COLUMBUS, Ga. - Thanksgiving Day 2026 falls on Thursday, Nov. 26, and it shifts a few routines in Columbus. Garbage pickup for Thursday routes moves up a day, Muscogee County students get the whole week off, and government offices, banks and post offices close. Here is what changes, plus a Thanksgiving-themed race, a holiday hockey game and a free community dinner.

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday, so the changes start there. Post offices are closed and there is no regular mail delivery on Thursday, Nov. 26. Most banks are also closed because the Federal Reserve observes the holiday, though ATMs and online banking keep working.

Garbage Pickup Moves Up a Day

Columbus handles Thanksgiving differently from many cities. Instead of pushing Thursday pickups back a day, the city collects Thursday routes early, on Wednesday, Nov. 25, according to the Columbus Consolidated Government's holiday schedule. Residents with Thursday service should have their carts at the curb on Wednesday morning.

Friday is a regular service day. The city lists the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 27, as a city holiday, but garbage service still runs on Friday's regular routes and there is no make-up day. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday customers keep their normal schedule all week.

The city uses the same Wednesday make-up pattern for most holidays. Earlier this fall, for example, Monday routes were collected on a Wednesday after Labor Day and Columbus Day. Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, is different: there is no garbage service that day and no make-up day.

Schools Are Out All Week

Muscogee County School District students are off for the entire week of Thanksgiving. The district's 2026-27 calendar closes schools from Monday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Nov. 27. With the weekends on each side, that gives students nine days in a row off, from Saturday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 29.

Classes resume Monday, Nov. 30. The break comes about two weeks after Veterans Day, when schools are also closed. Families planning trips should note that Monday, Nov. 30, is a regular school day.

A Turkey Trot Before the Holiday

Columbus' Thanksgiving-season race comes a few weeks early this year. The 12th annual Viking Turkey Trot 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run is Saturday, Nov. 7, at St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School, 2020 Kay Circle. The race starts and finishes on Deimel Field, and the 5K course winds through the St. Anne-Pacelli campus and around the school grounds.

The fun run is first, from 8:30 to 9 a.m., followed by the 5K at 9 a.m. Registration before the Oct. 24 deadline was $15 for fun runners 18 and younger, $25 for adults and $30 for the 5K, and prices went up after that date. Proceeds benefit the Vikings Booster Club and the school's athletic programs, especially the cross country and soccer teams.

Hockey on Thanksgiving Eve

The Columbus River Dragons have a home game the night before Thanksgiving. The team hosts Twin City at the Columbus Civic Center on Wednesday, Nov. 25. It is one of 28 home games on the River Dragons' 2026-27 schedule.

The game falls on a night when students are already on break and many families have relatives in town. Tickets are available on the team's website, rdragons.com. Twin City is one of Columbus' biggest rivals, with nine meetings between the teams this season.

A Free Thanksgiving Dinner

The Columbus Dream Center serves a free Thanksgiving dinner at its building at 38 W. Greenwood Ave. The center lists the dinner from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and no reservations are required. The center has not yet posted the 2026 date on its website, so call ahead or check its holiday page before you go.

The Dream Center also organizes volunteers for the holiday. Its holiday page has sign-ups for people who want to serve the dinner, build Thanksgiving baskets or deliver them to families ahead of the holiday. Volunteer spots for holiday meals often fill early, so it helps to sign up a few weeks ahead.