With the holidays right around the corner, you may find yourself with family coming to visit for Thanksgiving – or perhaps you just have a few extra days off for the holiday! Many families will get together for a turkey dinner and watching football, but there are still many things going on in Traverse City that weekend. Consider starting a new family tradition!

The Up North Media Traverse City Turkey Trot offers a five mile race and a family-friendly (and canine-friendly!) 5K run/walk on Thanksgiving morning. Get out there and get active with your family before you indulge in Thanksgiving dinner! This year’s Turkey Trot benefits TCAPS, the TART trails, and Cherryland Humane Society.

If you don’t feel like cooking, there are plenty of options in town to enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner. Firefly offers a Thanksgiving buffet from 12-5pm, or you can visit Aerie inside the Grand Traverse Resort from 11am-6pm to enjoy their buffet. West Bay Beach Resort will also offer a buffet and live music with the Jeff Haas Trio from 12-3:30pm.

There are several other fun events throughout the rest of the weekend. The Old Town Playhouse will feature the classic musical “Annie”, which opens on Friday, November 24 at 7:30 p.m. and runs for four weekends. The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula will host the annual Great Mac & Cheese Bake Off on Saturday, November 25. That evening, you can check out Billy Strings at Mount Mancelona or the Brewski Bash at Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire.

We hope you find something fun to do with your family this Thanksgiving and that you have a safe and enjoyable holiday!