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Bay Area Turkey Trots and Thanksgiving Weekend with Kids
Thanksgiving morning in the Bay Area is a turkey trot: San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland and Walnut Creek all run one on November 26, each with a kids' race. Most kid museums close that day; the SF Zoo stays open. Friday the season starts — Christmas in the Park opens and the Dickens Fair runs all weekend.
Season: Thanksgiving week · Updated October 21, 2026 · refreshed weekly
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26, 2026
- Kids' races: Ages 2–7 in San Jose and Oakland; short sprints in SF and Walnut Creek
- Open on the day: San Francisco Zoo, 10am–5pm
- Closed on the day: Oakland Zoo, Exploratorium, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Winter Lodge
- Opens Friday: Christmas in the Park, San Jose — free, noon–10pm
Turkey trots with a kids' race
Four Thanksgiving-morning races, each with a short run for kids. San Jose and Oakland run theirs for ages 2–7; Walnut Creek offers three kids' distances.
Silicon Valley Turkey Trot — San JoseVisit official site →
Downtown San Jose's Thanksgiving race: a 5K run/walk and a 10K, with a festival area and a Kids Fun Zone.
Dates
- Thursday, November 26, 2026
- 5K and 10K start at 8:30am
- Kids Fun Run, ages 2–7, 10:15am in the Kids Fun Zone
Tickets
5K or 10K $55, Kids Fun Run $27.50, fees included; prices rise after October 30 at 11:59pm
Know before you go
- The race arranges free parking in downtown lots — check its parking map
- The kids' run starts after the adult races, so one parent can run and still watch it
Who it's for
Families with a runner and a 2–7-year-old who wants a race of their own
Skip if
Your kids are past 7 but not up for a 5K — there is no middle distance
San Francisco Turkey Trot — San FranciscoVisit official site →
Golden Gate Park's Thanksgiving race, in its 24th year: a 5-mile run, a 3-mile walk and a 100-meter dash for kids.
Dates
- Thursday, November 26, 2026
- Kids Gobbler Chase, 100 meters, 8am
- 5-mile run and 3-mile walk, 8:40am
Tickets
No 2026 prices posted yet
Who it's for
A kid who wants a quick sprint and a parent who would rather walk 3 miles
Skip if
Your kid wants more than a sprint — Walnut Creek's half mile is the step up
Oakland Turkey Trot — OaklandVisit official site →
A flat, paved loop of Lake Merritt, in its 10th year, ending in a finish-line festival with live music and a kids zone.
Dates
- Thursday, November 26, 2026
- 10K 8:15am, 5K 8:30am
- Kids Run, ages 2–7, 9:40am
Tickets
5K from $64.96, 10K from $75.04, Kids Race $22.49, processing fee included; VIP tiers cost more
Know before you go
- No dedicated parking — carpool, take transit or rideshare
- Kids get a youth long-sleeve tee and their own medal
Who it's for
Toddlers through second graders, plus a parent who wants a flat 5K
Skip if
You are driving in and counting on a parking spot
Walnut Creek Turkey Trot — Walnut CreekVisit official site →
Civic Park's Thanksgiving race, with the most kids' options of the four: a 100-yard dash, a quarter mile and a half mile.
Dates
- Thursday, November 26, 2026
- 10K 8am, 5K 8:10am, strollers and walkers 8:15am
- Kids runs 10am
Tickets
Through November 2: 5K $67.94, 10K $73.21, 17 and under $44.99 for the 5K, kids runs $27.58 — rising in steps to race day
Know before you go
- Strollers start in their own wave with the walkers
- Kids runs are untimed, with a medal for every finisher
- Rain or shine
Who it's for
Mixed-age families — the half mile suits a 6-year-old the dash would bore
Skip if
You want the lowest price — this one rises every couple of weeks
What is open on Thanksgiving Day
The SF Zoo is the one big kid outing open on Thanksgiving. Most of the region's zoos, museums and rinks close for the day.
- Oakland Zoo: closed, and Glowfari is dark that night
- Exploratorium: closed; it opens Monday, November 23 for Thanksgiving break instead
- Bay Area Discovery Museum: closed
- Winter Lodge, Palo Alto: closed; public skating resumes Friday
- California Academy of Sciences and Children's Discovery Museum: no 2026 Thanksgiving hours posted yet
San Francisco Zoo — San FranciscoVisit official site →
The city's zoo by Ocean Beach, open every day of the year, holidays included.
Dates
- Thanksgiving Day, 10am–5pm; last entry 4pm
Tickets
Holiday rate: $34 adults 12–64, $24 children 2–11, under 2 free; SF residents $31 and $21
Know before you go
- Parking $20 on holidays, no in-and-out
- Arrive by Muni for $1 off admission
- Outside food is allowed — no glass or alcohol
Who it's for
Anyone who needs to get the kids out of the house before dinner
Skip if
Your Thanksgiving meal is at midday — the zoo closes at 5
Thanksgiving weekend: what opens Friday
The holiday season starts the day after Thanksgiving. Christmas in the Park opens in San Jose, and the Dickens Fair adds its one Friday.
Christmas in the Park — San JoseVisit official site →
Downtown San Jose's free plaza: an enchanted forest of decorated trees, over 40 musical and animated exhibits and a 60-foot Community Giving Tree.
Dates
- Opens Friday, November 27, 2026; daily through January 1
- Noon–10pm
Tickets
Free; donations optional
Who it's for
Any age and any budget
Skip if
You hate crowds — come back on a weeknight before mid-December
Great Dickens Christmas Fair — Daly CityVisit official site →
An indoor Victorian London of costumed players, music and shops, filling the Cow Palace halls.
Dates
- Open Friday–Sunday, November 27–29, 2026, 10am–6pm
- Five weekends, November 21 – December 20, plus the Friday after Thanksgiving
Tickets
Online only: $50 ages 13 and up, $30 ages 5–12, under 5 free; early-bird $40 and $25 for the first two weekends, sold through October 31; after 3pm $35 and $20
Know before you go
- Cow Palace parking is $20 per vehicle
- No tickets sold at the door
Who it's for
Kids who love costumes and theater, and under-5s, who get in free
Skip if
Your kids need room to run — it is an indoor fair
Glowfari at Oakland Zoo — OaklandVisit official site →
The zoo's lantern festival after dark, back on Friday after its one Thanksgiving night off.
Dates
- Closed Thanksgiving Day; open again Friday, November 27
Tickets
Timed entry; each date goes on sale 28 days ahead at 9am
Who it's for
Toddlers up — it is a lights walk, not a zoo visit
Skip if
Someone in the group cannot manage a hilly mile after dark
Winter Lodge — Palo AltoVisit official site →
Palo Alto's outdoor rink since 1956 — small, built for families, with fireplaces to warm up by.
Dates
- Closed Thanksgiving Day; open Friday
- Holiday tree goes up the week after Thanksgiving
Tickets
$20 per person, skate rental $8; advance online only, up to 30 days ahead
Who it's for
First-time skaters — the rink is small
Skip if
You did not book — there are no walk-up tickets
Tree lightings: most are after the holiday weekend
Of the big Bay Area tree lightings, only Pier 39 has a 2026 date, and it falls the week after Thanksgiving.
- Pier 39: Thursday, December 3, a live 60-foot tree, free
- Macy's Union Square, Ghirardelli Square, Santana Row, Los Gatos and Broadway Plaza: no 2026 lighting dates posted yet
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Festivals · Kids' classes · Craft workshops · Live music
Thanksgiving-week kids events in the Bay Area
The next 9 of 46 upcoming Thanksgiving events across the Bay Area, refreshed daily.
Write a thank‑you note on a paper leaf and attach it to the Gratitude Tree by the Information Desk; free, for all ages.
MONDAY
2
NOVEMBER
Write a thank‑you note on a paper leaf and attach it to the Gratitude Tree by the Information Desk; free, for all ages.
TUESDAY
3
NOVEMBER
Make Thanksgiving gratitude cards with the Card Connection at Sunnyvale Public Library’s program room, for ages 3 and up.
Write a thank‑you note on a paper leaf and attach it to the Gratitude Tree by the Information Desk; free, for all ages.
WEDNESDAY
4
NOVEMBER
Make wild, colorful clay turkeys with optional light‑up tail feathers at the Atherton Library Makerspace, ages 6–11.
Write a thank‑you note on a paper leaf and attach it to the Gratitude Tree by the Information Desk; free, for all ages.
THURSDAY
5
NOVEMBER
Write a thank‑you note on a paper leaf and attach it to the Gratitude Tree by the Information Desk; free, for all ages.
FRIDAY
6
NOVEMBER
Write a thank‑you note on a paper leaf and attach it to the Gratitude Tree by the Information Desk; free, for all ages.
SATURDAY
7
NOVEMBER
Write a thank‑you note on a paper leaf and attach it to the Gratitude Tree by the Information Desk; free, for all ages.
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FAQ
Which Bay Area turkey trots have a kids' race?
All four on this page. San Jose's Kids Fun Run and Oakland's Kids Run are for ages 2–7. San Francisco runs a 100-meter Gobbler Chase, and Walnut Creek offers a 100-yard dash, a quarter mile and a half mile.
What can we do with kids on Thanksgiving Day itself?
Run a turkey trot in the morning, then the San Francisco Zoo, open 10am to 5pm. The Oakland Zoo, the Exploratorium, the Bay Area Discovery Museum and Winter Lodge are all closed.
Which turkey trot would you pick with a preschooler?
Oakland: a flat lake loop for the adults, then a kids' run for ages 2–7 at 9:40am, before anyone is hungry. San Jose's runs at 10:15, so a parent can finish the 5K first.