Thanksgiving 2026 in North Baltimore and Towson

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26 this year. Here's what's happening around North Baltimore and Towson that week, plus the big citywide traditions worth the drive, with links so you can check times before you go. I'll update this page every November.

Need food now? Dial 211 (free and confidential) or search the Maryland Food Bank's Find Food tool by ZIP code. Free Thanksgiving meals are listed below.

On this page: Before the holiday · Thanksgiving Day · The weekend after · Free Thanksgiving meals · Coming up in December · Quick answers

Before the holiday

Tree lighting at The Village of Cross Keys (Wed, Nov 18, 5 to 7 pm). Cross Keys lights its first holiday tree and unveils 5-foot ornaments made by students from 14 Baltimore-area schools; visitors rank them to steer more than $20,000 to local nonprofits. Free, at 5100 Falls Road. Visit Baltimore listing

Our Thanksgiving Stories, Towson University (Thu, Nov 19, 6 to 9 pm). A free performance and gathering hosted by TU's Asian Arts & Culture Center at the Center for the Arts, 7700 Osler Drive. Visit Baltimore listing · Eventbrite

Christmas Village in Baltimore opens (Sat, Nov 21). The German-style holiday market at West Shore Park on the Inner Harbor runs Nov 21 to Dec 27. The tree lighting is opening day at 4:15 pm. It's closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday, Nov 25, and open noon to 5 on Thanksgiving. Christmas Village · Tree lighting on Visit Baltimore

Holiday pies and tarts class at Schola (Sat, Nov 21, 10 am to noon). A two-hour hands-on class on doughs, pumpkin pecan pie, apple galettes, and a savory tart, at 2744 Lighthouse Point East in Canton. Eventbrite

Craftsgiving wreath making in Owings Mills (Sat, Nov 21, 6 to 9 pm). Make a holiday wreath with all supplies provided, no experience needed, at The Greene Turtle, 2 Restaurant Park Drive North. Eventbrite

Pie pickup at Kneads Bakeshop (Wed, Nov 25, 7 am to 3 pm). Pre-order pies (Dutch apple, pecan, chocolate pecan, pumpkin) and dinner rolls, then pick up at the Harbor East shop, 506 South Central Avenue. Quantities are limited, so order early. Pre-order on Eventbrite

Thanksgiving Eve in Towson (Wed, Nov 25, 6 pm). A Friends-themed Friendsgiving pop-up party at The Point in Towson on York Road. Eventbrite

Thanksgiving Day

Y Turkey Trot Charity 5K (Thu, Nov 26, morning). The Y in Central Maryland runs its Thanksgiving 5K at six locations, including Towson and Baltimore City, and thousands of runners and walkers turn out. Money raised goes to local food pantries. Visit Baltimore listing

Free Turkey Trot Fun Run in Ellicott City (Thu, Nov 26, 9 to 10 am). A free run or walk with 1-mile, 2-mile, and 5K routes on the Little Patuxent River Trail, starting at Dunloggin Middle School, 9129 Northfield Road. Register ahead. Eventbrite

The weekend after

Hampden Holiday Market on Small Business Saturday (Sat, Nov 28, 11 am to 4:30 pm). More than 40 local artists and makers at St. Luke's Church on the Avenue, 800 West 36th Street. Free to browse. Visit Baltimore listing

The Nutcracker at Towson University (Sat, Nov 28, 3 pm). The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts' annual production at Stephens Hall Theatre, 7900 Stephens Avenue. Tickets $35. WYPR community calendar

Post-Thanksgiving concerts at Stony Run Friends Meeting (Sat, Nov 28, 3:30 and 7 pm). Charm City Junction with Ken and Brad Kolodner, two shows at the meeting house at 5116 North Charles Street. Advance tickets $33, $16 for 14 and under. Eventbrite

Miracle on 34th Street lights up Hampden. The 700 block of West 34th Street, between Keswick and Chestnut, lights up Saturday, Nov 28 this year (the Hampden Holiday Market's organizers say their market that day lines up with it) and stays lit through New Year's. Check that week before you go. Park a few blocks away and walk; the block gets crowded on weekend nights.

Most of the stops above sit in or near Hampden, Roland Park, and Homeland. If you'd like to see the homes and streets around them:

• Hampden: the Hampden neighborhood guide
• Roland Park and Homeland: the Roland Park neighborhood guide and the Homeland neighborhood guide
• Everything nearby: North Baltimore homes for sale
• Towson: Towson, MD homes for sale

Free Thanksgiving meals and turkey giveaways

• God's Best Family Thanksgiving turkey giveaway and community hot meal, Sat, Nov 21, 1 pm, 1200 Nanticoke Street. Eventbrite
• 53 Families Thanksgiving Dinner (17th annual), Mon, Nov 23, 4:30 pm, Baltimore Convention Center. Eventbrite
• Goodwill Thanksgiving Dinner and Resource Fair, Wed, Nov 25, at the Baltimore Convention Center (Halls A and B). Dinner runs 11:45 am to 2:45 pm, and the resource fair runs 10 am to 2 pm. It’s free, with tickets through Eventbrite. Last year it served more than 2,000 people. Details on Goodwill’s Thanksgiving page.
• Bea Gaddy Family Centers Thanksgiving dinner, Thu, Nov 26, noon to 2:30 pm, at American Legion Northeastern Post 285, 2324 McElderry Street. A free hot meal: turkey, ham, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls, cranberry sauce, and dessert. It's Baltimore's longest-running Thanksgiving dinner. Questions: 410-563-2749.

Need food before then, or after? Dial 211 (free and confidential) or use 211 Maryland's Find Food search. The Maryland Food Bank's Find Food tool lists pantries by ZIP code; call ahead to confirm hours.

More Baltimore Thanksgiving events, updated daily: Eventbrite's Baltimore Thanksgiving page.

Coming up in December

Dates for 2026, checked with each organizer. Times can change, so check before you go.

• Washington Monument Lighting in Mount Vernon (Thu, Dec 3, 5 to 8 pm). Live music, 20-plus food vendors, and an artisan market at Mount Vernon Place, 699 North Charles Street, with family activities at the Walters Art Museum from 5 to 7:30 and fireworks at 8. Mount Vernon Place Conservancy · The Walters
• Baltimore County tree lighting in Towson (Fri, Dec 4, 5:45 to 7:30 pm). Santa, live music, and the county's tree at Olympian Park, Allegheny Avenue at the traffic circle in downtown Towson. Free. Event page
• Mayor's Christmas Parade in Hampden and Medfield (Sun, Dec 6, 1 to 4 pm). The 53rd annual parade runs about 1.5 miles, starting near Falls Road and Cold Spring Lane and winding through Hampden. Parade site
• The Stoop's holiday show at the Senator Theatre (Thu, Dec 10, 7 pm). True stories on stage at 5904 York Road; $25, $15 for students. Visit Baltimore listing
• Light Up Belvedere Square. Tree lighting and a Nutcracker performance across York Road from the Senator. This year's date isn't posted yet; last year it was Thu, Dec 11. Belvedere Square events

Quick answers

When is Thanksgiving this year? Thursday, November 26, 2026.

When does Miracle on 34th Street light up? Saturday, Nov 28, and it stays lit through New Year's. It's the 700 block of West 34th Street in Hampden.

Is there a turkey trot in Towson? Yes. The Y's Turkey Trot 5K runs in Towson and Baltimore City on Thanksgiving morning. There's also a free fun run in Ellicott City.

Where can I get a free Thanksgiving meal in Baltimore? See the free meals list above. Any day of the year, dial 211 or search the Maryland Food Bank's Find Food tool by ZIP code.

Is Christmas Village open on Thanksgiving? Yes, noon to 5 pm. It's closed Wednesday, Nov 25.

When is the Towson tree lighting? Friday, Dec 4, 5:45 to 7:30 pm, at Olympian Park in downtown Towson.

When is the Monument Lighting in Mount Vernon? Thursday, Dec 3, 5 to 8 pm, with fireworks at 8.

When is the Mayor's Christmas Parade? Sunday, Dec 6, 1 to 4 pm, in Hampden and Medfield.

If the holidays have you thinking about a move

Thanksgiving is when a lot of moves start. A holiday visit makes the stairs, the long drive between houses, or a too-big yard hard to ignore. If that's on your mind, here's what I'd look for around here:

• Fewer stairs. First-floor bedrooms, or a condo with an elevator. Towson condos for sale
• Distance that works both ways. North Baltimore to Towson is a short drive up Charles Street or York Road, so you can be close without sharing a driveway.
• Selling the old house first. Know what you'd walk away with before you shop. My seller net sheet gives you a number in a couple of minutes, and downsizinginbaltimore.com walks through the steps.

And if you're selling, December isn't dead. People in town for the holidays still tour homes.

From our team: The Key Home Team's annual Pie Party for our clients is Tuesday, Nov 24. If you've bought or sold a home with us, we'd love to see you there.

Have a question about a neighborhood or a house you saw over the holiday? Call or text me at (410) 905-6678, or see how I sell homes in Baltimore.

Sources: Eventbrite, Visit Baltimore (baltimore.org), the WYPR community calendar, Christmas Village in Baltimore, the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, the Walters Art Museum, the Mayor's Christmas Parade, Baltimore County's tree lighting event page, Bea Gaddy Family Centers, 211 Maryland, the Maryland Food Bank, and each event's organizer page, checked Nov 8 and 9, 2026. Dates and times can change; confirm with the organizer before you go.