Thanksgiving in Clarksville 2026: turkey trot, closings, trash

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: the City of Clarksville’s 2025 Thanksgiving closing notice, Clarksville Parks and Recreation’s Christmas on the Cumberland page, the CMCSS 2026-27 calendar (PDF), Bi-County Solid Waste, the RHS Turkey Trot registration page and each organizer linked below.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Clarksville-Montgomery County schools are out the whole week of Nov. 23-27. The city has not posted its 2026 holiday notice yet; last year, city offices closed Thursday and Friday and city buses did not run on Thanksgiving Day. The weekend before brings the Rossview Turkey Trot and the opening of Christmas on the Cumberland, both on Saturday, Nov. 21. City questions: 931-645-7476 (Parks and Recreation) or 931-553-2429 (Clarksville Transit System).

What this means for you

• Schools: CMCSS students out Nov. 23-27; back Monday, Nov. 30.
• Trash: no city pickup; check your hauler, or call Bi-County at 931-648-5751 before a convenience center run.
• Buses: expect no CTS service on Thanksgiving Day; regular routes the day after.
• Gas, water or sewer emergency: 931-645-7400, after hours 931-645-0116. Power outage (CDE Lightband): 931-648-8151.

What’s open and closed

The City of Clarksville’s 2026 notice usually comes out the week before the holiday. This is what the city announced for Thanksgiving 2025; we will update the table when the 2026 notice is posted.

Montgomery County’s 2025 closing, from noon Wednesday through the weekend, was reported by Clarksville Now. Utility bills can still be paid by phone at 931-645-7400 or online while offices are closed.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library, 350 Pageant Lane, normally opens 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Check its home page for the holiday closing.

Stores and restaurants set their own hours. Our Black Friday and holiday shopping page has the shopping centers’ hours as they publish them.

Trash and recycling

Clarksville has no city garbage pickup, so there is no city holiday trash schedule. If you pay a private hauler, its holiday schedule comes from the company. Bi-County Solid Waste Management posts any holiday closures of its convenience centers and landfill on its main page and says to call 931-648-5751. No Thanksgiving closures were posted when we checked. Remember that the Highway Drive center is closed every Thursday anyway. Our trash and recycling guide has every site and its hours.

Turkey trots

RHS Turkey Trot, Saturday, Nov. 21. The Rossview High School girls basketball team holds its first Turkey Trot 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run to mark the school’s 25th year, at Rossview High School, 1237 Rossview Road:

• 7:30 a.m. check-in and registration
• 9 a.m. 5K start; 9:15 a.m. 1-mile fun run
• 10 a.m. 5K awards

Every finisher gets a medal, and runners are asked to bring a canned food donation. Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 20.

Last year, Kirkwood High School also held a Turkey Trot 5K the Saturday before Thanksgiving, according to Clarksville Now; a 2026 date had not been announced when we checked.

Christmas on the Cumberland opens Nov. 21

The holiday season starts the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Clarksville Parks and Recreation’s Christmas on the Cumberland Grand Opening and Holiday Market runs noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at McGregor Park, with local vendors, Santa, ornament decorating and the return of the drone show. The riverwalk lights then stay on nightly through Jan. 2, 2027, except in rain or high winds. Free. More on our holiday lights and Christmas events page.

Community meals and turkey giveaways

No community Thanksgiving dinner had been announced for 2026 when we checked. Here is what ran in 2025, so you know whom to watch:

• The Hub, Clarksville Parks and Recreation’s community resource day, served a free Thanksgiving-style dinner to the first 300 guests at the Kleeman Recreation Center, 166 Cunningham Lane, on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, with a turkey drawing and a food pantry, according to the city’s release.
• Turkeys For Troops handed out 2,000 turkeys to military families, veterans and spouses at Ajax Distributing, 330 Warfield Blvd., the Saturday before Thanksgiving; military ID required.
• Clarksville-Area Urban Ministries held a drive-through turkey distribution at Loaves and Fishes; volunteers sign up on its website.

The Turkeys For Troops and Urban Ministries details are from Clarksville Now’s 2025 roundup. Churches and groups hosting a 2026 dinner can send details through our contact page.

Schools

The CMCSS 2026-27 calendar marks Nov. 23-27 as days teachers do not report, so students have the full week off. Classes resume Monday, Nov. 30. Our schools guide has the rest of the calendar.

More: Halloween events, Christmas parade and tree lighting and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When is Thanksgiving break for Clarksville-Montgomery County schools in 2026?

CMCSS students are out the whole week, Monday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, according to the board-approved calendar. Classes resume Monday, Nov. 30.

Is there a turkey trot in Clarksville?

Yes. Rossview High School’s first Turkey Trot 5K and 1-mile fun run is Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, at 1237 Rossview Road. The 5K starts at 9 a.m.; registration closes Nov. 20.

Do Clarksville city buses run on Thanksgiving?

Not last year. Clarksville Transit System ran no buses on Thanksgiving Day 2025 and returned to regular service the next day. Call 931-553-2429 to confirm the 2026 schedule.

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in Clarksville?

There is no city trash pickup. Private haulers set their own holiday schedules, and Bi-County Solid Waste posts any convenience center closures on its main page; call 931-648-5751.