At 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving, runners will line up outside the STAR Centre at 700 Congress Avenue for the 20th Annual Thanksgiving Day Fightin' 55 Turkey Trot. The race has a new name, a new start time and a new location this year. Susquehanna Hose Company announced all three. For 19 years this race was the Bulle Rock Turkey Trot, hosted by the Bulle Rock community.
The move matters beyond the race. For the first time, the Thanksgiving trot shares a starting point with the rest of the season. The holiday concert the next night is at the same building. The Holly Jolly Parade one week later ends on Congress Avenue. The newest restaurants on North Washington Street are a short walk from both. This year the town's holiday stretch, from Thanksgiving morning to the first December weekend, fits inside a few downtown blocks.
Nineteen years at Bulle Rock, then a move to Congress Avenue
The race comes from Susquehanna Hose Company–Division 5, and the money it raises goes to the hose company. In its first year, the proceeds paid for equipment the company needed, Hurst rescue tools among it. The organizer's page thanks the Bulle Rock community for welcoming the race for 19 years and calls the STAR Centre a new chapter for the tradition.
The start time is one hour earlier. Last year the race began at 9 a.m. This year the 5K starts at 8:00 a.m. and the 1-mile fun run at 8:15 a.m. Runners get that hour back for the rest of Thanksgiving Day. You can also run the race virtually from anywhere, and there are separate children's registrations for both distances.
Early registration ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, three days after this post goes up. Here is what that deadline does to prices on the race's RunSignup page:
| Entry | Through Nov. 8 | From Nov. 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 5K | $33.74 | $39.03 |
| 1-mile fun run | $28.45 | $33.74 |
| Children's 5K | $28.45 | $33.74 |
| Children's 1-mile | $17.87 | $23.16 |
If you miss the deadline, you can still sign up. Registration for the in-person 5K and 1-mile stays open until 9 a.m. on race day. Children's registration closes at 8:45 a.m., and virtual registration stays open until noon.
The STAR Centre hosts the next night, too
About 36 hours after the trot, the STAR Centre fills up for something else. Chris Pinnella, a vocalist who used to sing with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, returns on Friday, Nov. 27, for his third annual Christmas by Candlelight concert, from 8 to 10 p.m. The listing says he performs surrounded by thousands of flickering candles.
So Thanksgiving weekend opens and closes at the same address on Congress Avenue. When the race was held in the Bulle Rock community, the holiday's morning tradition and the concert were in different parts of town.
Thanksgiving weekend, shop by shop
Most of the other events that weekend are the shops' own, and the town has given each day a name.
- Friday, Nov. 27, Plaid Friday. The official tourism calendar asks shoppers to wear plaid and promises special savings at participating Havre de Grace shops.
- Saturday, Nov. 28, Small Business Saturday. The tourism calendar asks people to come out and support local businesses. The weekly farmers market at Pennington and Juniata Streets is open the same morning. It runs every Saturday from May through December.
- Nov. 27 through Dec. 20, Holiday Train Garden and Vendors. The Havre de Grace Beacon's holiday listings place it at The Luckiest Light, on scheduled dates during that stretch.
If you want to spend a Saturday afternoon on something hands-on, local makers have workshops before and after the holiday. On Sunday, Nov. 15, there is a from-scratch apple pie class with Steppingstone Farm Museum and Jaime Sheehan of Jaime Bakes, and also a broken-china Christmas tree shadow box workshop. A holiday stained glass workshop on Sunday, Nov. 22, offers a choice between a Christmas tree and the leg lamp from A Christmas Story. The Mandala Dot Shop's candy jar class falls on Thursday, Dec. 3.
Dec. 3 to 5, when the parade ends on Congress Avenue
The first weekend of December is the busiest on the calendar. The Holly Jolly Parade and Tree Lighting on Friday, Dec. 4, runs from 6 to 8 p.m. The parade starts at Union Avenue and St. John Street, goes down St. John to Washington Street, and ends at Congress Avenue, the same avenue where the Thanksgiving trot started. After the parade, Santa Claus helps Mayor Martin light the tree on a stage at the corner of Washington, St. John and Green Streets.
| Date | Event | Where and when |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Jubilee Preview Party | Meet the tree designers and bid on or buy a tree before the public sale; $25 |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Holly Jolly Night Market | Graw Alley Art Park, 115 Market St., 5 to 10 p.m.; free |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Holly Jolly Parade and Tree Lighting | Union Ave. at St. John St. to Congress Ave., 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Bird walk at the Lock House | Starts 9 a.m. in the Lock House Museum lot, 817 Conesteo St.; free |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Tree Jubilee | Decorated trees and wreaths sold by silent auction or "Buy It Now" |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Craft Fair | Hosted by the Havre de Grace High School National Honor Society; free |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holly Jolly Tent | 201 N. Washington St., 1 to 6 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Santa's house | 450 Pennington Ave. |
Harmer's Town Art Center organizes the Night Market. It runs under heated tents in Graw Alley with live music, artist vendors, demonstrations, food and a beer garden. The market opens an hour before the parade and stays open two hours after it ends, so you can go before the parade, after it, or both.
The Jubilee money also stays in town. Proceeds from the Holiday Tree Jubilee go to the Celebrate the 4th Foundation and the Havre de Grace Independence Day Commission, so trees bought on Dec. 5 help pay for next July's fireworks. The craft fair has Vagabond Sandwich Company on site selling food.
Three newer places to eat, two of them on Washington Street
Whether you come for the trot, the concert or the parade, the newest places to eat are close by. Two of the newer places are on the 200 block of North Washington Street, the same block as the Holly Jolly Tent and right on the parade route.
Butcher on the Bay, 226 N. Washington St. The Geresbeck family, who also run Geresbeck's Food Market and Butcher & Bay in Kingsville, opened this steakhouse to the public on July 15, 2026, according to The Local Beacon. The restaurant's website lists lunch Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner runs 3 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. You can reserve through OpenTable or by calling 443-209-6100, and you'll want a reservation on parade night.
Kooper's Saloon, 207 N. Washington St. Kooper's is in the former Laurrapin Grille space, a few doors from the Holly Jolly Tent. The Havre de Grace Chamber of Commerce celebrated its arrival with a ribbon cutting, and the Baltimore Business Journal reported in July 2026 that Kooper's and Butcher on the Bay were both open.
The Prime Time Pub & Sports Bar, 2021 Pulaski Highway. This is the one new place that isn't downtown. It took over the Tutti Paella Bar & Grill space after Tutti Paella served its last meal on June 28, 2026. The Local Beacon reports that Harford County's Liquor Control Board approved the license transfer on June 24. The record lists James A. and Nichol P. Barbes as members, and Nichol Barbes owns Newberry Cafe & Bakery on Bond Street in Bel Air. According to the Beacon's report, the pub opened on July 29, 2026. It's an option if your Thanksgiving weekend includes a football game.
After the tree is lit
The second weekend of December moves toward the water. The Concord Point Lighthouse Holiday Shoppe holds a preview on Friday, Dec. 11, and is open to shoppers on Dec. 12 and 13.
On Saturday, Dec. 12, the Lock House Museum holds its 54th Candlelight Tour from 3 to 8 p.m. The museum's boutique is open that day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you came to the Dec. 5 bird walk, which starts in the Lock House parking lot, you'll already know the way.
If the turkey trot is on your Thanksgiving plans, register with Susquehanna Hose Company before the Nov. 8 price increase, and remember the 8 a.m. start at 700 Congress Avenue. Linda Fredeking and the team are glad to see the season starting downtown. If you have questions about life in this corner of the county, from the waterfront streets to Bulle Rock and beyond, we're happy to talk. Work With Us.
