Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26: the Freeze Your Gizzard 5K Nov. 21, the Ashburn Farm races, closings, and Leesburg trash pickup moving to Nov. 27-28.

Last checked Nov. 3, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: the Town of Leesburg’s Freeze Your Gizzard page, holiday schedule and trash holiday schedule; Loudoun Hunger Relief; the Loudoun County Public Library; and the race and venue pages linked below.

Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, Nov. 26. Leesburg’s own holiday race, the Freeze Your Gizzard 5K, runs at Ida Lee Park the Saturday before, Nov. 21. Town offices close Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27, there is no trash pickup on Thanksgiving Day, and the county library closes at noon Wednesday, Nov. 25. Loudoun County Public Schools are out Wednesday, Nov. 25, to Friday, Nov. 27. Questions about town events: Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, 703-777-1368.

Updated Nov. 3: Freeze Your Gizzard 5K registration is $30 through Nov. 7, then $35, and $40 from Nov. 19, RunSignup shows.

Updated Oct. 27: the town posted the 2026 Thanksgiving trash schedule. Southwest pickup moves to Friday, Nov. 27, and Southeast to Saturday, Nov. 28.

Who to call

  • Ida Lee Park Recreation Center (Freeze Your Gizzard): 703-777-1368
  • Town of Leesburg main line: 703-777-2420
  • Loudoun Hunger Relief (food help and donations): 703-777-5911
  • Leesburg police non-emergency: 703-771-4500

Turkey trots and holiday races

Freeze Your Gizzard 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, Sat. Nov. 21, Ida Lee Park. The Town of Leesburg’s race is in its 24th year. The 5K starts at 9 a.m. and the 1-mile fun run at 10 a.m., both from the festival field at Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Drive NW.

  • The 5K is a cross-country course over the park’s 138 acres, with several steep hills. No dogs, wagons or strollers are allowed on the course.
  • Registration is through RunSignup, and the fee rises in steps: the 5K is $30 through Nov. 7, $35 from Nov. 8 to 18 and $40 from Nov. 19; the 1-mile run is $20 through Nov. 18, then $25. Pre-registered 5K runners get a long-sleeve shirt; 1-mile finishers get a medal.
  • Packet pickup is at Ida Lee Park Recreation Center from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, from noon to 4 p.m. the Friday before the race, and from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on race day.
  • Park in the front grass field, reached from North King Street. The town asks drivers not to turn onto Ida Lee Drive; there is no race parking at the recreation center.
  • Bring two or more cans of food for Loudoun Hunger Relief, the race’s charity partner, which also hosts the post-race celebration.

Ashburn Farm Thanksgiving Day Races, Thu. Nov. 26, Ashburn. The 33rd annual races start at 43454 Crossroads Drive in Ashburn, about seven miles east of Leesburg: the 10K at 8:15 a.m., the 5K at 8:25 a.m. and the 2K fun run at 8:35 a.m. A virtual option runs through Nov. 29.

Giving and getting a Thanksgiving meal

  • Donate a dinner bag. Loudoun Hunger Relief, 750 Miller Drive, Suite 110, is collecting Thanksgiving dinner bags: a reusable grocery bag with stuffing mix, at least four cans of vegetables, gravy (no glass jars), cornbread or biscuit mix and a dry dessert mix. All bags must be delivered by Nov. 11. Groups building more than 10 bags fill out the food bank’s commitment form first. The food bank is not taking grocery gift cards this year and asks for cash donations toward frozen protein instead.
  • Need food? Loudoun Hunger Relief’s Get Help page lists its pantry hours. It is closed Thursday to Saturday, Nov. 26-28, for the holiday, so plan a visit before Thanksgiving week. Call 703-777-5911.

Things to do Thanksgiving week

  • Oatlands Home for the Holidays Tea, Sat. Nov. 21. A themed English tea in the historic Carriage House, with seatings at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Book through Oatlands.
  • Comedy Night at the Tally Ho, Wed. Nov. 25. The DC Improv brings five comics to the theater at 19 W. Market St. on Thanksgiving Eve; doors at 6:30 p.m.
  • Leesburg Animal Park’s Pumpkin Village is finished for the year by then (its last day is Nov. 8), and the town’s tree lighting is Dec. 5; see the Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

What is open and closed

What Thanksgiving week 2026
Town of Leesburg offices Closed Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27 (town holiday schedule)
Loudoun County Public Library, including Rust Library Closes at noon Wednesday, Nov. 25; closed Nov. 26-27 (library calendar)
Loudoun County Public Schools No school Wednesday, Nov. 25, to Friday, Nov. 27 (see our schools guide)
Loudoun Hunger Relief Closed Thursday, Nov. 26, to Saturday, Nov. 28
Leesburg Premium Outlets Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday; holiday hours are not posted yet (center hours)

Store hours for Black Friday weekend are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.

Trash and recycling pickup

Patriot, the town’s hauler, does not collect on Thanksgiving Day. The town’s holiday collection schedule now lists the 2026 shifts:

  • Southwest collection moves to Friday, Nov. 27.
  • Southeast collection moves to Saturday, Nov. 28.
  • Other routes run as usual.

Trash pickup runs as normal on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, the town says. Fall leaf collection runs through the last week of December; zone maps are in our trash and recycling guide.

What this means for you

Sign up for the Freeze Your Gizzard 5K by Nov. 7, when the fee goes from $30 to $35, and drop two cans for Loudoun Hunger Relief while you are there. Get any dinner bag donations to the food bank by Nov. 11. Return library books before noon on Nov. 25, and if you are on the Southwest or Southeast route, put your cans out on Friday or Saturday that week. For the rest of the season, see holiday lights and Christmas events and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a turkey trot in Leesburg?

The town’s own race is the Freeze Your Gizzard cross-country 5K at Ida Lee Park at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, with a 1-mile fun run at 10 a.m. On Thanksgiving morning, the Ashburn Farm 10K, 5K and 2K start at 8:15 a.m. in Ashburn, about seven miles east.

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in Leesburg?

No. Patriot does not collect on Thanksgiving Day. The town’s 2026 holiday schedule moves Southwest collection to Friday, Nov. 27, and Southeast collection to Saturday, Nov. 28. Other routes run as usual.

Is the Leesburg library open on Thanksgiving?

No. Loudoun County Public Library branches, including Rust Library, close at noon Wednesday, Nov. 25, and stay closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27, 2026.

Are Leesburg town offices open the day after Thanksgiving?

No. The town’s 2026 holiday schedule closes offices on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, and the day after, Friday, Nov. 27.

How can I donate a Thanksgiving dinner in Leesburg?

Loudoun Hunger Relief, 750 Miller Drive, Suite 110, collects Thanksgiving dinner bags of nonperishable food. Bags must be delivered by Nov. 11, 2026.