Thanksgiving in Des Moines: Turkey Trot, Dinner, Lights

At a glance

• Where: Downtown Des Moines, Iowa, with the East Village, Court Avenue and the Iowa Events Center as the main hubs
• When: Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday of November; the holiday season opens that week and the Friday after
• Cost: The Promenade is free; races, dinners and Festival of Trees & Lights are ticketed; check each official site
• Getting around: Check DART's official holiday page before you rely on a bus on the day

Thanksgiving in Des Moines starts with the Des Moines Turkey Trot on Court Avenue downtown on Thursday morning. After that you can book a holiday dinner at a downtown hotel restaurant or a steakhouse on Fleur Drive, and the weekend opens the holiday season with the East Village Holiday Promenade and Festival of Trees & Lights at the Iowa Events Center. Museums and the zoo mostly close on the day itself, so plan your afternoon around food, not exhibits.

This guide groups every pick by when it happens: Thursday morning, the meal, and the long weekend. It covers what returns every year and its usual timing. Exact 2026 dates sit in one section near the end.

How we chose

Every pick below is inside the city of Des Moines and was checked against its own official page or an official registration page. We left out restaurants that only had third-party listings for Thanksgiving, and places in West Des Moines, Urbandale and Altoona that other lists mix in. If an official page was silent about the holiday, we say so. Prices and hours change, so treat everything as typical and confirm on the official site.

What happens Thursday morning?

The Des Moines Turkey Trot is the Thanksgiving-morning race downtown, and it starts on Court Avenue in the Historic Court District.

Des Moines Turkey Trot, Court Avenue

The official RunSignup page lists a start at 208 Court Avenue, Des Moines, with a 5K and a 5 Mile at the same start and a shorter Tot Trot for ages 8 and under. It is held on Thanksgiving Thursday, usually in the morning, so you can run, walk or stroll and still be home for dinner. Registration is online, and the page links to a volunteer section if you would rather help than run. Local tip: the Court Avenue start puts you a short walk from the East Village, so you can fold a coffee stop or a look at the window displays into your morning.

Where can you volunteer over Thanksgiving in Des Moines?

Hope Ministries in downtown Des Moines is the main official route for Thanksgiving-week volunteering, and its roles fill early.

Hope Ministries, 1310 6th Avenue

Hope Ministries runs a holiday volunteering program, and its official page lists a Food Donation Day at Bethel Mission, 1310 6th Avenue, the day before Thanksgiving. In the year we checked, all Thanksgiving volunteer roles were already full, which tells you how early people sign up. The page also lists Christmas Eve volunteer roles, including meal delivery drivers. If you want to give back, check the Hope Ministries page in early November, not the week of. Another route is Meals from the Heartland, a meal-packaging charity based at 357 Lincoln Street, just across the line in West Des Moines, whose official site describes volunteers packaging meals for families in Iowa and beyond.

Where do you eat Thanksgiving dinner in Des Moines?

Several downtown restaurants post a Thanksgiving Day menu on their own sites, and the usual pattern is a fixed-price meal with reservations required.

Proudfoot & Bird, Hotel Fort Des Moines

Proudfoot & Bird at Hotel Fort Des Moines, 1000 Walnut Street downtown, lists a Thanksgiving prix fixe on the hotel's holiday specials page, with optional wine pairings and reservations through OpenTable. It is the dressy option, good for a family that wants someone else to carve.

Mulberry Street Tavern, Surety Hotel

Mulberry Street Tavern is in the Surety Hotel at 206 6th Avenue, downtown. The hotel's event page lists a multi-course Thanksgiving Day dinner called The Abundant Harvest, built on holiday classics and Iowa-sourced ingredients, with reservations required through OpenTable and a separate child price. Children 5 and under eat free. We could not confirm a take-home option on an official page.

Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, Fleur Drive

Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, at 6800 Fleur Drive in Des Moines, posts a Thanksgiving Day banner on its own site: a traditional dinner plate with a choice of soup or salad and pumpkin tiramisu, with the full menu also available. Reservations go through Resy. It is the south-side pick, handy if you are coming from the airport side of town.

What is there to do on the long weekend?

The weekend after Thanksgiving is when downtown Des Moines switches into holiday mode, and the East Village and the Iowa Events Center are the two places to be.

Holiday Promenade, East Village

The Holiday Promenade is free and runs on Friday evenings, usually from 5 to 8 p.m. across five Fridays, starting with a tree lighting with Santa. The East Village's own site says the Promenade has been running for 25 years. The Friday after Thanksgiving has typically been the window display contest night, so it is our pick for walking the East Village from the river up toward the Iowa State Capitol with a hot drink. See our East Village guide for where to park and eat nearby.

Festival of Trees & Lights, Iowa Events Center

Festival of Trees & Lights, which the Iowa Events Center describes as the largest fundraiser for Blank Children's Hospital, has run for more than four decades and is held at the Community Choice Convention Center, 730 3rd Street. It fills Thanksgiving week and runs through the weekend. Per the Iowa Events Center listing, it usually has no Thursday showing, and it opens with a sensory-friendly day the day before Thanksgiving. Tickets are sold through the official page, and children 2 and under are free. It works well as the rainy-day Friday plan.

Brenton Skating Plaza, downtown

The City of Des Moines lists an Opening Night for Brenton Skating Plaza in the days before Thanksgiving, with Santa, the lighting of the big Christmas tree, concessions and regular skate admission. It is a good warm-up if you have visitors arriving early for the holiday.

What is closed on Thanksgiving Day?

Most indoor attractions in Des Moines close on Thanksgiving Day, so build a Plan B before the day arrives.

• Science Center of Iowa, 401 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway: its official calendar lists Thanksgiving Day as closed and the day before as a shorter day.
• Blank Park Zoo, 7401 SW 9th Street: its FAQ says the zoo is closed on Thanksgiving Day. Call 515-285-4722 about the Friday.
• Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Avenue: its visit page lists Thanksgiving Day as a closure. Admission is always free on regular days.
• Pappajohn Sculpture Park, 1330 Grand Avenue, is an outdoor park that the Art Center lists as open during city park hours, sunrise to midnight; dress warm for a walk.
• DART (Des Moines Area Regional Transit): holiday service can differ from a normal weekday, so check the official DART site before planning a bus ride.

One insider move: the Art Center is closed Thursday, but the sculpture park downtown is outdoors, so a post-dinner walk past the sculptures is the easy Thursday-afternoon option.

This year's dates

Thanksgiving Day 2026 is Thursday, November 26. These are the dates the official pages gave us.

• Des Moines Turkey Trot: Thursday, November 26. The 5K and 5 Mile run from 9:00 a.m. and the Tot Trot from 10:15 a.m., per RunSignup.
• Hope Ministries Food Donation Day: Wednesday, November 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thanksgiving volunteer roles were listed as full.
• Dinner: Johnny's lists Thursday, November 26, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the dinner plate at $38. Mulberry Street Tavern lists 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., $65 for adults and $31 for ages 6 to 12. Proudfoot & Bird lists $75 and up per person.
• Brenton Skating Plaza Opening Night: Friday, November 20, 5 to 11 p.m.
• Holiday Promenade: Fridays, November 20 to December 18, 5 to 8 p.m.; November 27 is the window display contest.
• Festival of Trees & Lights: November 25 to 29 (the 43rd annual), with no Thanksgiving Day showing listed and tickets at $10.
• Science Center of Iowa: closed Thursday, November 26.

We found no official 2026 date for a downtown holiday parade, so do not plan around one until the organizers publish it.

Save this: the Des Moines Thanksgiving checklist

1. Register for the Turkey Trot and reserve dinner at least a week ahead.
2. Check Hope Ministries volunteer roles in early November.
3. Confirm DART service and attraction hours on official pages.
4. Thursday: run or walk on Court Avenue, then eat.
5. Friday: Holiday Promenade in the East Village from 5 p.m.
6. Weekend: Festival of Trees & Lights at the Iowa Events Center.

For more places to eat, browse our food and dining listings, and see this weekend's events.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Turkey Trot in Des Moines?

Yes. The Des Moines Turkey Trot is held on Thanksgiving morning downtown, starting at 208 Court Avenue, with a 5K, a 5 Mile and a Tot Trot. Register on its official RunSignup page.

What restaurants are open for Thanksgiving dinner in Des Moines?

Proudfoot & Bird at Hotel Fort Des Moines, Mulberry Street Tavern at the Surety Hotel and Johnny's Italian Steakhouse on Fleur Drive each list a Thanksgiving Day meal on their own sites. Reservations are the norm.

Are the Science Center of Iowa and Blank Park Zoo open on Thanksgiving?

No. Both official sites list Thanksgiving Day as a closure. The Des Moines Art Center also closes that day.

What holiday events happen in Des Moines on Thanksgiving weekend?

The free East Village Holiday Promenade runs on Friday evenings, and Festival of Trees & Lights at the Iowa Events Center runs through the weekend. Brenton Skating Plaza opens for the season just before.

Where can you volunteer on Thanksgiving in Des Moines?

Hope Ministries lists holiday volunteering on its official site, but Thanksgiving roles fill early. Meals from the Heartland, based in West Des Moines, also runs volunteer meal packaging.