Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. The Turkey Trot 5K starts at 8 a.m. at UAH; Madison's Thursday garbage moves to Friday; city sites close two days.

Last checked Nov. 6, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address; the dates below are for Thanksgiving 2026. Closures come from each agency’s own holiday list, linked below.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Madison’s schools close for three days, city recreation sites and the library close Thursday and Friday, and the weekly garbage pickup moves back a day. The big morning run is the Turkey Trot 5K at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, about five miles east.

Who to call

  • Garbage (Madison County Waste Control): 256-532-3718
  • Madison Parks and Recreation: 256-772-9300
  • Madison Senior Center: 256-772-6242
  • Madison Public Library: 256-461-0046
  • Emergencies: 911. Madison police non-emergency: 256-772-7190

What is open and closed

Who Wednesday, Nov. 25 Thursday, Nov. 26 Friday, Nov. 27
Madison City Schools Closed Closed Closed
Madison Public Library (and all county branches) Closes at 5 p.m. Closed Closed
Dublin Park, Community Center, Sportsplex Normal hours Closed Closed
Dublin Park indoor pool Normal hours Closed Closed
Madison Senior Center Normal hours Closed Closed

Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday are both observed City of Madison holidays, according to the city’s senior center closings list, and the Parks and Recreation Department lists Nov. 26-27 among its holiday closings. Stores and restaurants set their own hours; our Black Friday and holiday shopping page covers the weekend after.

Trash and recycling

Madison’s garbage is collected by Madison County Waste Control on Thursdays. The county is closed on Thanksgiving, so Thursday’s route is picked up Friday, Nov. 27, according to its 2026 holiday schedule. RANA’s monthly blue-cart recycling runs one day late after a holiday on or before your collection day that week, and Thanksgiving is one of its delaying holidays, the RANA schedule says. Full details, including yard debris, are on our trash and recycling page.

The Turkey Trot

Crisis Services of North Alabama holds its 33rd annual Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning on a USA Track and Field certified course that starts and finishes at Spragins Hall on the UAH campus. The race starts at 8 a.m.; the Tiny Tot Turkey Trot, a 100-yard dash for children 5 and under, follows at 9 a.m., according to the race’s registration page and the charity’s race page.

  • Bibs: pickup is only at Fleet Feet Huntsville, 2722 Carl T Jones Drive SE, Suite B2, from Nov. 23 to Nov. 25, with race-morning pickup at Spragins Hall. There is no Madison pickup this year, the registration page says.
  • Late entry: race-day bib pickup and late registration run from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m. at Spragins Hall.
  • Parking: the Spragins Hall lot is a car-free finish area, and Ben Graves Drive is closed from Holmes Avenue to the lot across from Roberts Hall. A parking and course map is on the race page.
  • Walkers and strollers: line up at the back of the pack.

Registration supports the charity’s free services for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, reached through its 24-hour HELPline, 256-716-1000.

Thanksgiving meals

Gather Madison, a free community meal hosted by the nonprofit Madison Visionary Partners, runs from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at Home Place Park in downtown Madison, according to the organizer’s event page.

  • Cost: free, with no ticket or RSVP
  • Menu: chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, rolls and dessert
  • Also: live music and activities for children
  • Parking: free, at Madison City Stadium near the park
  • Weather: rain or shine; if the weather is bad, the organizer will post an indoor location in Madison on its website

No Madison church or group had posted a free Thanksgiving Day dinner for 2026 on its own website as of Nov. 6. We will add meals here as organizers announce them. If you run one, send the details through our contact page.

The weekend after

  • Friday, Nov. 27: schools, the library and city recreation sites stay closed; garbage pickup day for Madison.
  • Holiday lights: the Huntsville Botanical Garden’s Galaxy of Lights runs Nov. 13 to Dec. 31 but is closed on Thanksgiving night. See our holiday lights and Christmas events page.
  • Downtown Christmas: the Polar Express Christmas on Main trees go up for decorating from Monday, Nov. 23, and are lit at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4; the Christmas parade is at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. See our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

What this means for you

  • Put the garbage cart out Friday, Nov. 27, not Thursday.
  • Return library books by 5 p.m. Wednesday or wait until Saturday.
  • Turkey Trot runners: get your bib in Huntsville by Wednesday to skip the race-morning line.

Frequently asked questions

Is garbage picked up on Thanksgiving in Madison, Alabama?

No. Madison County Waste Control is closed Thursday, Nov. 26, so Madison’s Thursday garbage is picked up Friday, Nov. 27. RANA recycling runs one day late that week.

Is there a turkey trot near Madison on Thanksgiving 2026?

Yes. Crisis Services of North Alabama’s 33rd Turkey Trot 5K starts at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26, at Spragins Hall on the University of Alabama in Huntsville campus, with a free Tiny Tot Turkey Trot for children 5 and under at 9 a.m.

Is the Madison Public Library open on Thanksgiving?

No. The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library closes at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, and stays closed Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27.

Are Madison city schools closed for Thanksgiving?

Yes. Madison City Schools are closed Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 25-27, 2026.

Is there a free community meal in Madison this Thanksgiving season?

Yes. Madison Visionary Partners hosts Gather Madison, a free community meal with live music, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at Home Place Park downtown. No ticket or RSVP is needed, and free parking is at Madison City Stadium.