Thanksgiving in Sandy Springs 2026: trots, closures, trash

Last checked Oct. 5, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Every date comes from the organizer’s or agency’s own page, linked below; where a detail is from an earlier year, we say so.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, a federal holiday on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s holiday list. Fulton County Schools students are off all week, Nov. 23-27, according to the district’s 2026-27 calendar (PDF).

Who to call

• City of Sandy Springs: 770-730-5600 (24 hours)
• Trash pickup on the holiday: your private hauler; see our trash and recycling guide
• Sandy Springs Branch Library: 404-612-7000
• Emergency: 911

Turkey trots

We found no turkey trot inside Sandy Springs with 2026 dates on its organizer’s page. Two Thanksgiving morning races nearby have registration open:

Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5K, Mile and Dash, 7:45 a.m. The Atlanta Track Club’s race starts and finishes outside Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta and runs through Summerhill, Grant Park and nearby neighborhoods. The club calls it the largest Thanksgiving Day half marathon in the country and says it sells out. Half marathon entry is $135 and the 5K is $50 through Nov. 20, according to the race page.

Five Star Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, 8 a.m., Johns Creek. Runners pick a 5K (one lap of a 3.1-mile loop), 10K, 15K or half marathon, all starting at 8 a.m. Race-day check-in opens at 6:30 a.m. in the lot at 3890 Johns Creek Parkway, which is not for participant parking. Registration closes Nov. 26 at 11:59 p.m. Details: race page.

Organizing a turkey trot in Sandy Springs? Send it to us.

What is open and closed

Sources: the library system’s 2026 holiday calendar (PDF), which also lists the days Fulton County government is closed, and the city’s 2021 Thanksgiving notice. The recycling center’s holiday closures are in our trash and recycling guide.

Trash pickup changes

Sandy Springs has no city trash service. Every household signs up with a private hauler, and the hauler, not the city, decides whether Thanksgiving pushes your pickup back a day. The city’s approved residential haulers are listed on its garbage and recycling page. Check your hauler’s website or call its customer service line the week before.

Community dinners and giving

We have not found a community Thanksgiving dinner in Sandy Springs with 2026 details posted by its organizer. If your church, nonprofit or restaurant is serving one, or collecting food, tell us and we will add it here.

After the turkey

The Nutcracker, Nov. 27 to Dec. 6. Roswell Dance Theatre opens its 10-performance run at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center the day after Thanksgiving, with character meet and greets and a Nutcracker gift boutique. Tickets are $30 to $55, the city’s event page says.

Sparkle Village goes up at City Springs on Thanksgiving Day and stays through New Year’s Day, and the Sparkle parade follows on Sunday, Dec. 6. Details are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Walk it off. Morgan Falls Overlook Park, 400 Morgan Falls Road, is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a 2/3-mile woodland trail and river views over Bull Sluice Lake, according to the city’s park page. More in our walking and biking trails guide.

Shopping plans for the Friday? See Black Friday and holiday shopping.

Frequently asked questions

When is Thanksgiving 2026? Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. It is a federal holiday, and Fulton County Schools are closed for Thanksgiving holidays Monday through Friday, Nov. 23-27.

Is there a turkey trot in Sandy Springs? We found no turkey trot inside Sandy Springs with 2026 dates. The nearest we confirmed are the Five Star Thanksgiving Turkey Trot in Johns Creek at 8 a.m. and the Atlanta Track Club’s Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5K, Mile and Dash in Atlanta at 7:45 a.m.

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in Sandy Springs? It depends on your hauler. Sandy Springs has no city trash service, so each private hauler sets its own holiday schedule. The Keep North Fulton Beautiful recycling center is closed on Thanksgiving.

Are Fulton County libraries open the day after Thanksgiving? No. The Fulton County Library System closes at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, and is closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27, 2026.

Is Sandy Springs City Hall open on Black Friday? The city has not posted its 2026 schedule yet. The last Thanksgiving notice on its website, from 2021, closed City Hall on both Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after. Call 770-730-5600 to check.

What this means for you

• Kids are out of school the whole week of Nov. 23.
• Return library books by 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25.
• Ask your trash hauler now about its holiday schedule.

Related: Halloween events, holiday lights and Christmas events and things to do this month.