Ballet West's Nutcracker opens December 4 at the Capitol Theatre: balletwest.org Snowbird's opening day is tentative and condition-dependent; check snowbird.com
Guide Last verified November 12, 2026.
Thanksgiving weekend in Salt Lake, 2026
What's on from Thanksgiving morning through Sunday. Things that run more than one day are under All weekend; one-day picks follow by day.
Salt Lake Valley and the Cottonwood canyons, Thursday November 26 to Sunday November 29, 2026; every date, time and price is from the venue's or organizer's own page or the ticketing page it links to, and TRAX stops come from UTA.
Open on Thanksgiving Day
- Open: the Gallivan Center ice rink, noon to 10pm; the Utah Human Race 5K and 10K in Sandy, 8am, register by November 24; Thanksgiving dinner at The Aerie, Snowbird, 11am to 4:30pm, book ahead.
- Movies: Cinemark has Thanksgiving Day showtimes posted for its valley theaters, from Sugar House to Riverton: cinemark.com
- Lights: the Gateway's Lights On and Magical Lantern Nights at the Fairpark. No Thanksgiving closure announced, so check before you go.
- Closed Thanksgiving Day: the Natural History Museum of Utah, the UMFA (also closed Friday), Holiday Lights at the Ballpark, Hogle Zoo and Gardner Village.
All weekend
Wheeler Farm Holiday Market
More than 50 local vendors indoors across two buildings at the county farm in Murray, free to enter.
Friday it overlaps with the farm's Festive Fridays (5 to 7pm, $3 wagon rides past the lights for ages 2 and up, Santa free on the farmhouse porch), so one trip covers both.
GENTRI Christmas
GENTRI's Christmas show at the Eccles, with a matinee and an evening show Friday and Saturday.
ArtTix is the official seller for this show; the Eccles box office is open Saturday 10am to 2pm.
Hale Centre Theatre, A Christmas Carol
Hale Centre's 42nd annual A Christmas Carol in Sandy, with matinee and evening shows Friday and Saturday.
On November 12 the Friday 5pm show was sold out and the other weekend shows were marked low availability, so book soon. No children under 5.
Get the weekend version every Thursday.Eight to twelve things to do in Salt Lake, with times, prices and parking. Free.
Free. Leave anytime.
Grand America Holiday Window Stroll
Fourteen decorated windows at the Grand America; walk in mornings or book an afternoon slot for Make-A-Wish.
Take the Lobby elevators from the garage to the Window Stroll desk; most people take about an hour. Strollers are welcome.
Natural History Museum of Utah, open Black Friday
Indoors and on regular hours from Black Friday on, while the art museum across campus stays closed Friday.
It reopens the morning after Thanksgiving on normal hours, which the UMFA (closed Thursday and Friday) does not.
Utah Symphony, Messiah Sing-In
Handel's Messiah with the audience singing the choruses alongside the Utah Symphony Chorus.
The audience sings along with the orchestra, the Utah Symphony Chorus and four soloists, including the "Hallelujah" chorus; Austin McWilliams conducts. The box office is closed Thanksgiving and Friday, November 27.
Thursday, November 26
Utah Human Race (Thanksgiving 5K and 10K)
A Thanksgiving-morning 5K or 10K at the Sandy Promenade; registrations benefit the Utah Food Bank.
Packet pickup is only before race day, at 3160 S 930 W in Salt Lake (Nov 16–20 8am–5pm, Nov 23–25 8am–6pm), and there are no timing chips. No pets, per Sandy City.
Gallivan Center ice rink, Thanksgiving hours
The downtown rink stays open Thanksgiving afternoon and evening, with skate rental in the ticket.
Skates run from toddler 6 to men's 15; the rink has no helmets, so bring your own for kids.
Thanksgiving dinner at The Aerie, Snowbird
Thanksgiving dinner up Little Cottonwood at The Aerie, in Snowbird's Cliff Lodge.
Reservations on OpenTable, with a credit card to hold the table; under-24-hour cancellations or no-shows are $25 per person.
Friday, November 27
Utah football vs West Virginia
The Utes close the regular season at home on Black Friday night, and the game ticket rides UTA free.
Clear bag only, up to 12x12x6 inches or a 1-gallon zip bag, plus a small clutch. Lyft pickup is on 500 South; other rideshares on 1300 East.
Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets
An NBA Cup group game against Denver on Black Friday night, the first of two Jazz home games.
No bags inside; clutches up to 4x6x2 inches and diaper or medical bags up to 14x14x6 are allowed.
Saturday, November 28
David Archuleta, The Warm Me Up Holiday Tour
David Archuleta's holiday tour plays the Capitol Theatre one night only; the venue page says all ages.
Lap children 13 months and under don't need a ticket; everyone else does. Runs 90 minutes with no intermission.
Sunday, November 29
Utah Jazz vs Phoenix Suns
A Sunday-afternoon Jazz game against Phoenix, the second Jazz home game of the weekend.
Same no-bag rule as Friday. The 3pm start leaves the evening free for the Messiah Sing-In at Abravanel Hall, two blocks east on South Temple.
Coming up
More guides
- Salt Lake Valley holiday lights, 2026Eleven light displays in the valley in the order they turn on, with hours, prices, parking and the night to go.
- Indoor Salt Lake for inversion daysTwenty-one indoor places for the weeks the valley air turns bad, with the walk from the car noted.
- Skiing from Salt Lake, 2026–27Opening dates, lift tickets and parking for the Cottonwood resorts, the ski bus and tire rules, and seven resorts worth the drive.
- Brunch in Salt LakeThirteen weekend brunch spots from downtown to Big Cottonwood Canyon, with hours, menu prices and how to get a table.
- Date night in Salt LakeEight places for dinner or a drink in the valley, with hours, menu prices, how to book and where to park.
- Free things to do in Salt LakeTwenty places in the valley that cost nothing, with the fine print on which ones are free only on certain days.
- Kid-friendly Salt Lake, by ageTwenty-one places sorted by age, toddlers to teens, with prices, hours, parking and one honest note on each.
Get the weekend version every Thursday.Eight to twelve things to do in Salt Lake, with times, prices and parking. Free.
Free. Leave anytime.