Most students travel near and far for Thanksgiving break, but for those staying in Muncie, there are still events to help celebrate the holiday.
Here’s seven things to do over Thanksgiving break:
1. Turkey Trot
Cardinal Greenways will be host its annual Turkey Trot at 8 a.m. Nov. 22. Runners can choose from a variety of trails to trek along. After the run, participants return to the Wysor Street Depot where refreshments will be provided. Information about how to register can be found on its website.
2. Thanksgiving at the Mission
Muncie Mission will hold its annual Thanksgiving Community Dinner at 11:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day at 1725 S. Liberty St. A turkey dinner will be served at noon. While participants feast, LifeStream Services and Meals on Wheels will serve meals to home-bound persons. Information on how to volunteer is found on the Muncie Mission’s website.
3. Feed My Sheep Dinner
Feed My Sheep Muncie will host a Thanksgiving celebration on Nov. 21 and 22 at Muncie Central High School. The celebration is open to everyone. Feed My Sheep is an outreach program whose goal is to provide food for people in need. It also will be delivering food to families in need. The program is requesting volunteers, who can apply on its website.
4. Gobble Wobble Pub and Eatery Crawl
The DWNTWN Gobble Wobble Pub and Eatery Crawl is an all day competition where participants will visit downtown Muncie bars, restaurants and small businesses. The 5th annual competition will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 24. Participants will receive a map that marks participating entities. When players visit and purchase something from a location, they will receive a mark on their maps. The first ten players to receive marks from six locations and post their completed maps on the Facebook page will win a DWNTWN hoodie.
5. Small Business Saturday
Downtown Muncie will hold its Small Business Saturday Nov. 24. The event will partner with the Gobble Wobble Pub and Eatery Crawl. Participating businesses are eligible to receive promotional Small Business Saturday attire from the Downtown Development office. For a business to participate, it has to be open and willing to mark maps for the crawl.
6. #GivingTuesday
#GivingTuesday is a social media movement that kicks off the giving season by requesting people donate to any organization in their communities on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. By entering “Muncie” on the movement’s website, one can see a variety of organizations they can donate to, such as the Ball State Foundation.
7. Light Up DWNTWN
Downtown Muncie will be lit for Christmas from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6. Mayor Dennis Tyler, President Geoffrey Mearns, Charlie Cardinal, Santa Claus and the Code Red Dancers, will lead The Community Tree Lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. at Canon Commons. The event will feature an animated light show, choirs from the Muncie Community Elementary Schools, Muncie Makers market, a Kiddie Express Train and other goodies for attendees.