Seasonal · checked Oct. 23
The Thanksgiving Finder
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, which gives you about a month to sign up for a turkey trot, order a pie from someone who actually knows how to make one, and figure out where Aunt Linda is sitting. We can help with two of those.
Thanksgiving morning in Sarasota: sunrise is 6:59 a.m., so every 8 a.m. trot starts in full daylight. Sunset is 5:35 p.m., which is early, because the clocks fall back on Nov. 1. If you want a beach walk between the turkey and the pie, eat by 4.
Turkey trots
Every one here was checked on its registration or organizer page. Prices go up close to race day, and a few sell out, so sign up early.
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Florida Turkey Trot
The big one: the park says nearly 4,500 runners, walkers and joggers. Chip-timed, with a medal, a shirt and an after-race party with food and drinks. Benefits the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy and the Big Bill Foundation.
Four thousand people in turkey hats around a rowing lake. Peak Sarasota.
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Inaugural Manatee River Turkey Trot Bridge Run
Brand new this year: the race page bills it as the first-ever DeSoto Bridge closure for a 5K, from Palmetto over the river into Bradenton and back. Medal, shirt, tote bag and post-race treats. Benefits the Big Bill Foundation's scholarships for childhood cancer survivors.
Your one chance to stand in the middle of the DeSoto Bridge without a single person honking.
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Bradenton Runners Club Turkey Trot 5K
The 29th annual, and the bargain of the bunch. A fun run and walk through the preserve, with proceeds going to local charities and the club's scholarship fund.
Fifteen bucks for a 5K through mangroves. The pie costs more.
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Englewood Turkey Trot
A family fun run and walk that's been going since 2014. No shirts, no awards, no timing on purpose: every registration dollar goes to the Englewood Area Cancer Foundation. Goody bags for the first 200.
The rare race where skipping the T-shirt is the whole point.
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Turkey Trot for the Twig
Chip-timed, with a finisher medal for everyone. It benefits children in foster care through The Twig Cares, and the race page says it has sold out four years running.
For people who'd like to earn the pie a full five days early.
Pies and sides from local hands
- Caribbean Pie Shop, 2245 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. Key lime and specialty pies. They ask for at least 48 hours' notice on big or specialty orders, and deliver around Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice for a flat $15.
- Fruits and Flour, a Sarasota and North Port cottage bakery. Sweet potato pie (from $20) and pumpkin bundt cakes are on the weekly Saturday pickup menu, and custom holiday orders go through the site. Marina wrote them up for the candied kiwi.
- PieLicious Bake Shoppe, North Port. Thanksgiving pie and cookie orders are open now. The deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 18, or 100 orders, whichever comes first, with pickup or delivery on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
- More options: local bakeries on Gigly, farmers markets and farm stands for the vegetables, seafood markets if your family does fish dip as an appetizer (correct), and local caterers if you'd rather not cook at all.
- The Sweet Treats map has every local bakery, ice cream and chocolate spot we know of, with pins.
Restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner usually post their menus in early November. We'll add the local ones here as they announce, checked against their own pages.
Give back
- All Faiths Food Bank's ThankFULL campaign is aiming for 14,500 complete turkey dinners across Sarasota and DeSoto counties this November, with distributions at places like the Van Wezel and Ed Smith Stadium (SRQ Daily, Oct. 21). Donations go through the campaign page.
- Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, which runs the Food Bank of Manatee County, has weekday volunteer shifts (11 a.m. to 1 p.m., adults 18 and up) on its volunteer sign-up page.
- Every turkey trot above raises money for something local: park upkeep, scholarships, cancer patients or kids in foster care. Running counts.
Things change. Tap through to the organizer before you set an alarm for 6 a.m. on a holiday. — Sandy