Every year, families convene to celebrate the beautiful tradition that our ancestors started hundreds of years ago. The turkey is cut and everyone stuffs themselves on food while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade—before heading to shopping malls to grab all the amazing deals. Sounds cliché and repetitive? Well here’s is a list of alternative activities to do in the city this Thanksgiving, ranging from exploring cemeteries to riding a bike dressed as a turkey.
11. MTA Will Run Vintage Trains Starting Thanksgiving Weekend
Starting the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the MTA will rub its popular holiday vintage train, known as the “Shoppers Special,” between 2nd Avenue and Queens Plaza on the 6th Avenue line. As the MTA notes,
The “Shoppers Special” consists of R1/9 subway cars, also known as City Cars, which ran on the lettered lines from the 1930s to the 1970s, serving subway lines that may be unfamiliar to current customers, such as the
,
,
,
and H. The jazz composer Billy Strayhorn would have taken a City Car to Sugar Hill when Duke Ellington told him to “Take the A Train.” These subway cars, which were ordered for the Independent Subway System (IND), have rattan seats, ceiling fans, incandescent bulb lighting, drop-sash style windows, and roll signs. They became the model of NYC Transit’s modern subway cars, with the same dimensions as the modern R160s and the foundation for the design of the upcoming R211 cars.
Additional dates to catch the holiday trains will be December 4, December 11 and December 18.
10. NYC Pilgrim Pedal
Why is Halloween the only time when it’s socially acceptable to dress up? Ever wanted to don an absurd, outlandish turkey costume during Thanksgiving and ‘parade’ around the streets? Well here’s your chance; NYC Pilgrim Pedal is a ten to twelve mile family bike ride that takes place on Thanksgiving Day and the day after. The group bike-ride starts and finishes in Manhattan, but features a breakfast stop at a famous Brooklyn Diner. Best of all, the tour has prizes for the best turkey costume and best decorated bike—so what other excuse do you need to wear your outlandish turkey costume?
The tour costs $35, which includes breakfast. Best of all, it ends at 12:30 pm, before the football games start. So if riding a bike around the city while dressed as a turkey is on your bucket list, this is the event for you. More information can be found here.
9. Thanksgiving Day ‘Clue’ with Videology Bar & Cinema
Don’t have anyone to celebrate Thanksgiving with, or tired of your family? Drop in on Thanksgiving Day at the Videology Bar and Cinema for a night of Clue–both the movie and the game. The Videology Bar and Cinema is a independent micro-cinema in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that screens a diverse range of films and events in their 40-seat screening room. The theater room has a food and beverage services, while there is also a front bar with separate seating.
This Thanksgiving Videology will be screening the 1985 classic whodunit movie Clue on loop all night from 6pm-1am along with the board game set up at each table. Here is your chance to prove your Clue prowess to your friends and family.
8. Cranksgiving
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Cranksgiving is a part bike ride, part food drive, and part scavenger hunt that takes place every year in the city. The concept of Cranksgiving is simple—you show up, grab a map, figure out the best route, and start when they say “go”! The organizers of Cranksgiving essentially create a master list of items requested by local charities and places to buy them. These items are broken down into individual “manifests” that volunteers grab. The idea is to ride to a grocery store, buy food/items, and take them to the designated charity centers—thus helping hundreds of families have food on their tables during the week of Thanksgiving.
Held annually in New York City since 1999, it has now expanded to all around the country, and also London and even Miramichi, Canada. The event takes place Saturday, November 19th at Hudson Yards. Registration is in person at 1 p.m. More information can be found here.
7. Thanksgiving Dinner at the McKittrick Hotel
Rather than toiling over the cookbooks, this year you can enjoy a three-course dinner at The Heath. Best known for the spooky interactive theater show, Sleep No MoreMcKittrick Hotel is also home to a great restaurant and several bars, including a rooftop one. The Heath hosts special dinner events and shows for a variety of occasions, such as Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve and Thanksgiving.
Promised yourself to contain your appetite this Thanksgiving, only to disavow that pact and stuff yourself to the brim? At the Thanksgiving Hike you can join fellow guilt-ridden New Yorkers in burning off those excess calories from the day before. Hosted by the Greenbelt Environmental Education Department, the 2.5 hours, moderate hike takes at the Latourette Park on Staten Island. The hike starts at 10 a.m. on Friday morning and features a brief visit to the historic Latourette house.
5. Post-Turkey Day Tour
After stuffing yourself with turkey and binging on pumpkin pie get yourself off the couch and enjoy this serene walking tour of Green-Wood Cemetery. Hosted by the Cemetery, the tour consist of an autumn stroll through one of New York City’s most historic cemeteries and iconic green spaces.
Green-Wood Cemetery was the second most popular tourist site in the state with over 500,000 visitors each year by 1860 (Niagara Falls was the first). This landscape also helped inspire the creation of public parks in the city, including Central Park and Prospect Park.
The tour takes place on Friday November 25th from 1-3 p.m and 4-6 p.m.
4. Brooklyn Holiday Bazaar
Get your holiday shopping underway early this year at the Brooklyn Holiday Bazaar. The Brooklyn Holiday Bazaar is an annual event hosted by the e-commerce site Brooklyn Makers that showcases the best of Brooklyn in one venue. Located in Gowanus, Brooklyn, the event features handmade goods, craft activities, and a photo booth. Visitors can shop from an assortment of jewelries and clothing from local Brooklyn shops while enjoying hot scones and even a live DJ!
The Brooklyn Holiday Bazaar goes on November 26th and 27th at 501 Union, Gowanus.
3. Bang on NYC! Homecoming
Miss the care-free days of high school when there were no responsibilities and life was simpler? Then join this high school-themed party to reminisce the simpler days of life.
Located at the House of Yes in Brooklyn, the party features cheerleaders, homecoming King and Queen, bullies, and even hot teachers. While the days of Thanksgiving with mom and dad at home are long gone for many of us, here’s a fun throw-back alternative.
If you are a member of The Players Club join ‘a certain club’ on Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving at the private social club. Open only to members, the event consists of a traditional Thanksgiving buffet and drinks.
The Player Club is a private social club founded in 1888 by Edwin Booth, the most celebrated American actor of his time. Booth believed in a certain club “for the promotion of social intercourse between the representative members of the dramatic profession and the kindred professions of literature, painting, sculpture and music, and the patrons of the arts.” Today the tradition continues at the Gramercy Park mansion, 125 years later.
All candidates for membership must be proposed by current members of the club. However, the Membership Committee can assist in the admissions process, should you not have a Proposer.
1. Prospect Park Track Club Turkey Trot
What better way to make your Thanksgiving more enjoyable than to burn some extra calories in advance and justify all the food you are soon going to eat! The Prospect Park Track Club Turkey Trot is a 5-mile race that occurs every Thanksgiving morning in Prospect Park.
The first three male and female finishers receive a holiday pie and medals are awarded to all the registered finishers.
