Thanksgiving in Lake Wales is a slower, warmer holiday than anywhere else I have worked in my 25-plus years in Central Florida real estate. The crowds of the theme-park corridor fade an hour to the north, the lakes go glassy and quiet, and the ridge-country community gathers around tables, parks, and porches the way it has for generations. On Thanksgiving morning in this town, neighbors who barely know each other in July share pumpkin pancakes in the park, and the weeks around the holiday fill with small, generous gatherings. That is the Lake Wales I love, and the one I am proud to help people call home. Whether you live here or are visiting for the holiday weekend, here are the verified Thanksgiving 2026 events around Lake Wales, FL, freshly updated for the season, so you can plan a holiday full of the very best of our community.
Thanksgiving morning: three ways to run (or walk) it off
Ultra Ultras Turkey Trot 5K at Lake Wailes Park
The heart of Thanksgiving morning in Lake Wales is the Ultra Ultras Turkey Trot 5K, held Thursday, November 26, at Lake Wailes Park (33 N. Lakeshore Blvd.). This family-friendly fun run and walk gets underway at 8 a.m., with costumes enthusiastically encouraged and hot grilled pumpkin pancakes served to participants after the race. A free Kids Run for ages 9 and under gets the youngest racers in on the fun, and a portion of each registration supports the local community. Registration is open now on RunSignUp, where you can confirm entry pricing and the full morning schedule.
EMC Gobble Wobble
The EMC Gobble Wobble brings a pre-Thanksgiving run to Lake Wales on Saturday, November 21, starting at 8 a.m. with 5K, 10K, and 15K distances plus a kids run, so every pace in the family has a place. It is a great way to shake out your legs before the big meal and kick off the holiday week with neighbors. See the RunSignUp listing for the full course, pricing, and registration.
34th Annual Turkey Trot at Highlands Hammock State Park
If you want to make a morning of it further south, the 34th Annual Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk takes place on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, at 8 a.m. at Highlands Hammock State Park (5931 Hammock Rd., Sebring). Proceeds from the race benefit the park, which makes a scenic backdrop for a holiday 5K. Register through FindARace or the Fleet Feet race listing.
Harvest festivals before the big day
City of Lake Wales Fall Festival
On Saturday, November 14, from noon, the City of Lake Wales hosts its fourth annual Fall Festival at the Lake Wales Family Recreation Center (1001 Burns Ave.), a free afternoon of family fun with inflatables, a pumpkin patch, hayrides, arts and crafts, face painters, and a festive selfie station. See the City of Lake Wales signature events page for the full lineup.
Bok Tower Gardens looks ahead to the holidays
Just up the ridge, Bok Tower Gardens (1151 Tower Blvd.) is one of the community's most beautiful gathering places in any season. Its holiday program, Holidays at Bok Tower Gardens, ran from late November through early January last year with the festively decorated El Retiro mansion and gardens; the 2026 dates had not yet been announced when this post was published, so keep an eye on the Bok Tower Gardens events page for the announcement.
Fill the table, then shop local
Haven Holiday Market in downtown Winter Haven
On Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the 12th annual Haven Holiday Market fills Central Park (469 W. Central Ave.) in downtown Winter Haven with more than 250 vendors of gifts, crafts, and holiday goods. The market is free and pet- and handicap-friendly, and it is a wonderful way to start holiday shopping local just days before Thanksgiving. See the event page on Visit Central Florida for details.
LEGOLAND Christmas Bricktacular
About 25 minutes northeast in Winter Haven, LEGOLAND Florida Resort (1 Legoland Way) launches its holiday season the weekend before Thanksgiving. Christmas Bricktacular runs on select dates from November 21 through January 3, 2027, including November 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29 across the Thanksgiving stretch, and it is included with general theme park admission and eligible annual passes. Expect festive LEGO holiday theming, seasonal shows, and family-friendly entertainment across the park. See the Christmas Bricktacular guide for the full schedule.
Thanksgiving weekend at the ranch
Westgate River Ranch rodeo and holiday carriage rides
About 30 to 40 minutes south of Lake Wales, Westgate River Ranch Resort and Rodeo (3200 River Ranch Blvd., River Ranch) turns Thanksgiving weekend into a full western getaway. The Saturday Night Rodeo runs on Saturday, November 28, at 7:30 p.m., with the resort's signature rodeo program in its arena, and on Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28, from noon to 4 p.m., the resort adds Holiday Carriage Rides through the ranch at $10 per person, a picture-book way to take in the property in the holiday spirit. Confirm hours and tickets on the Saturday Night Rodeo page and the Holiday Carriage Rides page.
Share the season
If giving back is part of your Thanksgiving, the Lake Wales Care Center runs a free Community Kitchen every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at 140 E. Park Ave., a year-round meal program open to anyone who could use a warm meal and good company. Around Polk County, free community turkey giveaways are a November tradition: Brooks Law Group in Winter Haven and Polk Sheriff Charities both hosted first-come, first-served giveaways on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in 2025, and this year's dates are announced closer to the holiday. See the Community Kitchen page and The Ledger's guide to free turkeys in Polk County for details and this year's announcements.
Make Lake Wales your home for the holidays
There is a reason Thanksgiving here feels the way it does: Lake Wales is a community that gathers, and it would love to gather you in. If you are considering making Lake Wales home, whether you dream of a lakefront cottage, a few fenced acres, or a place in one of our resort communities, I would love to help you find it. Tell me about your situation and what is important to you in a community, and we will take it from there. Start with our Lake Wales community guide, then call us at 863-270-2706, email Michelle@MCCollectiveRealEstate.com, or request a consultation at mcrequest.com. Here to help whenever you're ready.
