Thanksgiving Day is Thursday November 22, 2012.
Things to do in Minneapolis: Thanksgiving Day
Most attractions in the Twin Cities close on Thanksgiving. But there are still a few places to visit on Thursday.
Como Zoo and Conservatory is open every day. Opening hours are 10 am - 4 pm.
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is open day of the year. If you have out-of-town guests, you can't get more iconic a photo opportunity than a snap in front of the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is open 6 am - midnight daily.
The Depot, in downtown Minneapolis, opens their beautiful indoor ice rink on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, and will be open for skating all Thanksgiving Weekend. Thanksgiving Day hours are 5 pm - 9 pm. The rink opens at 10 am daily during the rest of the weekend.
View holiday lights in St. Paul's Phalen Park. Over a million lights and animated displays to admire every night from November 20 until New Year's Eve, including Holidays. The lights are illuminated from 5.30 pm - 10 pm. The admission charge goes to local charities.
Active Things to do on Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving Weekend
In Minneapolis, the annual Lifetime Fitness Turkey Day 5K begins at the Target Center at 8 am, and takes runners around downtown Minneapolis.
In St. Paul, run a 5K or join in the 1.5K family and fitness walk at the Giving Thanks 5K Run event.
In Hastings, the Gobble Gait 8k and 2K races are on Thanksgiving morning.
The Mall of America hosts the annual Walk to End Hunger 5K on Thanksgiving morning. Register for the indoor 5K walk, bring food for the food drive, or call into the phone-a-thon to help local food banks.
And regardless of holidays, or organized events, the outside is always open, and perhaps there will be snow to play in...
Downhill ski and snowboard areas hope to be open this weekend Thanksgiving day. There should be plenty of snow, manufactured or real, and several runs open at local resorts by late November.
And if there's snow on the ground, sledding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and all kinds of snow-and-ice activities are a great way to burn off the turkey. Or work up an appetite for it.
Things to Do in Minneapolis: Thanksgiving Weekend
Holiday events abound over Thanksgiving weekend.The most famous Twin Cities holiday event, the Holidazzle Parade, begins on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The parade begins at 6.30pm nightly.
On Saturday 24 November, downtown St. Paul's Rice Park Ice Rink opens. The Rice Park Christmas tree will be lit, and the ice rink will be opened, at the opening ceremony on Saturday afternoon.
Downtown Minneapolis' Macy's annual Santaland holiday display opens in early November, and is open daily, except Thanksgiving Day itself. Macy's Holiday Show will be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and through December 30.
Is it too early to start thinking about Christmas? If not, A Victorian Christmas at the Alexander Ramsey House with tours of the historic house, music and refreshments, will be open on November 21, 23, 24, 25 and several more dates in November and December.
