Roswell Thanksgiving 2026: turkey trot, trash and closures

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts come from the race’s own registration site, the City of Roswell’s holiday collection schedule (PDF) and its listings on Roswell365, the city’s events calendar. This page is updated each year at the same address.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. Roswell’s big event of the morning is the Running of the Turkeys 5K, which starts and finishes on Canton Street at 8 a.m. City offices close Thursday and Friday, and Thursday and Friday trash pickup moves back one day. Fulton County Schools are off the whole week.

Quick answers

• Turkey trot: Running of the Turkeys 5K, Canton Street, 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26
• Trash: Thursday routes move to Friday, Nov. 27; Friday routes to Saturday, Nov. 28
• City offices and Recycling Center: closed Nov. 26-27
• Schools: Fulton County Schools closed Nov. 23-27
• Free lunch for adults 50 and older: Wednesday, Nov. 18, Roswell Adult Recreation Center

Running of the Turkeys 5K

The race calls itself the City of Roswell’s Thanksgiving Day tradition. It was created in 2021, and its race cap is 3,500 runners. The details from the race’s registration page and its FAQ:

• When: 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26. Organizers suggest arriving by 7 or 7:30 a.m. At 7:45 a.m. everyone moves to the start for announcements and the national anthem.
• Where: starts and finishes on Canton Street. Pre-race tents, music and restrooms are outside Gate City Brewing Company, 43 Magnolia St.
• Entry: $42 to run in person; $44 for the virtual run; $75 for a live or virtual entry where all of the fee goes to charity and the runner starts in the front corral. Prices on the race’s page can change before race day.
• Who it helps: Friends of Roswell Police, which raises money for local families and seniors in need, through the Roswell Police Department’s RPD GIVES program.
• Families: strollers are welcome; pets are not.
• Photos: free race photos are posted on the race website afterward, organizers say.

Packet pickup is mandatory

Runners must collect their bib and shirt before race day, the race’s packet pickup page says. Bring the barcode from your registration email.

• Monday, Nov. 23, 4 to 8 p.m.: location to be announced
• Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2 to 9 p.m.: Gate City Brewing Company, 43 Magnolia St., Roswell. Park free behind Gate City or in the Roswell United Methodist Church lot at Magnolia Street and Mimosa Boulevard.
• Wednesday, Nov. 25, noon to 6 p.m.: Big Peach Running Company, 1062 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, Georgia

Runners who cannot make any of the three can email the organizers at RoswellTurkeyRun@Gmail.com to ask for race-day pickup, which is approved case by case.

Road closures and parking on race morning

Organizers say Canton Street around the start, from the Magnolia Street and Atlanta Street intersection up to Norcross Street, closes at 6:30 a.m. At 7:45 a.m. every part of Canton Street and Woodstock Road on the course closes completely until the race clears.

Race parking is at Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St., and the Roswell United Methodist Church lot on Magnolia Street, the race’s parking page says. The city’s other free downtown lots are on its downtown parking page. If you live along Canton Street or Woodstock Road, move your car before 7:45 a.m. if you need it that morning.

Trash and recycling pickup

From the City of Roswell’s 2026-27 holiday collection schedule (PDF), which covers garbage, recycling and yard waste:

Cans go to the curb by 8 a.m. on your pickup day. The city’s Solid Waste Division also runs extra holiday collections over Thanksgiving; call 770-641-3961 to ask. Waste Pro handles curbside recycling and yard waste, at 770-777-1447. The city notes that its holiday schedule can change.

What is open and closed

The city lists its closures on its events calendar. School dates are from the Fulton County Schools 2026-27 calendar (PDF).

More Thanksgiving week in Roswell

• 50th Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, Roswell Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Road. Turkey and all the trimmings, catered by AJ’s Restaurant, with entertainment. Free for anyone 50 and older; registration is required. City listing.
• Christkindlmarket opens Friday, Nov. 20, at Bulloch Hall, the week before Thanksgiving. Details are on our Christmas events page.
• Roswell Holiday Expo, 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, Mimms Museum of Technology and Art, 5000 Commerce Parkway. Holiday vendors, food trucks, Santa and a kids’ zone. Free. Listing.

Is your church, school or nonprofit serving a community Thanksgiving dinner or collecting food? Email hello@roswelljournal.com and we will list it free.

What it means for you

• Thursday and Friday trash customers: put cans out one day later that week.
• Running the 5K: sign up early and plan your packet pickup for Nov. 23, 24 or 25.
• Driving downtown Thanksgiving morning: avoid Canton Street and Woodstock Road from 6:30 a.m. until the race clears.

For everything else on in November, see things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Thanksgiving turkey trot in Roswell?

Yes. The Running of the Turkeys 5K starts and finishes on Canton Street at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26. In-person entry is $42 on the race’s registration page, and packet pickup before race day is mandatory.

Is Roswell trash pickup delayed for Thanksgiving?

Only for Thursday and Friday customers. Thursday pickup moves to Friday, Nov. 27, and Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Nov. 28. Monday to Wednesday routes do not change, the city’s holiday schedule says.

Are Roswell city offices open the day after Thanksgiving?

No. City of Roswell facilities are closed Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27. The Roswell Recycling Center is closed on both days too.

When is Fulton County Schools’ Thanksgiving break?

Schools are closed all week, Monday through Friday, Nov. 23-27, according to the district’s 2026-27 calendar.

What roads close for the Roswell turkey trot?

Organizers say Canton Street near the start, from the Magnolia Street and Atlanta Street area up to Norcross Street, closes at 6:30 a.m. At 7:45 a.m. all of Canton Street and Woodstock Road on the course close completely.