Thanksgiving Day Events in Atlanta

For residents and visitors of Atlanta, in addition to the many restaurants that will be serving Thanksgiving Day dinner, there are several other Thanksgiving Day events in Atlanta.

Thanksgiving Day events in Atlanta - The Atlanta Marathon & Half Marathon

The Atlanta Marathon & Half Marathon is one of Atlanta's annual Thanksgiving Day events. You will have to be an early riser for this one, since the Atlanta Marathon begins at 7:30 am, and the Half Marathon at 7:00 am. The Atlanta Marathon is a 26.2 mile race and starts and finishes at Turner Field Stadium in downtown Atlanta. The 13.1 mile Half Marathon starts at the intersection of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Clairmont Road and also ends at Turner Field Stadium. Atlanta is expecting over 6,000 runners in this event, and you could be one of them. The deadline to enter is Tuesday, November 24th. Not a runner? A great spot for spectators to watch the runners is at the corner of Peachtree Road and Piedmont Road. Or perhaps you are interested in becoming one of the over 1000 volunteers at this event. For more information on entering, watching or volunteering, see The Atlanta Marathon & Half Marathon website.

Thanksgiving Day events in Atlanta - The Great Tree at Macy's Lighting Ceremony

The Great Tree at Macy's Lighting Ceremony at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta is another of Atlanta's annual Thanksgiving Day events. The chosen evergreen tree, over 65 feet tall and decorated with thousands of huge ornaments, lights and strobe lights, will be located on the roof of Macy's. The lighting ceremony starts at 7:00 pm, but get there early since the large crowd will start forming in the parking lot for the pre-ceremony with live entertainment at 6:15 pm. This free Atlanta event will also be televised in the Metro Atlanta viewing area. In addition to Macy's, Lenox Square Mall is also the home of Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus and over 200 specialty shops and restaurants and is located at 3393 Peachtree Road. For more information, see The Great Tree at Macy's Lighting Ceremony website.

Thanksgiving Day events in Atlanta - Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic

If you are an NBA fan, you can also attend an Atlanta Hawks basketball game. On Thanksgiving Day, the Hawks will host the Orlando Magic at Philips Arena. The arena is located next to CNN Center, at the corner of Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive in Atlanta. The game is scheduled to start at 8:00 pm and will be televised nationally on TNT. The Atlanta Hawks offer a 50% discount at home games to all military personnel. For tickets, see the Atlanta Hawks official website.

For information about Atlanta restaurants serving Thanksgiving Day dinner, see

Thanksgiving Dinner at Atlanta Restaurants by Sunshine.