friday evening: Temple Square lights, once the official site confirms the date.
7. Saturday: Winter Market in the morning, Hogle Holidays at night.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Thanksgiving Day parade in Salt Lake City?

We could not confirm an official Thanksgiving Day parade in Salt Lake City, Utah. The city's large downtown parade is held in July. Check the city events calendar at slc.gov for any new parade.

Where is the turkey trot in Salt Lake City?

The Utah Human Race, which benefits Utah Food Bank, is held on Thanksgiving morning at Sandy Promenade in Sandy, just south of Salt Lake City. Packet pickup is at Utah Food Bank, 3160 S 930 W in Salt Lake City.

What restaurants are open for Thanksgiving dinner in Salt Lake City?

Little America Hotel at 500 S Main St offers dine-in Thanksgiving at The Coffee Shop and Lucky H, per its own site. Call 801-596-5700 to confirm times and reservations.

When do the Temple Square Christmas lights turn on?

The Temple Square Christmas lights in Salt Lake City typically come on the day after Thanksgiving and stay lit through New Year's Day; in 2025 they ran from November 28 to January 1. Check templesquare.org for this year's dates and hours.

Is Utah's Hogle Zoo open on Thanksgiving?

Yes, Utah's Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City is typically open on Thanksgiving morning for its Feast with the Beast event and closes early at 2 p.m. The evening light show, Hogle Holidays (ZooLights), is closed on Thanksgiving Day.

How can I volunteer in Salt Lake City at Thanksgiving?

Utah Food Bank links a Give Time volunteer page and runs a Holiday Food and Fund Drive. Crossroads Urban Center also takes volunteers at its pantries. Sign up early, since holiday shifts fill quickly.