The Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving in Baltimore

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. For those who call Baltimore home, the holiday brings familiar rituals: a cold morning run, a century-old football rivalry, and the first lights of the season. For those spending the holiday away from home, the city offers a comforting, long weekend and a table set by someone else. This guide covers both, from Thursday morning through the first weekend of the holiday season.

Thanksgiving Morning

Baltimore begins the holiday outdoors. The Y Turkey Trot Charity 5K returns on Thanksgiving morning at locations across the region, including Baltimore City, and proceeds support local food pantries. Runners, walkers, and strollers are all welcome, which makes it an easy tradition for a family of mixed ages.

For football, the Turkey Bowl is the city's oldest holiday rivalry. Calvert Hall College High School and Loyola Blakefield meet on Thanksgiving morning at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium in a series that dates back more than a century - 2026 marks the 106th meeting. Those who prefer to stay indoors can follow the afternoon's three NFL games, which begin with the Bears and the Lions at 1 p.m.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Magdalena

Magdalena serves Thanksgiving dinner on the ground floor of The Ivy Hotel in Mount Vernon. The kitchen builds its menus around Chesapeake Bay and local ingredients, which gives the holiday meal a regional character that a standard turkey plate cannot match. This year’s three-course prix-fixe menu offers a choice of dishes at each course, from caramelized cauliflower soup to a dark chocolate tart with miso rum caramel.

The restaurant spans five distinct dining spaces, among them the Garden Room, the Wine Cellar, the Tasting Room, and the Treasury. Low, warm light and intimate, earthy rooms suit a long, comforting dinner. Seating is from 2:00pm-5:00pm at $85 per guest with a-la carte drink options. Holiday reservations fill quickly, and early booking is recommended.

The Long Weekend

For those staying through Sunday, the days after Thanksgiving belong to the start of the holiday season.

• Christmas Village in Baltimore. The German-style holiday market at West Shore Park on the Inner Harbor runs November 21 through December 27, 2026. It is open on Thanksgiving Day from noon to 5 p.m. and closed Mondays and Tuesdays. 
• The Walters Art Museum. A few blocks from The Ivy, the Walters offers free admission to a collection that spans thousands of years. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day and reopens Friday at 10 a.m.
• Miracle on 34th Street. Hampden lights its celebrated block of holiday displays on Saturday, November 28, which is also Small Business Saturday. The Hampden Holiday Market runs the same day from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at St. Luke's Church on The Avenue.
• The Spa at The Ivy. A quiet afternoon away from the crowds, with treatments by appointment.

Plan Your Stay

For those visiting family, or bringing family to the city, The Ivy Hotel places the holiday within walking distance of Mount Vernon's museums and monuments, with Thanksgiving dinner downstairs at Magdalena. The historic Mount Vernon mansion is the only Two MICHELIN Key hotel in Maryland and a member of Relais & Châteaux.

Guests who extend their stay into early December can walk to the annual Monument Lighting at Mount Vernon Place, a Baltimore tradition since 1971, when the Washington Monument is lit and fireworks open the holiday season.

Book a room at The Ivy Hotel and turn Thanksgiving into a luxurious Baltimore getaway.