Thanksgiving in Asheville: Turkey Trots, Meals and the Long Weekend

At a glance

• Where: Mostly Downtown Asheville, Biltmore Park, Biltmore Village and Haw Creek
• When: Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday of November) and the Saturday after
• Cost: Race fees, dinner prices and tickets vary; check each official site
• Transit: ART buses do not run on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving in Asheville, North Carolina, is a morning of turkey trots in Downtown and Biltmore Park, a sit-down or take-home dinner you usually have to book ahead, and a long weekend that opens the holiday season with the Grove Arcade tree-lighting party and Christmas at Biltmore. This guide groups the picks by when they happen: Thursday morning, the meal, and the long weekend. Every pick below was checked against its own official site.

Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Asheville?

Yes, but it comes before the holiday: the Asheville Holiday Parade usually fills Downtown Asheville on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, not on Thanksgiving Day itself.

The Asheville Holiday Parade is listed by the Asheville Downtown Association at ashevilledowntown.org, which describes it as an 80-year downtown tradition and invites spectators to wear their vintage holiday best. It runs late morning into early afternoon, so you can watch, eat lunch Downtown and still be home to start brining. On Thanksgiving morning itself, the tradition here is the turkey trot.

Thursday morning: where do you run on Thanksgiving in Asheville?

Two organized 5Ks return to Asheville every Thanksgiving morning: the Asheville Turkey Trot downtown and the South Asheville Turkey Trot at Biltmore Park Town Square.

Asheville Turkey Trot 5K and Gobble Wobble (Downtown)

The Asheville Turkey Trot starts on Woodfin Street at the Downtown YMCA and finishes at Pack Square Park, so the run ends in the middle of Downtown Asheville. A one-mile fun run, the Gobble Wobble, runs alongside the 5K, which makes it the easy choice for kids and slow walkers. Packet pickup is typically on race morning at Pack Square Park, with an early pickup the day before. The race site says proceeds have supported MANNA FoodBank for years, so your entry fee does double duty. Register through the official site at ashevilleturkeytrot.com. Our tip: the race site notes that metered street parking in Downtown Asheville is free on Thanksgiving Day, though parking garages still charge, so grab a meter early and walk in. See the Downtown guide for where to leave the car.

South Asheville Turkey Trot 5K (Biltmore Park)

The South Asheville Turkey Trot is a separate 5K through Biltmore Park Town Square, at One Town Square Blvd in the southern part of the city. It is organized by iDaph Events, and registration runs through Race Roster. Packet pickup is at The Trot Shop inside the Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park, and the registration page asks everyone to be parked in Biltmore Park before the start so runners have room to line up. Proceeds go to local charity partners named on the registration page. Choose this one if you live south of downtown and want to skip the drive in.

The meal: where can you eat Thanksgiving dinner in Asheville?

Asheville restaurants that serve Thanksgiving dinner usually take bookings or pre-orders well ahead, so decide in the first week of November, not the day before. These are the ones whose own sites confirm a holiday offering.

RendezVous (Haw Creek)

RendezVous, at 184 New Haw Creek Rd in East Asheville, has posted a Thanksgiving prix fixe on its own site. Its page lists starters such as harvest salad and she-crab soup, mains including a traditional turkey plate, market fish and braised short ribs, and desserts such as pumpkin crème brûlée. The site prices it per person with a lower price for children under 12, and says the menu is subject to change. It books up: when it does, the page offers a waitlist by email. Book at ashevillerendezvous.com or call (828) 348-0909. More on the neighborhood at Haw Creek.

67 Biltmore Downtown Eatery + Catering (Downtown)

67 Biltmore Downtown Eatery + Catering, on Biltmore Avenue in Downtown Asheville, posts a Thanksgiving take-out menu on its own site, ordered online or by phone at 828-252-1500. The site says orders must be placed and confirmed by a cutoff in the first half of November, that orders are filled first-come, first-served and that most items typically sell out. Pickup is in the days before Thanksgiving, so the oven is free on Thursday. Insider tip: if you are reading this after the deadline, call anyway and ask whether any slots are left. It beats cooking.

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate (Biltmore Village)

Biltmore lists holiday packages that include a plated multi-course Thanksgiving dinner: Thanksgiving Traditions at the Village Hotel, with dinner at Village Social or Bistro, and a Thanksgiving Harvest Celebration at the Inn on Biltmore Estate. The packages are lodging-based, the Village Hotel package is booked by phone at 800-858-4130, and the Inn package can sell out. Check biltmore.com for current dates and rates. Neighborhood context: Biltmore Village.

What we could not confirm from official sites: several well-known downtown restaurants are mentioned in third-party Thanksgiving roundups, but their own pages did not confirm a holiday menu. Phone first rather than trusting a roundup, ours included. For everyday eating the rest of the year, see where to eat in Asheville.

Can you volunteer on Thanksgiving in Asheville?

Yes, through established local charities, though Thanksgiving-week shifts fill early and are best arranged weeks ahead.

Haywood Street Congregation (Downtown)

Haywood Street Congregation, at 297 Haywood St. in Downtown Asheville, runs a volunteer program it calls the Companion Ministry, described under Get Involved on its official site at haywoodstreet.org. The volunteer page does not promise a special Thanksgiving meal, so ask about holiday needs rather than assuming one.

MANNA FoodBank (just outside the city)

MANNA FoodBank packs and distributes food across western North Carolina. Its main site is at 99 Broadpointe Drive in Mills River, which is south of Asheville, outside the city. Volunteers sign up in advance for weekday warehouse shifts sorting and packing food at mannafoodbank.org/volunteer, and the site also lists holiday giving drives. MANNA is also the long-running beneficiary of the Asheville Turkey Trot.

The long weekend: what opens the holiday season?

The weekend after Thanksgiving is when Asheville lights up: a downtown tree-lighting party on Saturday and Christmas at Biltmore, already under way.

Grove Arcade Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party (Downtown)

The Grove Arcade, at 1 Page Ave in Downtown Asheville, hosts its Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Arcade's own site lists a Southern Highland Craft Guild Holiday Market that morning, live entertainment starting in the afternoon, caroling, Santa photos and pop-up bars along Restaurant Row. The Arcade was built in 1928, so you are watching the lights come on inside one of the city's older indoor shopping halls. Details at grovearcade.com.

Christmas at Biltmore (Biltmore Estate)

Christmas at Biltmore, at 1 Lodge Street, usually runs from early November into early January, with Candlelight Christmas Evenings on select nights. Biltmore's site says the estate is open 365 days a year with seasonal hours and that ticket prices vary by date, so compare a weekday against the holiday Saturday before you buy. Buy tickets at biltmore.com well in advance.

What is closed on Thanksgiving Day in Asheville?

The ART Transit System, Asheville's public bus network, lists itself as closed on Thanksgiving Day, so there are no buses. Plan rides home from the race or a late dinner ahead of time. The Asheville Art Museum's regular schedule is Wednesday to Sunday, 11 AM to 6 PM, which would include Thanksgiving, but the page does not mention holidays, so call 828-253-3227 before you go. Most restaurants close or run special menus, and grocery stores typically close early. Check each official site.

This year's dates

All of the following are for Thanksgiving 2026, Thursday, November 26. Check each official site before you go.

• Asheville Holiday Parade: Saturday, November 21, 11 AM to 2 PM, Downtown Asheville.
• Asheville Turkey Trot: Gobble Wobble 1 Mile Fun Run at 8:30 AM, 5K at 9:15 AM, race-day packet pickup at Pack Square 7:00 to 8:30 AM, early pickup Wednesday, November 25, 3 to 6 PM at Fred Anderson Subaru.
• South Asheville Turkey Trot: 5K at 9:00 AM, race-day packet pickup 7:30 to 8:30 AM, be parked by 8:30 AM, awards at 10:15 AM.
• 67 Biltmore take-out: order by November 10; pickup Tuesday, November 24, or Wednesday, November 25, 1 to 4 PM.
• Grove Arcade Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party: Saturday, November 28, with the craft market starting at 10 AM and entertainment from 3 PM.
• ART Transit System: closed Thursday, November 26.
• Christmas at Biltmore: daytime visits through January 10, 2027; Candlelight Christmas Evenings November 3, 2026 to January 9, 2027.

How we chose

We started with every Thanksgiving race, meal, volunteer group and holiday event we could find for Asheville, then kept only places that are inside the city (MANNA FoodBank, just outside, is flagged) and whose own official site or registration page confirms them. Where a restaurant was mentioned only by third-party roundups, we left it out. Prices and times change, so we give them only when the official page does.

Your Thanksgiving week checklist

1. First week of November: register for a turkey trot, and book dinner or a take-home meal.
2. Mid-November: buy Biltmore tickets for the weekend, or pick a weekday.
3. Saturday before Thanksgiving: the Asheville Holiday Parade Downtown.
4. Thanksgiving morning: arrive early, since the finish areas are Pack Square Park and Biltmore Park Town Square.
5. Thanksgiving Day: no ART buses, so line up rides.
6. Saturday after: Grove Arcade for the tree lighting, then walk Downtown.
7. Any week: volunteer with Haywood Street Congregation or MANNA FoodBank.

More holiday and seasonal ideas live in annual events in Asheville, and free options are in free things to do in Asheville.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Asheville?

Yes. The Asheville Holiday Parade, listed by the Asheville Downtown Association, is usually held in Downtown Asheville on the Saturday before Thanksgiving rather than on the holiday itself. On Thanksgiving morning, the tradition is the Asheville Turkey Trot, which finishes at Pack Square Park.

Where are the turkey trots in Asheville?

Asheville has two: the Asheville Turkey Trot, which starts at the Downtown YMCA on Woodfin Street and finishes at Pack Square Park, and the South Asheville Turkey Trot at Biltmore Park Town Square. Both are usually held on Thanksgiving morning.

What restaurants offer Thanksgiving dinner in Asheville?

RendezVous in Haw Creek posts a Thanksgiving prix fixe on its own site, and 67 Biltmore Downtown Eatery + Catering offers a take-out menu. Biltmore also sells holiday lodging packages that include Thanksgiving dinner. Book early, because these fill up.

Is the bus running on Thanksgiving in Asheville?

No. The ART Transit System lists itself as closed on Thanksgiving Day, so there is no bus service.

When is the Grove Arcade tree lighting?

The Grove Arcade Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party is held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving at 1 Page Ave in Downtown Asheville. Check grovearcade.com for current times.