Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. Turkey Trot for Hope starts at 8 a.m. at Mardi Gras Park; Thursday trash routes run Saturday; buses do not run Nov. 26-27.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address; the dates below are for Thanksgiving 2026. Facts come from the City of Mobile’s sanitation holiday schedule, Second Line Transit, MAWSS and each race organizer, linked below.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Mobile’s Thanksgiving morning tradition is the Turkey Trot for Hope at Mardi Gras Park downtown. On the holiday itself there is no garbage or yard trash pickup and no city bus service, and Second Line Transit stays off the road on Friday too. Holiday lights open the weekend before Thanksgiving; see our holiday lights and Christmas events page.

Who to call

  • City services and missed pickups: Mobile 311, 311 or 251-208-5311
  • Second Line Transit: 251-344-6600
  • Mobile Police non-emergency: 251-208-7211. Emergency: 911.
  • Turkey Trot for Hope: Race Roster registration page

Turkey Trot for Hope: Thursday, Nov. 26

From Rapahope’s registration page:

  • Certified 5K at 8 a.m. and the 1-mile “Gobble Wobble” fun run at 9 a.m., starting at Mardi Gras Park, 104-148 S. Royal St.
  • Registration is $35 for the 5K and $20 for the fun run, plus processing fees.
  • Packet pickup and late registration: noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, at Mardi Gras Park.
  • Race-day registration: 6:15 to 7:30 a.m. at the park.
  • The 5K is chip-timed, with awards for overall, masters, grandmasters, wheelchair and age groups from 9 and under to 75-99.
  • Proceeds go to Rapahope, which runs free year-round camp programs for families of children with cancer.

Expect downtown streets around Royal and Government streets to be busy from early morning.

More races and a food drive

Date Event Where Details
Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 7-8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cranksgiving, a food drive by bike: part social ride, part race, part scavenger hunt for the Love All Pantry at Central Midtown Bienville Square, 150 Dauphin St. No entry fee; bring $10 to $20 to buy food to donate. Cranksgiving Mobile
Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. Gobbler 5K Run, a small family race with a prize for best costume Medal of Honor Park, 1711 Hillcrest Road $30; register by the day before. Listing
Thursday, Nov. 26, 8 a.m. Turkey Trot for Hope Mardi Gras Park See above

Community Thanksgiving dinners

As of Oct. 17, no Mobile church, shelter or nonprofit had posted a 2026 Thanksgiving Day meal on its own website. We will add free community dinners, with times and addresses, as organizers announce them. Groups hosting one can send details through our contact page.

What is open and closed

Service Thursday, Nov. 26 Friday, Nov. 27
City garbage (brown carts) No pickup; Thursday routes run Saturday, Nov. 28 Friday routes run as normal
City yard trash No pickup; Thursday routes run Saturday, Nov. 28 Friday routes run as normal
City recycling centers (Pinehill Drive, Museum Drive, Dauphin Island Parkway) Closed Closed
Second Line Transit buses, microtransit and paratransit No service No service
MAWSS offices and customer service centers Closed Closed
Bellingrath Gardens and Home, Theodore Closed Nov. 25 and 26 Open

Sources: the city’s sanitation holiday schedule, which notes the schedule is subject to change; Second Line Transit, which runs Monday through Saturday and never on Sundays; MAWSS 2026 holidays; and Bellingrath’s Magic Christmas in Lights page. MAWSS online bill payment stays available while its offices are closed. Mobile County has not yet posted its courthouse holiday list for the 2026-27 fiscal year; we will add it when it does. Store hours for the holiday weekend are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.

Thanksgiving weekend

Frequently asked questions

When is the Mobile Turkey Trot in 2026?

The Turkey Trot for Hope is Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 26, at Mardi Gras Park downtown. The certified 5K starts at 8 a.m. and the 1-mile Gobble Wobble fun run at 9 a.m.; registration supports Rapahope.

Is there trash pickup on Thanksgiving in Mobile?

No. The City of Mobile does not pick up garbage or yard trash on Thursday, Nov. 26; Thursday routes run Saturday, Nov. 28. Friday routes run as normal on Nov. 27. The recycling centers are closed both days.

Do Mobile buses run on Thanksgiving?

No. Second Line Transit buses, microtransit and paratransit do not run on Thanksgiving Day or the Friday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 26 and 27.

Is MAWSS open the day after Thanksgiving?

No. The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System’s offices and customer service centers are closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27, 2026. Online bill payment stays available.