Published November 13th, 2026 by Aaron McFarland

Thanksgiving weekend in Boise starts early and doesn’t slow down.

Start Thursday morning with a turkey trot so the second helping feels earned. Friday night, the downtown tree lights up and Winter Garden aGlow opens. Saturday brings the holiday parade and Small Business Saturday, and by Sunday the whole valley is in holiday mode.

Here are the turkey trots, events, ways to give back and good-to-know closures for Thanksgiving weekend in Boise and the Treasure Valley.

Here’s the whole long weekend in order, so you can pick what fits around dinner. Details for each one are further down.

Wednesday, November 25th: The Saint Alphonsus Festival of Trees opens to the public at the Boise Centre with Senior Day, 10am – 8pm.

Thursday, November 26th: The Nampa Pumpkin Spice 5K starts at 8am, and the Boise and Caldwell Turkey Day 5Ks start at 9am. The Festival of Trees is open 2pm – 6pm. Candy Cane Lane in Eagle switches on its lights Thanksgiving night. There’s no bus service, and Zoo Boise and Winter Garden aGlow are closed.

Friday, November 27th: The Canyon County Festival of Trees opens at the Ford Idaho Center, noon – 5pm. Downtown, the tree lighting on The Grove Plaza runs 5pm – 6pm, Holidays on the Grove opens 5pm – 8pm, and Winter Garden aGlow opens for the season, 6pm – 9pm.

Saturday, November 28th: The Boise Holiday Parade starts at 10am, followed by Small Business Saturday all day downtown. The YMCA Leftovers Fun Run starts at 10am in Ann Morrison Park. Santa visits Holidays on the Grove 5pm – 7pm, and Elf in Concert plays the Morrison Center at 7:30pm.

Sunday, November 29th: Elf in Concert has a 2pm matinee, and Winter Garden aGlow runs a discount night with Santa, 5pm – 8pm, with free entry for veterans. Both Festival of Trees events wrap up for the year.

Turkey trots are aplenty on Thanksgiving. Sign up the family, wear something festive, and be home in time to baste the turkey. Thanksgiving mornings in Boise are usually chilly, so dress in layers you can shed, and get to the start early, since parking near the start lines fills up fast. Most races ask runners to bring canned food for local food pantries, so grab a few cans on the way out the door.

Boise’s biggest Thanksgiving morning race is in its 15th year, starting and finishing at the Idaho State Capitol. Run, walk, push a stroller, or bring the whole family and a can of food for the drive. There’s a 5K for kids 12 and under too.

Good to Know

Proceeds benefit Camp Rainbow Gold and the Boise Rescue Mission. Groups of 10 get a discount. The same organizers run the Caldwell Turkey Day 5K at the same time, listed below.

Where

Idaho State Capitol, 601 W Jefferson St, Boise

The Canyon County Turkey Day 5K starts at 9 am in Caldwell’s Memorial Park; it’s the same time as the Boise race, so it’s the easy pick if you’re hosting dinner on the west side of the valley. Same organizers, same cause, and there’s a kids’ 5K for ages 12 and under. Runners are asked to bring extra canned food.

Good to Know

Proceeds also benefit Camp Rainbow Gold and the Boise Rescue Mission. Online registration closes the night of November 19th and reopens November 20th, and groups of 10 or more get a discount.

Where

Memorial Park, Caldwell

An out-and-back 5K on Nampa’s Wilson Pathway with pumpkin pie bites at the halfway point and hot cocoa at the finish. Thanksgiving costumes are highly encouraged, and runners are asked to bring canned food for Nampa food pantries.

Where

Gem Prep School, 310 W Iowa Ave, Nampa

Missed Thursday’s race, or need to work off leftovers? The YMCA’s fun run in Ann Morrison Park is the Saturday after Thanksgiving, with a 5K and a 1-mile option.

Where

Ann Morrison Park, Boise

The night after Thanksgiving, Boise’s holiday tree lights up on The Grove Plaza with live music and a countdown. It’s free, it’s short, and it kicks off the season downtown. Bring a new item for the Women’s and Children’s Alliance Giving Tree while you’re there.

Good to Know

The Holidays on the Grove vendor sheds open the same night. The garages at 9th and Front, 10th and Front, 11th and Front, and Capitol and Main are all within two blocks, with the first hour free.

Where

The Grove Plaza, 827 W Main St, Boise

Downtown’s holiday village on The Grove Plaza opens right after the tree lighting and runs every Friday and Saturday night until the week before Christmas. Rotating local vendors share the plaza with kettle corn, carolers, and featured local artists.

On Thanksgiving weekend, Tad Bradley is the featured artist, Santa visits Saturday from 5pm – 7pm, and Encore Theatre carolers sing at 7pm Saturday.

Good to Know

Weather can change or cancel the schedule, so check before you go. The first hour is free in downtown ParkBOI garages.

Where

The Grove Plaza, 827 W Main St, Boise

Floats, marching bands, local businesses, and community groups roll through downtown Saturday morning, with Santa bringing up the rear. This year’s theme is “Christmas is for Giving.” Get there early with a coffee for a curb spot on Jefferson or Bannock, then stay downtown for Small Business Saturday.

Good to Know

Streets along the route close in the morning and reopen around noon. If you can’t make it downtown, the parade streams live on YouTube.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is the big shop-local day all over the valley. It’s an easy way to support the local economy and knock out part of your gift list.

Our Small Business Saturday in Boise guide has the markets, shop events, and parking for the day.

The Idaho Botanical Garden’s light show opens the day after Thanksgiving with about 900,000 lights, and this year it spreads onto Outlaw Field for the first time with a new Lake of Lights. Free hot cocoa and cookies are included, and the Yuletide Bar pours festive drinks for the 21-and-over crowd. It’s a good way to walk off dinner, but it’s closed on Thanksgiving itself.

Good to Know

Entry is timed, but you can stay until close. Sunday, November 29th runs 5pm – 8pm as a discount night ($16 adults, $11 youth), with veterans getting in free. Parking is free in the new Parking Garden at the entrance, with a shuttle to the ticket kiosks. The garden is closed Monday, November 30th.

Where

Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise

The Boise Philharmonic plays John Debney’s score live while Elf runs on the big screen at the Morrison Center, so you get the whole movie with a full orchestra behind it. It’s an easy way to get the family out of the house after a day of leftovers, and the Sunday matinee works well for younger kids.

Good to Know

Lobby doors open 90 minutes before showtime. Military, veterans, first responders, educators, and groups get special pricing through the Boise Phil box office at (208) 344-7849.

Where

Morrison Center, 2201 W Friendship Ln, Boise

Two Festival of Trees events fill the long weekend with decorated trees, Santa visits, and kids’ activities. The Saint Alphonsus Festival of Trees at the Boise Centre is open on Thanksgiving afternoon, and the Canyon County Festival of Trees opens at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa on Friday.

Good to Know

Boise Centre tickets are $16 for adults and $11 for kids, seniors, and military; card only. The Canyon County Festival of Trees sells tickets at the door, and its Cookies with Santa and Breakfast with Santa are ticketed separately.

Thanksgiving weekend is when the valley’s light displays all come together.

Scentsy Commons in Meridian has been lit since November 13th, and it’s free from sunset to sunrise. Caldwell’s Winter Wonderland at Indian Creek Plaza and Lost in Christmas at Shindig Farms in Nampa both open November 20th, and the Indian Creek Ice Ribbon is open for skating. Candy Cane Lane, the Eagle neighborhood display that raises money for Make-A-Wish Idaho, switches on Thanksgiving night and runs 5:30pm – 11pm.

Our Boise Christmas Lights Guide has dates, hours, and prices for every display, including Christmas in Color, which hasn’t posted its 2026 dates yet.

The Idaho Foodbank takes volunteers ages 8 and up for sorting and packing shifts, and kids 15 and under need an adult along. Sign up for a shift online, and wear closed-toe shoes.

If you can’t volunteer, the Albertsons Feed Joy drive runs through December 31st at participating Albertsons stores.

Sign up to volunteer with The Idaho Foodbank

At the downtown tree lighting on November 27th, take a tag from the Giving Tree and bring back a new item for the Women’s and Children’s Alliance, which supports survivors of domestic violence in the Treasure Valley.

See the tree lighting details

Valley Regional Transit runs no buses on Thanksgiving Day, and the transit centers are closed. On Friday, November 27th, only routes 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 20, and 29 run on a reduced schedule.

In Boise, trash, recycling, and compost pickup moves one day later for the rest of the week if your day falls on or after Thanksgiving, so Thursday pickups happen Friday and Friday pickups happen Saturday.

Downtown Boise street meters are free on Thanksgiving Day, then back to normal on Friday. Zoo Boise is closed on Thanksgiving Day, and the Boise Art Museum is closed November 26th – 27th.

The Idaho Steelheads have no home games Thanksgiving week, and Boise State’s last home football game is Saturday, November 21st. Bogus Basin hasn’t announced its 2026 opening day yet; last season it opened the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so watch for an announcement if you’re hoping to ski the long weekend.

See Valley Regional Transit holiday service