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Thanksgiving 2019: What’s Open, What’s Closed, What’s Up

President Franklin D. Roosevelt carves the White House turkey on Nov. 20, 1933. FDR later signed the law setting Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt carves the White House turkey on Nov. 20, 1933. FDR later signed the law setting Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt carves the White House turkey on Nov. 20, 1933. FDR later signed the law setting Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November.

Warwick, RI — Thanksgiving Day, the annual holiday of thanks and family however you define it, inspired by tales of the Pilgrims in the 1620s, is marked by feasting and local traditions, including the annual football game and Turkey Trot Road Race.

First, a few Thanksgiving facts to impress the family:

  • The date of Thanksgiving wasn’t formalized until Reconstruction in the 1870s; before that, states observed the holiday on different days. President Abraham Lincoln set Thanksgiving to the last Thursday in November in 1863, but  Southern states rejected the idea at the time.
  • President George Washington declared the first national Thanksgiving holiday, on Nov. 26, 1789. [source: Wikipedia]

In Warwick, City Hall and the school department are closed for the holiday, with schools also closed on Friday. Trash and recycling are delayed one day.

There are a couple of Thanksgiving Day events in Warwick, too, including the Rotary’s 5K Turkey Trot at 11 a.m. to benefit the The Kent County YMCA the Westbay Marketplace Food Pantry, and the Warwick Rotary Charity Fund.

The annual Thanksgiving Day football game, between Pilgrim and Toll Gate [10 a.m., Warwick Veterans Middle School]

A complete Thanksgiving meal, free to anyone in need on the holiday, is waiting at the VFW Post 183, 172 Washington St., in Warwick.  The post offers the meals to people in need every year.

Public transit company RIPTA is following Sunday/holiday routes on Thursday. Check the RIPTA website for schedules.

TF Green State Airport is operating, with arrival and departure schedules online.

Banks are also closed.

And, once you’re done sleeping off the turkey, some may turn to the stores and sales on Black Friday, or….

Buy Nothing Day Coat Exchange  

Several sites across the state are hosting Buy Nothing Day, Friday, Nov. 29, an annual clothing swap that highlights “how consumerism is a dead end,” according to Prosperity for RI.

In Warwick Kent County YMCA, 900 Centerville Road, is the location for drop-off and pick-up of winter coats, jackets, vests, hats, gloves, and scarves.

Coat Collection ends Thursday. The coat exchange is from 9 am to Noon on Friday, Nov. 23.

Ocean State Artisans Holiday Crafts Show

You can also indulge in and support local crafts and artisans with the Ocean State Artisans Holiday Crafts Show Friday (10 am-5 pm) and Saturday (9 am- 4 pm) at CCRI, 400 East Ave., Warwick, RI., with plenty of free parking.

Ocean State Artisans will set up shop at the CCRI Warwick campus, just off Rte. 2, for its annual two-day arts and crafts fair Nov. 25 and Nov. 2 6featuring more than 100 local artisans.

Admission is just $1 with donation of a canned food item — plus, you’ll be able to peruse one-of-a-kind and unique handmade items and support the local economy.

Never been to the Crafts Fair? Check out some videos from past years.

Small Business Saturday – Shop RI

Don’t miss out on the chance to support local business during Rhode Island’s Small Business Saturday at Crowne Plaza Warwick.

The event, Small Business Saturday – Shop RI at the Crowne Plaza from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. features more than 100 small business from Rhode Island selling their goods and services.

 

Rob Borkowski
Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

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