Thanksgiving weekend activities for families around Jacksonville (2026)
Checked · Covers Nov 25 – Nov 29 · All times are local Eastern Time
We list 4 family events around Jacksonville for Nov 25 – Nov 29. Each listing links to the organizer's own page.
Thanksgiving week events
Nights of Lights in St. Augustine
- When
- Wed, Nov 25 – Sun, Nov 29 (Nightly from dusk, Nov 21 – Jan 18) · Lights on nightly from dusk; Light-Up! Night Sat Nov 21, 4–7:30pm (lighting ceremony 6:30pm at the Plaza)
- Cost
- Light-Up! Night admission free; trolley and carriage tours cost extra
- Ages
- All ages · Outdoor
About 3 million white lights cover St. Augustine's historic downtown for the 33rd Nights of Lights. It's a walking event best seen on foot; the city runs free park-and-ride shuttles on select nights. The season starts with Light-Up! Night on Nov 21: Showtime USA at City Hall at 4pm, the All-Star Orchestra at the Plaza gazebo at 5:30pm, and the switch-flip at 6:30pm.
✓ Checked Oct 28, 2026 on the organizer's official page
ZOOLights at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
- When
- Wed, Nov 25 – Sun, Nov 29 (Select nights Nov 20–Jan 3) · 6–10pm (timed entry)
- Cost
- Non-members $30 or $35 depending on date (buy online); 2 and under free
- Ages
- All ages · Outdoor
Holiday light displays across the zoo with timed entry and visits with Santa. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas; some nights sell out.
✓ Checked Oct 26, 2026 on the organizer's official page
Thanksgiving Distance Classic 5K & 1-Mile Turkey Trot
- When
- Thu, Nov 26 · Start 6:50am
- Cost
- 1-mile $21 through Nov 25, $25 race day; 5K extra
- Ages
- All ages · Outdoor
Thanksgiving-morning 5K and 1-mile Turkey Trot on San Jose Blvd; every finisher gets a medal.
✓ Checked Oct 26, 2026 on the organizer's official page
Holiday River Fest: Tree Lighting, Light Boat Parade & Fireworks
- When
- Sat, Nov 28 · From 5pm; tree lighting 6:25pm; boat parade 6:30pm; fireworks ~8:30pm
- Cost
- No tickets listed
- Ages
- All ages · Outdoor
The city’s holiday kickoff downtown: family activities and hot cocoa from 5pm, tree lighting at 6:25, the Light Boat Parade at 6:30 and fireworks around 8:30pm.
✓ Checked Oct 26, 2026 on the organizer's official page
Frequently asked questions
What can families do around Jacksonville over Thanksgiving weekend?
We list 4 family events for Nov 25 – Nov 29, including Nights of Lights in St. Augustine (St. Augustine, Nov 25 – Nov 29), ZOOLights at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (Jacksonville, Nov 25 – Nov 29) and Thanksgiving Distance Classic 5K & 1-Mile Turkey Trot (Jacksonville, Thu, Nov 26). See all 4 above.
Which Thanksgiving weekend events near Jacksonville need tickets or registration?
1 event on our list says on the official page that it needs advance tickets, timed entry or registration: ZOOLights at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (Jacksonville). Book through each official page.
Which Jacksonville-area cities have Thanksgiving weekend events?
We list Thanksgiving weekend events in 2 cities, including Jacksonville (3) and St. Augustine (1).
Our weekend search covers Phoenix Metro & Arizona for now, and more areas are coming soon. This guide is hand-checked the same way.
How we build this page: each event comes from the organizer's official website and shows the date we checked it. An event is called free only when its official page says so. Read how we verify listings.
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