Thanksgiving in Arkansas: Turkey Trots, Duck Calls and Lights

At a glance

• Where: Statewide: Little Rock, Fayetteville, Conway, Springdale, Stuttgart, Pine Bluff and state parks
• When: Thanksgiving Thursday through the weekend; the duck contest is the Friday and Saturday after
• Cost: Turkey trots typically charge a registration fee (Little Rock's is free); Lights of the Ozarks and Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends are free
• Plan ahead: Confirm each date on the organizer's official site before you go

Thanksgiving in Arkansas is built around Thursday-morning turkey trots in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Conway and Springdale, then a Friday-and-Saturday festival in Stuttgart where the World's Championship Duck Calling Contest is held. Holiday lights switch on the week before in Fayetteville, and Pine Bluff's drive-through follows on December 1. At the Arkansas state parks we checked, visitor centers close on Thanksgiving Day itself while campgrounds stay open.

One honest note: we did not find a Thanksgiving Day parade run by a town or park in Arkansas that we could confirm on an official site. The parade tied to the biggest holiday-lights kickoff, in Fayetteville, falls in early December. So this guide leads with races, one famous contest, lights and open parks.

How we chose

Every pick below is in Arkansas, comes back every year, and was checked against an official site or the organizer's official registration page. We left out anything we could only find on third-party listings. Dates for the current year are in a separate section further down. Everything else describes the usual pattern.

Central Arkansas

The capital region offers a race that costs nothing to enter and a second that doubles as a campus tour.

RCR Gobbler Turkey Trot, Little Rock

The RCR Gobbler Turkey Trot, run by Rock City Running, starts at the Market Place Shopping Center, 11121 N. Rodney Parham Rd., in Little Rock. Entry is free, and runners are asked to bring canned goods, non-perishables or a cash donation for the Arkansas Foodbank. The fun run offers 3, 4 or 6 mile options, and a short Tom's Tiny Trot is set aside for ages 0 to 8. Our favourite touch: a free race that doubles as a food drive. Details are on RunSignup.

Turkey Trot 5K and Gobble Wobble Kids Mile, Conway

The Turkey Trot 5K and Gobble Wobble Kids Mile takes place on the University of Central Arkansas campus at Estes Stadium in Conway. The kids mile goes off first, the 5K follows, and the race benefits United Way of Central Arkansas. A virtual run/walk option runs alongside the in-person race, which helps if you are hosting dinner out of town. Register on the official RunSignup page.

The Ozarks and Northwest Arkansas

The northwest corner has two Thursday-morning races and a free holiday-lights kickoff on the Fayetteville Square.

Turkey Trot-n-Trek, Fayetteville

The Turkey Trot-n-Trek is a Thanksgiving-morning event at The Upper Ramble, 251 N. West Avenue, in downtown Fayetteville. It offers a 1K Turkey Trek followed by a 5K Turkey Trot, and the organizer, the Spark Foundation, directs proceeds to programs that help Fayetteville kids build healthy habits. The detail worth passing on: the top three male and top three female 5K finishers each win a pie. Register on its official RunSignup page.

Downtown Springdale Turkey Trot, Springdale

The Downtown Springdale Turkey Trot starts at Turnbow Park, 106 E. Emma Avenue, Springdale, with an early-morning start on Thanksgiving Day. Its menu includes a 5K, a 1-mile fun run and a Sleep In registration for people who would rather support the cause from bed. See the official RunSignup page for current prices.

Lights of the Ozarks, Fayetteville

Lights of the Ozarks covers the historic downtown Square in Fayetteville in holiday lights and is free to walk. It kicks off with Light Night on the Friday before Thanksgiving week, with live music and a 6 p.m. switch-on, and the lights stay on nightly through New Year's Day. A holiday parade follows in early December, not on Thanksgiving weekend. Details are on the Experience Fayetteville page.

The Delta

The Delta owns a Thanksgiving tradition you will not find anywhere else in Arkansas: the sound of ducks.

World's Championship Duck Calling Contest, Stuttgart

The World's Championship Duck Calling Contest is held in downtown Stuttgart as part of the Wings Over the Prairie Festival, on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. The festival fills about six blocks of downtown and also has a carnival, a beer garden and a scholarship duck calling contest. The festival in Stuttgart, Arkansas, has been running for more than 90 years, so plenty of families have made it their Thanksgiving weekend for generations. Official information is at stuttgartduckfest.com. Contest times are not on the festival's front page, so confirm them before you drive.

Southeast Arkansas

Southeast Arkansas has the free drive-through lights that pick up right after Thanksgiving weekend.

Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends, Pine Bluff

Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends is a free drive-through display at Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Regional Park, 1100 Regional Park Dr., Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The route runs about 1.3 miles past more than 240 displays, many of them animated, and volunteers accept donations at the end. The city's tourism page lists the display as running December 1 through December 31, so it opens a few days after Thanksgiving weekend. Check the Explore Pine Bluff page before you go.

State parks open around Thanksgiving

The Arkansas state parks below stay open for camping on Thanksgiving Day, but their visitor centers close. Treat the day as a hiking-and-lodging day, and call ahead for anything that needs a ticket.

Mount Magazine State Park, Paris

Mount Magazine State Park, at 16878 AR-309 near Paris, sits on the highest point in Arkansas at 2,753 feet. Its visitor center is closed on Thanksgiving Day and is otherwise open daily, while the lodge and gift shop are listed as open around the clock and the campground and picnic area are open year-round. It is the pick for an overnight stay with a view. See the park page.

Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro

Crater of Diamonds State Park, at 209 State Park Rd., Murfreesboro, is closed to diamond searching on Thanksgiving Day: the visitor center, Diamond Discovery Center and search field all close. The campground and picnic area stay open year-round. The park's page does not list the day after Thanksgiving as a closure, so regular hours should apply, but call ahead. Anything you find in the field is yours to keep. Our full guide covers how to dig: Crater of Diamonds State Park. Browse more parks in our state parks guide.

This year's dates

Thanksgiving Day in 2026 is Thursday, November 26. These dates come from each event's official page and can change, so check before you go.

• Thursday, November 26: RCR Gobbler Turkey Trot in Little Rock; Turkey Trot-n-Trek in Fayetteville; Turkey Trot 5K and Gobble Wobble Kids Mile in Conway; Downtown Springdale Turkey Trot (8:00 a.m. start).
• Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28: Wings Over the Prairie Festival and the World's Championship Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart.
• Friday, November 20: Light Night at Lights of the Ozarks, Fayetteville (6 p.m.). The lights run nightly from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. through January 1, 2027, and the holiday parade is Thursday, December 3 at 6:30 p.m.
• December 1 through 31: Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends, Pine Bluff.

What does a Thanksgiving weekend in Arkansas look like?

This four-day route strings the picks together; keep it for next year too.

1. Thursday morning: run or walk your nearest turkey trot, Little Rock, Conway, Fayetteville or Springdale.
2. Thursday afternoon: hike at a state park, with the lodge or campground as your base.
3. Friday or Saturday: drive to Stuttgart for the duck calling contest.
4. Saturday night: walk the lit Square in Fayetteville; if you stay into early December, add the Pine Bluff drive-through.
5. Look up weekend ideas on our events page and plan the drive with our road trips hub.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Are there turkey trots in Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day?

Yes. Thanksgiving-morning races include the RCR Gobbler Turkey Trot in Little Rock, the Turkey Trot-n-Trek in Fayetteville, the Turkey Trot 5K and Gobble Wobble Kids Mile in Conway, and the Downtown Springdale Turkey Trot. Register through each race's official page.

When is the World's Championship Duck Calling Contest?

It is held in Stuttgart, Arkansas, on Thanksgiving weekend as part of the Wings Over the Prairie Festival, which in 2026 runs Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28. Confirm contest times on stuttgartduckfest.com.

Are Arkansas state parks open on Thanksgiving Day?

Partly: at Crater of Diamonds, Mount Magazine and Devil's Den state parks in Arkansas, visitor centers close on Thanksgiving Day, while campgrounds stay open. Mount Magazine's lodge is listed as open 24 hours. Call the park before you go.

Is Crater of Diamonds State Park open on Thanksgiving?

No, not for diamond searching. The visitor center and search field in Murfreesboro close on Thanksgiving Day, though the campground and picnic area stay open. The day after is not listed as a closure on the park's page.

Where can I see Christmas lights near Thanksgiving in Arkansas?

Lights of the Ozarks on the Fayetteville Square starts with Light Night the Friday before Thanksgiving week and is free. Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends in Pine Bluff is a free drive-through that runs December 1 through December 31.