Thanksgiving in Chicago, Illinois, means more than just a big meal with family or friends. Morning runs and races benefit local charities, museums light up for the holidays, a parade marches through downtown and walking tours abound in a city made for moving around on foot.
Running
Like most cities, Chicago hosts "turkey trot" races and fun runs on Thanksgiving morning. Earn that big meal by participating in the Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot. The race benefits the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation, the DuPage Public Action to Deliver Shelter and families of the United Community Concerns Association, according to the race website.
More than 5,700 runners and walkers participated in the 2009 event, raising more than $100,000 for the charities, according to the race website. The 5K fun run begins at 9 a.m. and follows a route that includes 65 percent street surfaces, 30 percent paths and 5 percent open ground.
The Chicago Turkey Trot celebrates its 33rd year in 2010 with an 8K race in Lincoln Park on Thanksgiving morning.
Organizers ask participants to bring non-perishable food for donations around the Chicago area. The 2009 race included more than 5,000 participants and collected more than 10,000 pounds of food, according to the race website.
The race starts on Cannon Drive north of Fullerton, travels north on Stockton and continues west on La Salle and other city streets before ending on Cannon Drive. Organizers hold the race regardless of weather conditions in the Windy City.
Children's Races
Chicago Turkey Trot organizers also host the Thanksgiving morning Plymouth Rock Ramble for children 2 to 12 years old. Young runners compete by age group for distances of 50 yards to a half-mile, according to the Turkey Trot website.
Dining
Hundreds of restaurants around Chicago offer Thanksgiving dinners and buffets, but the Chicago Diner may be the only one famous for its vegan Thanksgiving dinner offered every year since 1983. The menu for the 2009 meal included roasted veggie turkey, pumpkin ravioli, squash apple soup, salad, potatoes, green beans, yams, cranberries and a multi-grain stuffing, according to the restaurant website.
Chicago Diner also offers a raw Thanksgiving menu option.
Ice Skating
Burn off some Thanksgiving dinner calories by taking a few laps around the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink at Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The rink opens for its ninth season in 2010, according to the Chicago Traveler website listing of holiday events. Skating is free. Rental skates are available. The price in 2010 is $10.
Parade
McDonald's annual Thanksgiving Parade starts at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving morning with thousands of performers traveling along State Street from Congress Parkway to Randolph Street, according to the Chicago Traveler website. The parade celebrates its 76th anniversary in 2010. Parade participants include marching bands, entertainers, equestrian teams, inflatable balloons and Santa.
Lights Festival
Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry starts sparkling in November for its Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light events. The museum decorates a 45-foot-tall tree in its rotunda and fills the main level with more than 50 trees decorated by the city's ethnic communities, according to the Chicago Traveler website.
Walking Tours
Take time after the parade or after dinner to walk around Chicago's many neighborhoods. Several companies offer guided tours and self-tour maps can be found at tourist information sites. The MetroWalkz website provides free walking tour maps focusing on the city's historic or notable architecture.
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