Thanksgiving Events in Connecticut: Turkey Trots, Sports Centers, Museums, Nature Events

You're thinking about the turkey, the stuffing, the pies, the cranberry sauce, the rolls, the squash soup, the green beans, the wine, the sparkling cider, the linens, the extra chairs, that extra leaf for the table.  If you're going to be hosting the big day, feeding your flock is task enough.  If you get to just show up and eat, well hey, that's task enough, too.  None of you should have to figure out what to do with your fat and happy selves, so we've come up with a slew of ideas for you, across the state, including turkey trots, museum visits, nature outings and sporty activities.

Thanksgiving Day Races

The family that runs together..., really gets to enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner. You may want to consider adding a healthy, energizing Thanksgiving morning family run to your holiday tradition. Many communities across Connecticut have a long established Thanksgiving turkey trot on their calendars: a celebration of fitness, health and family exercise.

A lot of the races have special Kid Fun Run programs as a kick-off for the longer race. All are real care-free, motivating, heart-warming community events with runners and walkers from all walks of life, plenty of enthusiastic spectators and yummy post-race, seasonal beverages and food.  Probably the biggest is Manchester's 78th Annual Road Race where over 10,000 runners and walkers are expected to set out to cover the 5-mile course.  At Stamford's Shippan Turkey Trot, costumes are encouraged, and the only entry fee is a canned good donation.  We've mentioned some of these races in more detail here. Here is a list of other towns hosting Thanksgiving Day or weekend races:

Thanksgiving Day:
Branford (kids carnival precedes), Goshen, Farmington, Hamden, Madison, Mystic, New Milford, Newtown, Orange, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton, Southbury, Southport, Stratford

Thanksgiving Weekend
Greenwich, Newington, Norwich, Trumbull, Watertown

Playtime

Even if you aren't up for a race (who's gonna put the turkey on?!), you will have plenty of things to choose from for an active and playful Thanksgiving weekend.

For a special family event - especially if you have extended family visiting for the holiday - you may all head to the backyard for friendly touch football game.  If the weather's looking bleak, though, you can organize an exciting afternoon at one of the many indoor sport complexes in the region.  They offer a variety of activities: laser tag, mini-golf, indoor climbing, ball courts and safe, soft play and climbing areas for small kids. Below is a list of indoor centers with the most comprehensive options. 

Nomad Adventure Quest, South Windsor: blacklit mini golf, laser tag, climbing wall and mazes, bounce houses soft play area for children under 12, bowling, even a mechanical bull!

Sports Center of Connecticut, Shelton: mini golf, public skating, laser tag, fun bowl bowling, batting cages, arts/crafts, paintball, arcade.

Laser Planet, Waterbury: Connecticut's biggest stand-alone family laser tag center, mini-golf.

Connecticut's Sportsplex, North Branford: Laser tag, cyber sport (combination of lacrosse, basketball and hockey played in two teams from little custom cars), Playscape for toddlers and young kids, batting cages, arcade.

Sportsplex at Fairfield: Ice skating, Playscape for young children, indoor climbing.

Explore and Discover: Thanksgiving Museum Events

Some of Connecticut's most interesting and child-friendly museums offer special programs during the Thanksgiving weekend.

The Mystic Seaport, Connecticut's one-of-a kind museum will be partially open Thanksgiving Day, so admission is half price.  The real draw may be the Friday and Saturday after, when the Seaport presents Field Days.  Wander out to the Village Green with the entire extended family for 19th Century merrymaking, demonstrations and music.  From November 29th, weekend nights will offer Lantern Light Tours, a traveling performance enjoyed on foot within the Seaport's charming Victorian Christmas setting.  Also, on Saturday, November 29th, spectators can watch the Mystic Tree Lighting and spirited town Boat Parade from Mystic River Park.

The Fairfield Museum and Historical Society will celebrate the gifts of the Native Americans to the colonists with a family-friendly performance of songs and dances of the Eastern Woodland People.  They'll also have tours, hands-on activities and refreshments included with the cost of admission.

Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium is not open on Thanksgiving Day, but during the holiday weekend it is welcoming visitors for its annual Festival of Lighthouses, a special exhibit and contest of unique, handmade lighthouses. The aquarium's IMAX theater also offers a special holiday treat: The Polar Express starting November 28.

One other unique offering is the Enchanted Butterfly Tea Party at Lyman Allyn Art Museum.  This tea party for children runs three weekends, starting November 29th, and includes a 3-D butterfly craft and scavenger hunt.

Explore and Discover: Thanksgiving Nature and Outdoor Events 

If the weather is kind, it would be a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors on a special family outing. You can head to one of your favorite local parks - we collected our favorites in Fairfield County earlier here - or you can participate in one of the special Thanksgiving nature programs offered.

The Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport is closed on Thanksgiving, but reopens the day after.  Hop on their Harvest Hayride for an additional $2 for a different view of the zoo.  It's the final weekend of the season to do so. 

Earthplace in Westport will be closed Thursday and Friday, but has a special Turkey Walk planned for Saturday.  Hike with a local expert on the center's nature trails in search of real wild turkeys.

The New Canaan Nature Center will also take a hike on Saturday, known as the Weekend Waddle.  Families can head out at one of three times, and it wraps up with refreshments and a free tour of the Animal Care facility.    Scavenger hunts, letterboxing and orienteering are also available.

Perhaps our favorite pick this year, is the horse drawn wagon ride on the grounds of Blue Slope, a working dairy farm in Franklin, CT.  Complete with wassail, cocoa, carols and crafting your own Christmas ornament -- how much more Dickens can you get?  Which brings us to ...

Get into the Holiday Spirit

One of the best things about Thanksgiving is that it is also the prelude to the wonderful winter holiday season. Danbury, Niantic and Greenwich will kick off their towns' celebration of the winter holidays during Thanksgiving weekend.

Danbury's Light the Lights event on Saturday night will set the town aglow with the sparkles of the season. Festivities include a free movie, entertainers ... and Santa!  Niantic's creative take on the holiday stroll incudes horse-drawn carriage rides, letter-writing to Santa and a s'mores station. Finally, Greenwich residents are awaiting the arrival of Santa's reindeer for the official opening of the 6th Greenwich Reindeer Festival.

In the Hartford, Fairfield and Litchfield areas we have listed lots of great ideas, too.

Originally published 11/21/11.