While Thanksgiving is a time for families and friends, the DMV has many other ways to bring your loved ones together that may or may not include a turkey! Check out the day’s line-up for all kinds of family-friendly happenings:

ICE SKATING

Lace up your skates and hit the ice! Ice skating is a great way to burn those Thanksgiving meal calories (weather-dependent):

• • • Town Center Pavilion
      Reston, VA
    • Harris Pavilion
      Manassas, VA
    • Pentagon Row
      Arlington, VA
    • and more…

ILLUMINATION EVENTS

The DMV boasts plenty of ways to get your twinkle fix from the comfort of your car or by foot under a starlit sky!

• • • Festival of Lights
      Bull Run Park • Centreville, VA
    • Winter Walk of Lights
      Meadowlark Botanical Gardens • Vienna, VA
    • Winter Village
      Cameron Run • Alexandria, VA
    • and more…

EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS

You never know what the weather will bring to the DMV, but if the temperature’s right and you’re up for an adventure, try hitting up one of these parks or trails:

Great Falls Park
Explore one of the nation’s first canals, see the Great Falls of the Potomac (three falls overlooks are located within a five- to ten-minute walk from the visitor center and parking lots), enjoy a hike along Mather Gorge’s dramatic clifftops and more at this National Park!

NOVA Parks’ Trails
From paved trails to earthen paths, NOVA Parks boasts more than two dozen opportunities throughout Northern Virginia to explore the outdoors!

TURKEY TROTS & FUN RUNS

Splurge without the guilt! After one of these Turkey Trots, there’s no reason not to sample every flavor of pie…

NOV 23, 2024

• • • Herndon Turkey Trot
    • Dominion Valley Turkey Trot • Haymarket, VA
    • Marine Corps Turkey Trot • Quantico, VA

NOV 24, 2024

• • • Vienna Turkey Trot
    • Henway Hard Cider Co. Turkey Trot • Bluemont, VA

NOV 28, 2024

• • • Arlington Turkey Trot
    • Fairfax Turkey Trot
    • Turkey Day 5K • Reston, VA
    • Alexandria Turkey Trot
    • Ashburn Farm Turkey Trot
    • Hero’s Bridge Turkey Trot • Manassas, VA
    • Virginia Run Turkey Trot • Centreville, VA
    • America’s Trot for Hunger • Wash, DC
    • Turkey Chase Charity Race • Bethesda, MD
    • Arlington Turkey Trot
    • Lansdowne Turkey Trot • Leesburg, VA
    • Gobble Wobble 5K Fun Run • Woodbridge, VA
    • Braemar 5K Turkey Trot • Bristow, VA

WATCH A MOVIE

Here are some flicks, plus their release dates, available to watch around Thanksgiving:

Hitpig!
Release Date: Nov 1, 2024
Hitpig is a clever pig who makes a living catching escaped animals and returning them to their owners. His next job is his biggest yet: return a dancing elephant named Pickles to a maniacal Vegas showman for a million bucks. When the mission goes sideways, Hitpig must realize that no amount of money is worth losing his newfound friends.

The Best Christmas Pageant
Release Date: Nov 8, 2024
Centers on the Herdmans — absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. But this Christmas, they’re taking over their local church Pageant and might unwittingly teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas.

Red One
Release Date: Nov 15, 2024
After a villain kidnaps Santa from the North Pole, an E.L.F (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative must partner with the world’s most accomplished tracker to find Santa and save Christmas.

Wicked
Release Date: Nov 22, 2024
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, features Elphaba, a young woman misunderstood because of her unusual green skin who has yet to discover her true power, and Glinda, a popular young woman gilded by privilege and ambition who has yet to discover her true heart. Wicked is a prequel to 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.

Moana 2
Release Date: Nov 27, 2024
Three years since her first voyage, Moana is on an expansive journey in search of people beyond the shores of Motunui. Joined by Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.

TAKE IN A LANDMARK, MUSEUM, & MORE

George Washington’s Mount Vernon • Mount Vernon, VA
Did you know George Washington’s Mount Vernon is open 365 days a year? Open to the public since 1860, Mount Vernon is the former plantation estate and burial location of Founding Father and first President of the United States, George Washington. Visitors are required to pre-purchase admission online.

National Zoo • Washington, DC
Take a walk with some wildlife at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo! Check out the bears, elephants, and tigers, and even meet a monkey or two! Please note that while admission is free, visitors must reserve admission online.

Smithsonian Museums • Washington, DC
The holidays are a great time to visit museums; the following Washington, DC, Smithsonian museums are open on Thanksgiving Day. Admission is free at the following:

• • • Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden
    • Air & Space Museum (passes req’d)
    • Museum of African American History & Culture
    • Museum of Natural History
    • Air & Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (fee-based parking)

To see the complete list of Smithsonian museums, click here.