Thanksgiving in Augusta 2026: RunGiving 5K, meals, closures

Last checked Oct. 25, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Race, closure and schedule details come from each organizer’s or agency’s own page, linked below.

Updated Oct. 25: the RunGiving shirt deadline has passed; registration with a shirt is now $30 through Nov. 25, and $20 without one. Gobbler race prices added.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Augusta city offices close Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27, Augusta Transit runs no buses on Thanksgiving Day, trash pickup runs one day late from Thursday, and Richmond County schools are out the whole week, Nov. 23-27. The local turkey trot is the RunGiving 5K at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving morning on the Augusta Canal.

Who to call

• City services, trash and missed pickups: Augusta 311, dial 3-1-1 or 706-821-2300
• Augusta Transit: routes and holiday exceptions
• Library hours: Augusta-Richmond County Public Library closed dates
• Emergency: 911

Turkey trots and races

• RunGiving 5K and Fun Run, 9 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, from the Mill Village Trailhead, 109 Eve St., out onto the canal towpath. The course is mostly concrete with some gravel and dirt. The fun run starts at 10 a.m. Runners are asked to bring a canned good for the Broad Street Ministry Center’s food pantry and get a raffle ticket for each item. Registration with a shirt is $30 through Nov. 25 and $35 on race day; shirts were guaranteed only to runners who signed up by Oct. 24. Without a shirt it is $20, and a virtual entry is $25. Online sign-up stays open until 8:45 a.m. Early packet pickup is 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, at Fleet Feet Augusta, 229 Furys Ferry Road (RunGiving 5K).
• Gobbler 5K, 10K, 13.1M and 26.2M, 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Mill Village Trailhead. Entry is $30 for the 5K, $45 for the 10K, $65 for the half marathon and $95 for the marathon, and $5 for ages 1 to 15. US Road Running says its races are small, with one or two staff, no EMS on site and water only at the end of each lap (race page).

What is open and closed

City government. Augusta, Georgia’s 2026 holiday schedule lists Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, and the day after, Friday, Nov. 27, as holidays for city employees, so the Municipal Building at 535 Telfair St. is closed both days.

Buses. Thanksgiving Day is on Augusta Transit’s list of holidays with no service. The Friday is not on that list. Transit posts any change on the buses and at the Broad Street transfer facility.

Libraries. The Augusta-Richmond County Public Library is closed Nov. 26-27 and closes at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Schools. The Richmond County School System’s 2026-27 calendar gives students and staff the whole week of Nov. 23-27 off.

Trash pickup changes

Thanksgiving is one of the six holidays Augusta Environmental Services observes. Under the city’s holiday schedule, pickup on and after the holiday runs one day late for the rest of the week:

• Thursday routes are collected Friday, Nov. 27.
• Friday routes are collected Saturday, Nov. 28.
• Monday through Wednesday routes run as normal.

For one cycle after the holiday the city also takes extra holiday garbage if it is bagged in plastic and set next to the cart. It may come on a second truck. More on our trash and recycling guide.

Thanksgiving meals and giving

The 2026 holiday dinners have not been announced yet. This is what happened in 2025; we will add this year’s dates as the groups post them.

• The Master’s Table, the Golden Harvest Food Bank’s community kitchen on Fenwick Street, served a Thanksgiving Day meal from 11 a.m. to noon, open to everyone, as it does each year, WJBF reported.
• The Salvation Army of Augusta served its free Thanksgiving dinner at 5:30 p.m. at its Center of Hope on Greene Street, WRDW reported.
• Feast Before the Feast, the free community meal organized by Monique Braswell, held its 17th year at the Henry H. Brigham Community Center and six other sites the week before Thanksgiving, WRDW reported.

Want to give? The RunGiving 5K collects canned food on race morning, and Golden Harvest Food Bank takes donations and volunteers year-round at goldenharvest.org.

Thanksgiving weekend

• Black Friday and Small Business Saturday: store hours and holiday markets are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping guide.
• The Christmas season downtown: the city’s parade and tree lighting dates are on Christmas parade and tree lighting, and light displays on holiday lights and Christmas events.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a turkey trot in Augusta on Thanksgiving? Yes. The RunGiving 5K starts at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, at the Mill Village Trailhead, 109 Eve St., and runs onto the canal towpath. Bring a canned good for the Broad Street Ministry Center’s pantry.

Are Augusta city offices closed the day after Thanksgiving? Yes. Augusta, Georgia’s 2026 holiday schedule gives city employees Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, and the day after, Friday, Nov. 27.

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in Augusta? Pickup runs a day late: Thursday routes move to Friday, Nov. 27, and Friday routes to Saturday, Nov. 28.

Do Augusta Transit buses run on Thanksgiving? No. Thanksgiving Day is on Augusta Transit’s list of holidays with no service.

When is Thanksgiving break for Richmond County schools? Nov. 23-27, 2026, on the Richmond County School System’s 2026-27 calendar.

What this means for you

• RunGiving costs $20 without a shirt; sign up online by 8:45 a.m. race day.
• Thursday trash goes out Friday, and Friday trash goes out Saturday.
• No buses on Thanksgiving Day; plan rides ahead.

Related: Halloween events in Augusta, things to do this weekend and New Year’s Eve in Augusta.