Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. Two turkey trots in St. Pete, the city's senior luncheon, and Thursday trash pickup moving to Wednesday.

Last checked 2026-10-10. Facts come from the City of St. Petersburg trash collection schedule, the St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation calendar and each race’s own registration page. This page is updated each year.**

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. St. Petersburg starts the day with two 5K turkey trots, one around Coffee Pot Bayou and one from the west side, and the city’s trash crews shift Thursday routes to Wednesday. The weekend after brings the Santa Parade and the region’s biggest Small Business Saturday market.

Who to call

  • Trash and recycling: City of St. Petersburg Sanitation, 727-893-7398
  • Sunshine Senior Center (luncheon): 727-893-7133
  • St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation: 727-893-7441
  • City information line: 727-893-7111
  • Police non-emergency: 727-893-7780

Turkey trots

Race Start Where
Coffee Pot Turkey Trot 5K, 10th year 7:45 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26 Behind North Shore Elementary, 200 35th Ave. NE; start line on 34th Avenue NE
St. Pete Running Company Thanksgiving 5K, plus a Kids Untimed 5K 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26 6901 22nd Ave. N

The Coffee Pot Turkey Trot is a timed 5K that loops around Coffee Pot Bayou. The North Shore Elementary PTA runs it for the school. Its page lists entry at $45 through Nov. 1 and $48 after that, with a shirt and medal for every paid runner. Packet pickup is 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, and Wednesday, Nov. 25, and from 6:30 a.m. on race day. Because of road closures, the race says it starts promptly at 7:45 a.m.; the starting ceremony is at 7:30 a.m. and awards at 8:30 a.m.

The St. Pete Running Company Thanksgiving 5K used to be the shop’s unofficial turkey trot. This year, the organizers say, it is a permitted race with Pinellas County on the same trail. Registration closes at the 8 a.m. start.

Thanksgiving meals

  • Thanksgiving Luncheon, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, Sunshine Senior Center, 330 5th St. N. The city lists it at $7 a person, registration required, through the parks calendar; call 727-893-7133.
  • Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave. S, has hosted a free Thanksgiving dinner for seniors and their families in past years (the city’s 2023 announcement). No 2026 date is posted yet; call the center at 727-893-7134.

Restaurants: Cassis, 170 Beach Drive NE, opens at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day with its regular brunch and lunch menu, then serves a Thanksgiving menu from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with reservations through Resy. We add other restaurants only when they post a Thanksgiving menu on their own site.

Churches and nonprofits that hold an open community dinner can send the details through our contact page, and we will add them here.

Trash pickup and city services

From the city’s 2026 holiday collection schedule:

Your normal day Thanksgiving week
Monday, Tuesday No change
Thursday Picked up Wednesday, Nov. 25
Friday No change
  • The city’s brush sites are closed on Thanksgiving Day.
  • City recreation centers are closed Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27. Their Fall Camp runs Nov. 23 to 25, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., on the seasonal camps page.
  • The city’s printed schedule labels Thanksgiving “Thursday, Nov. 27”; the holiday is Thursday, Nov. 26, and the Thursday-to-Wednesday change applies that week.
  • The St. Pete Collects app sends holiday alerts for your zone. More on our trash and recycling page.

The weekend after

What this means for you

  • Thursday trash customers: carts out Wednesday, Nov. 25.
  • Driving near North Shore Elementary or Coffee Pot Bayou early Thanksgiving morning? Expect road closures for the race.
  • Register for the senior luncheon early; seating is limited.

Related: Halloween events, things to do this month and Black Friday and holiday shopping.

Frequently asked questions

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in St. Petersburg?

No Thursday pickup. The city moves Thursday collection to Wednesday, Nov. 25; Monday, Tuesday and Friday pickups stay the same. City brush sites are closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Is there a turkey trot in St. Petersburg?

Two. The Coffee Pot Turkey Trot 5K starts at 7:45 a.m. Thanksgiving Day behind North Shore Elementary, 200 35th Ave. NE, and the St. Pete Running Company Thanksgiving 5K starts at 8 a.m. at 6901 22nd Ave. N.

Where can seniors get a Thanksgiving meal in St. Pete?

The city’s Sunshine Senior Center holds a Thanksgiving Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 330 5th St. N. It costs $7 and registration is required; call 727-893-7133.

What happens in St. Pete the weekend after Thanksgiving?

The 98th Santa Parade and Tree Lighting is Saturday, Nov. 28, downtown, and Shopapalooza fills Vinoy Park Nov. 28 and 29 for Small Business Saturday.