Thanksgiving in Nashville 2026: turkey trots, meals, trash pickup

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. This page is updated each year. Race details come from each organizer’s page (Boulevard Bolt, Music City Turkey Trot, Nashville Turkey Trot); trash changes from Metro Waste Services. Holiday store hours are on our separate Black Friday and holiday shopping page.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Nashville starts the day with three turkey trots, led by the Boulevard Bolt, the 33rd running of the five-mile race on Belle Meade Boulevard at 8 a.m. Metro does not collect trash on Thanksgiving: Thursday routes move to Monday, Nov. 30. Metro information: 311 (615-862-5000).

Thanksgiving at a glance

• Trash: Thursday routes collected Monday, Nov. 30. Black Friday, Nov. 27, collected as normal.
• Convenience centers: closed on Metro holidays.
• WeGo: past years, Sunday/holiday schedule; no regional buses or WeGo Star. Check WeGo the week before.
• Metro questions: 311 or 615-862-5000.

Turkey trots

The Boulevard Bolt, 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26

• A five-mile, USATF-certified course up and down Belle Meade Boulevard, run or walk.
• Organized by volunteers from Immanuel Baptist Church, St. George’s Episcopal Church and The Temple Congregation Ohabai Sholom. It has grown from 2,500 participants in 1994 to more than 7,500, and the organizers say all proceeds go to help people experiencing homelessness.
• Packet pickup and on-site registration at The Temple, 5015 Harding Pike: noon to 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23, and Tuesday, Nov. 24; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25. Race-day pickup is in the St. George’s parking lot, 4715 Harding Pike (registration page).
• T-shirts are guaranteed only to the first 5,500 to pick up a packet.
• No strollers, bikes, skates or animals on the course.

Music City Turkey Trot 5K and 1 Mile, 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26

• Starts at Nissan Stadium on the east bank, with a 5K run or walk and a 1-mile “Waddle.”
• Registration is on Race Roster.

Nashville Turkey Trot 10 Mile and 5K, Thursday, Nov. 26

• Kids Dash at 8:15 a.m.; 5K and 10 Mile start together at 8:30 a.m.
• Start and finish at Wave Country, 2320 Two Rivers Parkway. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics Tennessee.
• The organizer says on-site parking exits are closed until 9:30 a.m. while runners use the crosswalk, and parking on Two Rivers Parkway is not allowed. Race-morning packet pickup, 7 to 8 a.m., is “not recommended.”

Thanksgiving meals and giving

Nashville Rescue Mission, 639 Lafayette St., serves meals to people experiencing hunger and homelessness through the holiday and is collecting donations for its Thanksgiving meals now. It had not posted 2026 holiday meal times or volunteer shifts when we checked; call the mission or check its site the week before.

We will add other community dinners here when the organizers publish dates. If your church or nonprofit hosts a free Thanksgiving meal, tell us.

What is open and closed

Trash and recycling (Metro Waste Services):

Convenience centers are closed on Metro holidays. See our full trash and recycling guide for the Christmas and New Year’s Day changes.

WeGo Public Transit: In 2023, WeGo ran buses and Access vans on its Sunday/holiday schedule on Thanksgiving, with no regional commuter buses or WeGo Star, and its customer care center closed. Its 2026 notice was not out when we checked.

Stores: hours for malls and shopping centers, as each one posts them, are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.

Thanksgiving week in the parks

Metro Parks nature centers run programs the days before the holiday (Parks events; 615-862-8400):

• Thankful for the Hill Forest, Warner Park Nature Center, 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Nov. 24.
• Full Moon Hike, Bells Bend Outdoor Center, 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24; and the Full Beaver Moon Hike, Beaman Park Nature Center, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. the same night.
• Fall Crafts, Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25.

MNPS students are off all Thanksgiving week, Nov. 23-27 (district calendar). Adventure Science Center runs a two-day Kitchen Chemistry Thanksgiving Camp on Monday, Nov. 23, and Tuesday, Nov. 24, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Campers must be at least 5 and have started kindergarten.

What this means for you

• Running the Bolt? Pick up your packet at The Temple before Thursday; race-day lines are long and shirts can run out.
• Thursday trash route? Put your cart out Monday, Nov. 30.
• Next up: the holiday lights and Christmas events guide and the city tree lighting.

Related guides: trash and recycling, things to do this month and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

When is Thanksgiving 2026 in Nashville?

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Metro moves Thursday trash routes to Monday, Nov. 30; Black Friday pickup runs as normal.

What time is the Boulevard Bolt 2026?

The 33rd Boulevard Bolt starts at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, on Belle Meade Boulevard. Strollers, bikes, skates and animals are not allowed on the course.

What turkey trots are in Nashville on Thanksgiving?

Three: the Boulevard Bolt five-mile on Belle Meade Boulevard at 8 a.m., the Music City Turkey Trot 5K and 1 Mile at Nissan Stadium at 8 a.m., and the Nashville Turkey Trot 10 Mile and 5K at Wave Country at 8:30 a.m.

Does Nashville pick up trash on Thanksgiving?

No. Metro collects Thursday routes on Monday, Nov. 30, instead. Convenience centers are closed on Metro holidays.

Do WeGo buses run on Thanksgiving?

WeGo has run buses and Access vans on its Sunday/holiday schedule on Thanksgiving in past years, with no regional buses or WeGo Star. It had not posted its 2026 notice when we checked.