About 1.12 million Arizonans will travel for their Thanksgiving, according to AAA, but there will still be festivities across the state for those who choose to stay home for the holiday.
Arizona cities like Phoenix and Fountain Hills will offer holiday-themed events, while organizations like the St. Mary’s Food Bank will team up with the World Series-traveled DBacks to help relieve the strain many households feel during the holidays.
Here’s a guide on everything happening in the state from what stores are open for last-minute shopping, to where to find the best deals.
Looking to go out for Thanksgiving Eve?
If you want to start celebrating early, many bars and nightclubs in metro Phoenix are celebrating Thanksgiving Eve this year.
On Wednesday night, pre-fiesta parties, concerts, and celebrations are taking place. Locations for Thanksgiving Eve events include Yucca Tap Room, Stardust Pinbar, the Duce, the Phoenicia Music Lounge, the Rebel Lounge, Boycott Bar, Cobra Arcade Bar, Valley Bar, Darkstar, Gracie’s Tax Bar, Denim and Diamonds, among others.
Anticipate a mix of music, shows, potlucks and various festivities in celebration of Thanksgiving.
— Kayla Jackson
What places will have free Thanksgiving food?
A couple of places in Arizona will offer free food for families who can’t afford to host a Thanksgiving dinner themselves.
The Salvation Army will offer free, sit-down meals at the Phoenix Convention Center South Building (33 S. Third St., Phoenix) from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The event will provide live entertainment and won’t require an identification. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m., and the meal service will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Uniting Arizona will provide a similar feast for those in Tucson. Turkey, dinner, drinks, dessert and free resources such as shoes and clothing will be provided at Santa Rita Park (401 E. 22nd St., Tucson) from 3 to 5 p.m.
— Dylan Wickman
What is the weather like across the United States for Thanksgiving?
Millions of Americans are hitting the road and boarding flights over the Thanksgiving holiday, and — unlike earlier this week — the weather is set to mostly cooperate.
The worst is over from a storm that brought bad weather to the central and eastern United States early this week, with the exception of portions of the Northeast. There, AccuWeather says bad weather may continue into Wednesday afternoon.
Early travelers in New England especially could see weather impacts, according to AccuWeather. Up to 8 inches of snow is expected in parts of northern Maine and “blustery” conditions could deepen in the Northeast, the National Weather Service said.
And travelers in the West should keep an eye on a winter storm around the Rockies, the National Weather service warns.
Here’s the full forecast and what to know.
— Jeanine Santucci, Doyle Rice, Joel Shannon
Arizona Cardinals give out food with Phoenix Rescue Mission
On Monday evening, the Arizona Cardinals partnered with Phoenix Rescue Mission for the team’s annual “Feed the Hungry” event, where they handed out Thanksgiving meals to families escaping homelessness, poverty and addiction.
Cardinals owner Micahel Bidwill; players, including Greg Dortche and Dennis Gardeck; as well as cheerleaders and mascots joined together to give back to the community.
“It’s just a great feeling to be able to serve other people, to help bring some smiles to folks’ faces,” Bidwill said. “We as a community can do more for those in need and all of us know somebody who could use a little bit of a pick me up. It may not be coming down to a place like Phoenix Rescue Mission, maybe it could be just a neighbor who needs a smile on their face. So many awful things are going on around the world right now. Just being nicer, kinder, and give back to the community, that’s the main message.”
— Dylan Wickman
St. Vincent De Paul to start including Turkeys in food boxes
The Society of St. Vincent De Paul delivers food boxes to families year-round, and it has started including turkeys in those boxes as of Tuesday. St. Vincent also delivers thrift store gift cards and offers utility bill and rent assistance.
Families can use this map to the food pantry that serves their neighborhood by typing their address into the search bar. Google Maps will then show the pantry’s location, hours and phone number, which families can call to arrange the delivery.
Every pantry is run by volunteers — operating hours may vary. If there is not a food pantry in your neighborhood, you can call 211 Arizona to get connected with another community service provider in your area.
— Dylan Wickman
DBacks help St. Mary’s Food Bank give out turkeys
Major League Baseball’s National League champions donated 1,000 turkeys toward St. Mary’s mission to help feed families for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to an announcement from the Diamondbacks.
DBacks players Kevin Ginkel and Pavin Smith presented the donated turkeys to St. Mary’s at the food bank’s warehouse on Monday morning.
DBacks pitcher Kevin Ginkel also donated a signed postseason jersey to the food bank. Anyone can enter to win by contributing $20 to St. Mary Food Bank on their website.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr.
Colder temperatures to ring in the holiday week
The Valley will stay a few degrees above average over the Thanksgiving week.
As with northern and southern parts of the state, a cooling trend will bring the Valley to highs in the low 70s on Wednesday.
These lower temperatures will linger through the week and into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, as partly to mostly cloudy skies settle over the Valley, according to the National Weather Service.
— Rey Covarrubias Jr.
What if you want to change things up and eat somewhere special for Thanksgiving?
Many of Phoenix’s top restaurants will offer classic Thanksgiving-inspired meals for their customers on the holiday, but here are some options that take a unique choice to what substitute classic turkey and mashed potatoes.
Peoria steakhouse Bourbon and Bones will offer its regular menu of steak and seafood on Thanksgiving Day.
Steak 44 in north Phoenix will offer its a la carte menu on Thanksgiving.
Fat Ox, a Scottsdale staple, will offer its traditional Italian menu along with an extensive wine list.
Many other high-end restaurants across the Valley will be open on Thanksgiving to offer special dining options along with their menu staples.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr.
Here’s how to save money on your shopping list while finding the best deals across the state
A typical Thanksgiving meal for 10 people cost just under $65 in 2022, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
In order to save money on the usually expansive menu for most households, families are looking for cost-effective ways to still meet holiday demand.
People can consider reducing the size of portions such as buying a smaller turkey.
Americans waste about 200 million pounds of turkey every Thanksgiving holiday week, according to the National Resources Defense Council.
Thanksgiving feasters also can use family gatherings where potlucks can often lower the cost of the meals.
In another effort to save money, avoid canned fruit and vegetables like cranberries and green beans, as they are typically more expensive than their fresh counterparts, according to a 2023 report from Wells Fargo.
— Rey Covarrubias Jr.
What stores will be open on Thanksgiving?
Popular stores Walmart, Costco, and Target will all be closed on Thanksgiving.
Safeway will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Most Fry’s will be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., but some, like the one on Thomas and 32nd Street in Phoenix, will be open till 6 p.m.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr.
What stores deliver Thanksgiving groceries?
These grocery stores deliver to residents in Arizona via their own website or app.
- Safeway: the grocery store’s website said they deliver 7 days a week between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time. In order to see if your Safeway delivers, you can check their website or their app. Same day deliveries rates can hover around $9.95.
- Target: Certain Target stores participate in same day delivery which is free with membership or $9.99. You can check on their app or their website for which Target stores participate.
- Walmart: You can shop for your groceries on the app or on their website. Delivery fees vary.
- Albertsons: You can check if your Albertsons delivers, as well as order right from their website or app. You also get a free turkey if you make an order more than $100.
- Whole Foods: You can get Whole Foods delivered through Amazon Prime in select zip codes. Check to see if you are able to shop.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr.
What will traffic be like in metro Phoenix for Thanksgiving?
According to AAA, this season’s holiday traffic will be increasing by 3% since 2022.
“Travel demand has truly bounced back to pre-pandemic levels,” AAA’s Senior Vice President of Membership and Travel Marketing Arizona Brian Ng said in a news release.
There will be no major impacts to holiday travel through the Valley, as the Arizona Department of Transportation announced it will pause its regular schedule of construction that has seen Phoenix-area highways closed every weekend.
The initiative will commence on Wednesday afternoon and extend until Monday morning.
Peak traffic times are still expected to be between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, according to an ADOT spokesperson.
Travelers should stay aware and monitor traffic on the following roads to ensure they get to their destination on time.
- Northbound Interstate 17 north of Phoenix.
- State Route 87 toward Payson.
- Interstate 10 in the West Valley and between Tucson and Phoenix, as well as Phoenix and California.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr.
Need to make room for dinner? Here are outdoor activities for the whole family
Turkey trots are a familiar way that people counter the comfortable idea of enjoying Thanksgiving dinner on the couch and encourage families to get active and enjoy the outdoors.
Phoenix will host six different length walks, runs and trots starting at 7:30 a.m. in central Phoenix.
Valley cities Gilbert, Mesa, and Peoria will also have individual turkey trots that will feature different length runs and walks that encourage people to dress up and celebrate Thanksgiving.
If you’re looking to get out of the city and enjoy some of the state’s beautiful scenery, a full moon hike on Saturday will be the feature at Lost Dutchman State Park in northeast Apache Junction.
Hikers can start their journey at 5:30 p.m. to get a full viewing of the full moon entering the desert sky.
Arizona State Park Rangers will host a guided tour of the area, but registration is required ahead of time. The tour starts at 5:30 on Saturday at the park and costs $10.
If you miss the many turkey trots on Thanksgiving, Tempe will hold their own “Fat Turkey Trail Run,” which will feature a 5K and 10K race.
— Abigail Celaya and Kye Graves