Things To Do

Thanksgiving in Virginia Beach: Races, Meals and Lights

Date Published

Illustration of Thanksgiving in Virginia Beach with runners, a harvest table and holiday lights by the shore

Thanksgiving in Virginia Beach centers on three turkey trots on Thursday morning (Little Neck, Mount Trashmore and Charlie Normile's), a Bravo! Italian Kitchen feast you can order to go, and a holiday light trail at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center that opens the season. There is no Thanksgiving Day parade listed by Visit Virginia Beach, so the morning belongs to the runners.

This guide groups six verified picks by when they happen: Thursday morning, the meal, and the long weekend. The exact 2026 dates sit in one section near the end.

What is the plan for Thanksgiving week in Virginia Beach?

The simplest plan is to run or walk on Thursday morning, eat at home from a take-home feast or at the table, and spend the weekend on the lights. If you want to give back, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore runs a food drive in Virginia Beach the weekend before the holiday.

Is there a parade? Visit Virginia Beach's own Thanksgiving page lists no Thanksgiving parade. It points to a turkey trot, a hotel dinner and a holiday market instead, so check the events calendar for holiday parades later in the season.

Thursday morning: turkey trots

Virginia Beach has three Thanksgiving-morning races with different personalities, all listed on RunSignup. Registration pages are the only official source for each, so check them for start times before you go.

Little Neck Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble (Little Neck)

The Little Neck Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble is a neighborhood 5K at Little Neck Swim and Racquet Club, 864 Little Neck Road, with a 1-mile Gobble Wobble alongside it. The start is typically early on Thanksgiving morning, and it is the most family-sized of the three. Register early: the small field can sell out well before the holiday.

Charlie Normile's Turkey Trot (southern Virginia Beach)

Charlie Normile's Turkey Trot is a Virginia Beach race, registered under the 23456 ZIP code with the start shown on its registration page map, that benefits the Navy SEAL Foundation in honor of Charlie and James Normile. It offers a competitive 5K, a team 5K, a 1-mile fun run that welcomes dogs (the Canine Crawl) and a free Gobble Wobble for kids 5 and under that covers exactly 26.2 meters: a marathon shrunk a thousandfold. It is our pick if you want to bring the dog.

Tidewater Striders Turkey Trot 10K & Mile (Mount Trashmore)

The Tidewater Striders Turkey Trot starts at the Mt Trashmore YMCA, 4441 South Boulevard. It is the serious one: a 10K, a competitive walk and a 1-mile run, plus a toddler trot and a push-rim wheelchair 10K. Visit Virginia Beach's Thanksgiving page lists it, and notes that proceeds go to a scholarship fund.

The meal: dinner you can order to go

If you would rather not cook, one Virginia Beach restaurant states a take-home Thanksgiving feast on its own site, and it is the easiest one to book.

Bravo! Italian Kitchen (Town Center)

Bravo! Italian Kitchen, at 193 Central Park Avenue in Town Center, offers a Thanksgiving Feast with sliced white-meat turkey, homestyle gravy, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, spicy Italian sausage stuffing, green beans and cranberry sauce. The official page says you can dine in, pick up or have it delivered, and that you can take it hot or chilled to reheat later. Pre-orders go through the catering link on that page and table bookings through its reservations link. The page does not post prices, so confirm them when you order.

Bravo! is a chain and the feast page covers all its locations; the Town Center restaurant is the Virginia Beach one. For anywhere else, call before you plan on Thursday: most Virginia Beach restaurant sites show regular hours, not holiday ones.

For more places to eat year-round, browse food and dining listings.

The long weekend: lights and giving back

The weekend after Thanksgiving is when Virginia Beach switches to the holidays, and it also carries the biggest chance to help neighbors.

Holiday Trail of Lights at the Virginia Aquarium (Oceanfront-adjacent, 717 General Booth Boulevard)

The Holiday Trail of Lights at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is a 1.1-mile walkable trail entered from the North or South Building, listed on the official Beach Events site. Time slots typically run in the evening, starting with an early Twilight Hour, and you pick a slot when you buy tickets. The aquarium itself is closed on Thanksgiving Day, and the event page does not say whether the trail runs that night, so plan it for Friday through the weekend.

For more on the beachfront, see our Oceanfront guide.

Mayflower Marathon food drive (Lynnhaven Mall)

The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore's Mayflower Marathon is a food drive that runs the weekend before Thanksgiving. The Virginia Beach drop-off is at Lynnhaven Mall, 701 Lynnhaven Parkway, across from the AMC theater. The Foodbank describes it as 57 hours of nonstop drive-through drop-off, from early Friday morning until Sunday afternoon.

It is the easiest local way to donate: drive up, hand off cans or a gift, and go. If you want to volunteer more broadly, the Foodbank's volunteer page lists sign-up through VolunteerHub. Its listed volunteer sites are in Norfolk, Franklin and Tasley, not Virginia Beach, so expect a drive for shifts.

What is open and closed on Thanksgiving Day?

Most public services close on Thursday, so plan around it. Virginia Beach Public Library branches close on Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after, and close at noon the day before. The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art at 5811 Wesleyan Drive is closed on Thanksgiving Day. The Virginia Aquarium is closed on Thanksgiving, per its homepage.

First Landing State Park at 2500 Shore Drive posts day-use hours of 7 a.m. to dusk, with no Thanksgiving-specific notice, so a morning walk on its trails after a race is a reasonable bet. For city recreation centers and other city facilities, check the City of Virginia Beach site for holiday hours. For buses, check Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) at gohrt.com for its posted holiday service plan.

This year's dates

Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26. The following come from each official page as of mid-November 2026:

  • Little Neck Turkey Trot: Thursday, Nov. 26, 8:30 a.m. start for the 5K and Gobble Wobble; 5K costs $20 ($10 for ages 0-17); the Gobble Wobble was sold out and the 5K nearly full at last check.
  • Charlie Normile's Turkey Trot: Thursday, Nov. 26; 5K from 9:00 a.m., fun run from 10:00 a.m.; 5K $45; registration closes Nov. 26 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Tidewater Striders Turkey Trot: Thursday, Nov. 26; mile 8:15 a.m., 10K 9:00 a.m.; mile $20 through Nov. 22, 10K $50.
  • Mayflower Marathon at Lynnhaven Mall: Friday, Nov. 20 to Sunday, Nov. 22, from 5:30 a.m. Friday to 3:00 p.m. Sunday.
  • Holiday Trail of Lights at the Virginia Aquarium: Friday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Jan. 3, with time slots from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
  • Libraries: closed Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27.

How we chose

We started with every Thanksgiving race, meal, light display and volunteer drive we could find in Virginia Beach, then kept only those confirmed on an official or registration page and located inside the city. We left out restaurants whose own sites showed no Thanksgiving menu, and we left out Cooper's Hawk, whose Thanksgiving page does not name its Virginia Beach location. A few picks carry gaps we flag in the text, such as the aquarium trail's Thanksgiving-night status.

What should be on your Thanksgiving week checklist?

Screenshot this six-step list and you have the whole week covered.

  1. Register for a turkey trot as soon as registration opens; the smaller ones fill.
  2. Pre-order your Bravo! feast through the catering link on its page.
  3. Drop food at the Mayflower Marathon at Lynnhaven Mall the weekend before.
  4. Call restaurants for Thursday hours before you head out.
  5. Book your Holiday Trail of Lights time slot for Friday or later.
  6. Check gohrt.com for bus service if you are not driving.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Virginia Beach?

Visit Virginia Beach's Thanksgiving page lists no Thanksgiving Day parade in Virginia Beach. It lists the Tidewater Striders Turkey Trot, a hotel Thanksgiving dinner and a holiday market instead.

Where can I run a turkey trot in Virginia Beach?

Virginia Beach has three Thanksgiving-morning races: the Little Neck Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble, Charlie Normile's Turkey Trot, and the Tidewater Striders Turkey Trot 10K & Mile at the Mt Trashmore YMCA. Register on each race's RunSignup page.

Can I order a Thanksgiving dinner to go in Virginia Beach?

Yes. Bravo! Italian Kitchen at 193 Central Park Avenue in Virginia Beach's Town Center offers a Thanksgiving Feast for dine-in, pickup or delivery, hot or chilled for reheating. Pre-orders go through the catering link on its official page.

How can I volunteer or donate at Thanksgiving in Virginia Beach?

The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore runs the Mayflower Marathon food drive the weekend before Thanksgiving, with a Virginia Beach drop-off at Lynnhaven Mall. Volunteer shifts are booked through its VolunteerHub page.

What is closed in Virginia Beach on Thanksgiving Day?

Virginia Beach Public Library branches, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center are closed on Thanksgiving Day. Check the Hampton Roads Transit website for the holiday bus schedule.