Thanksgiving in Vermont: Turkey Trots, Farms and Holiday Traditions
Date Published
Thanksgiving in Vermont is built around turkey trots on Thursday morning, farmers markets the Saturday before, working-farm weekends in Woodstock, and holiday-season openings on Friday. We could not confirm any official Thanksgiving Day parade in Vermont, so the tradition here is to run, walk, shop local and then eat. Most of the races below raise money or food for Vermont food banks and shelters.
This guide is organized by region, with the largest towns first. Every pick was checked against its own organizer or official site. Dates for the coming holiday sit in one section near the end; everything else describes what returns every year.
What are the best Thanksgiving traditions in Vermont?
The core Vermont Thanksgiving traditions are a morning 5K or fun run, a pre-holiday farmers market, a farm or museum outing on Friday, and a tree lighting or winter lights opening that weekend. The picks below fall into those four groups.
Northwest Vermont: Burlington, Shelburne and Lake Champlain
Northwest Vermont has the state's biggest city and the most choice, from a donation-only 5K to a lantern-lit museum on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
1. GMAA Turkey Trot 5K, Burlington
The Green Mountain Athletic Association (GMAA) Turkey Trot 5K is based at the University of Vermont's Gutterson Fieldhouse, 147 Spear Street, Burlington, Vermont. Entry is free, with a suggested donation of $5 per person or $10 per family, or a food donation, and the race benefits Feeding Chittenden. The 5K typically starts at 10:00 AM, and a free quarter-mile kids' race goes first at about 9:45 AM. Register through the official RunSignup page. More on the city is in our Burlington guide.
2. Burlington Farmers Market winter market, Burlington
The Burlington Farmers Market runs an indoor winter market at 180 Flynn Avenue (Burlington Beer Co.), typically 10 AM to 1 PM with about 40 vendors. The first winter Saturday falls before Thanksgiving, which makes it a handy stop for pies, root vegetables and cheese. After that it runs on roughly two Saturdays a month through April, so check the official winter market page before you go.
3. Shelburne Farms walking trails, Shelburne
Shelburne Farms, 1611 Harbor Road in Shelburne, keeps its walking trails open from November to April, conditions permitting. This is the quiet post-feast walk: dogs and bikes are not allowed, and the Children's Farmyard is closed for the season. The Farm Store also welcomes visitors in the off-season. The official visiting November to April page has the current rules. It does not list Thanksgiving-specific hours, so confirm that day. See also our Shelburne guide.
4. Winter Lights at Shelburne Museum, Shelburne
Shelburne Museum, 6000 Shelburne Road in Shelburne, Vermont, is closed to visitors in the weeks before Thanksgiving and reopens for Winter Lights on the Friday after the holiday. Winter Lights is a walk-through evening show that typically runs 4:30 to 8 PM into early January, and it is the clearest holiday-season opening in northwest Vermont. Hours and tickets are on the official Winter Lights page.
Central Vermont: Montpelier
Central Vermont's Thanksgiving tradition is shopping for the meal from the farmers who grew it.
5. Capital City Farmers Market pre-Thanksgiving market, Montpelier
The Capital City Farmers Market holds a pre-Thanksgiving market on the Saturday before the holiday, typically 10 AM to 2 PM, at Montpelier High School, 5 High School Drive. It includes a Thanksgiving raffle that draws a winner every 30 minutes. The regular winter market moves to Alumni Hall, 45 College Street, in December. Details are on the market's official site. Our Montpelier guide covers the rest of the capital.
Southeast Vermont: Brattleboro, Woodstock and Stratton
Southeast Vermont has the most varied lineup: a free community race, a long-running Woodstock 5K, a farm weekend and a national park you can walk on the holiday.
6. Brattleboro Turkey Trot, Brattleboro
The Brattleboro Turkey Trot is free to enter and run by the Red Clover Rovers at Brattleboro Country Club, 348 Upper Dummerston Road. A one-mile kids' race typically goes at 9:00 AM and the three-mile race at 9:15 AM. Registration is required, and donations go to Groundworks Collaborative and the Vermont Foodbank. Register on the official RunSignup page. Local context is in our Brattleboro guide.
7. Zack's Place Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, Woodstock
The Zack's Place Thanksgiving Turkey Trot is a wheelchair-accessible 5K walk or run that starts and ends at Woodstock Elementary School in Woodstock, Vermont. Racers typically need to be in place by 10 AM, packet pickup runs the afternoon before and early on race morning, and entry is typically $35. See the Zack's Place Turkey Trot page.
8. A Family Thanksgiving at Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock
Billings Farm & Museum, 69 Old River Road in Woodstock, runs its Thanksgiving weekend program from Friday to Sunday, typically 10 AM to 4 PM, with hands-on holiday activities for families. Buy tickets through the official Billings Farm site. It pairs naturally with the Zack's Place race, since both are in Woodstock. More in our Woodstock guide.
9. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Woodstock
The grounds of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, 54 Elm Street in Woodstock, are open year-round during daylight hours, so you can walk the carriage roads and trails on Thanksgiving weekend. The Carriage Barn Visitor Center is open only from Memorial Day weekend through October, and ranger-led mansion programs run May to October, so neither operates that weekend. Check the National Park Service page for conditions.
10. Gobble Gobble Wobble 5K, Stratton Mountain
The Gobble Gobble Wobble 5K starts in the Main Courtyard at Stratton Mountain Resort, 5 Village Lodge Road, typically at 9:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning. Register online ahead of time, since the race page has ruled out day-of-race signup. Details are on the official RunSignup page.
Southwest Vermont: Rutland, Killington and Manchester
Southwest Vermont mixes small-town races with the first tree lighting of the season.
11. Castleton Turkey Trot, Castleton
The Castleton Turkey Trot is a Thanksgiving 5K run and walk, run by the Town of Castleton and Friends of Castleton Parks and Recreation. It starts on Main Street at Mechanic Street at 8:00 AM, earlier than most, and bib pickup is at the Castleton Recreation Center, 47 Mechanic Street. Online registration closes two days before the race, with day-of signup typically costing a little more. See the UltraSignup registration page.
12. Killington Turkey Trot, Killington
The Killington Turkey Trot is a 5K that typically starts at 9:30 AM on Thanksgiving morning. Online entry is typically $30 plus fees and rises on race day. Register on the official RunSignup page. Our Killington guide covers the rest of town.
13. Downtown Rutland tree lighting, Rutland
The Downtown Rutland Partnership holds a tree lighting in Depot Park on the Friday after Thanksgiving, typically from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, billed as the start of the holiday season downtown. Check downtownrutland.com for the program. Our Rutland guide has places to eat nearby.
14. Gratitude Trail Run at Hildene, Manchester
Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, 1005 Hildene Road in Manchester, hosts a Gratitude Trail Run the Friday after Thanksgiving on its wooded trails and open pastures, weather permitting. The Little Striders Gratitude Dash for kids typically starts at 9:00 AM and the trail run at 9:30 AM. Hours and admission for the house are on separate pages of the official Hildene site. See our Manchester guide.
What about the Northeast Kingdom?
We could not confirm an official Thanksgiving event in the Northeast Kingdom, so it has no pick here. We would rather leave it blank than pad the list.
Are Vermont state parks open on Thanksgiving?
Yes, on foot. Vermont State Parks are open all year and charge no entry fee in the off-season, but water, restrooms and trash service are closed and most gates are locked. Staffed seasons generally end by Labor Day or the second Monday in October.
Two easy holiday walks: Mt. Philo State Park in Charlotte, Vermont, keeps its parking lot plowed in winter, and Quechee State Park is reached by a staircase from the Quechee Gorge Visitor Center lot. One thing many visitors miss: Vermont's regular deer season runs through Thanksgiving weekend, and Vermont State Parks note that hunting is allowed on most park state lands in the off-season, so wear bright orange on any woods walk. Check the Vermont State Parks winter page before you go. For more, see our outdoors guide.
This year's dates
These 2026 dates came from each organizer's official page. Confirm before you travel.
- Saturday, November 21: pre-Thanksgiving farmers markets in Montpelier (10 AM to 2 PM) and Burlington (winter market, 10 AM to 1 PM).
- Thursday, November 26: turkey trots in Castleton (8:00 AM), Brattleboro (kids 9:00 AM, 3-mile 9:15 AM), Stratton (9:00 AM), Killington (9:30 AM), Burlington (10:00 AM) and Woodstock (10 AM).
- November 14 to 29: Vermont's regular deer season, per Vermont Fish & Wildlife.
- Friday, November 27: Shelburne Museum Winter Lights opening, Hildene Gratitude Trail Run (9:30 AM), Rutland tree lighting (5:30 PM).
- November 27 to 29: A Family Thanksgiving at Billings Farm & Museum, 10 AM to 4 PM.
For anything else going on, try our events page.
How we chose
We started with every Vermont Thanksgiving race, market, farm and attraction we could find, then checked each against its own organizer or official site. We kept only those confirmed as running, inside Vermont, with a specific detail. We dropped an unconfirmed Stowe race and a Morristown school race whose organizer page we could not open.
What is a good Thanksgiving weekend route in Vermont?
- Saturday before: buy pie fixings at the Montpelier or Burlington market.
- Thursday morning: pick a 5K above and bring a food donation where asked.
- Friday morning: walk the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller grounds, Shelburne Farms trails or Mt. Philo, in bright orange.
- Friday afternoon: Billings Farm in Woodstock.
- Friday evening: Rutland tree lighting or Winter Lights at Shelburne Museum.
Last verified: November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Vermont?
We could not confirm a Thanksgiving Day parade in Vermont. The state's tradition is the turkey trot, and holiday-season events such as the Rutland tree lighting and Shelburne Museum Winter Lights start on the Friday after.
Where can I run a turkey trot in Vermont?
Vermont turkey trots are typically held in Burlington, Brattleboro, Woodstock, Castleton, Killington and Stratton on Thanksgiving morning. The Brattleboro Turkey Trot is free to enter, and Burlington asks for a small donation or food.
What is open in Vermont the day after Thanksgiving?
Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, Shelburne Museum's Winter Lights, Hildene's trail run in Manchester and the Rutland tree lighting all typically happen on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Vermont State Parks stay open on foot, with no off-season entry fee.
Are Vermont state parks open on Thanksgiving?
Yes, on foot. Vermont State Parks are open all year with no entry fee in the off-season, but restrooms and water are closed and most gates are locked. Hunting is allowed on most park state lands in the off-season, so wear bright orange.
Can I buy local food for Thanksgiving dinner in Vermont?
Yes. Montpelier's Capital City Farmers Market holds a pre-Thanksgiving market, and Burlington's winter market has a Saturday before the holiday.