The Port Aransas Turkey Trot Moves to Cinnamon Shore, and Thanksgiving Week Comes With It
November 5, 2026
November 5, 2026
The Port Aransas Turkey Trot has a new home this year. The race site announces it plainly: "We've moved!! Find us at Cinnamon Shore North for the 2026 Turkey Trot!" Race morning is Wednesday, November 25, on the Great Lawn at Cinnamon Shore North. The kick-off party and packet pickup are the night before.
Cinnamon Shore already had two days of Thanksgiving week. Santa makes his first stop at Town Center on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and The Boutiques run their Black Friday sale through the weekend. With the race moving here, the town's whole Thanksgiving week now happens inside Cinnamon Shore, from Tuesday night to Sunday afternoon.
The Turkey Trot is young. According to the race's own site, it has run "since 2022," raising money for Trinity by the Sea Episcopal Day School, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the only day school in Port Aransas. Proceeds pay for school programs and scholarships for local families.
The last two races were at Palmilla Beach. The Port Aransas Tourism Bureau's 2024 write-up put the start on Palmilla's Grand Lawn, with a course over golf greens and paved resort streets. In November 2025, the Port Aransas South Jetty reported that the race was again at Palmilla Beach Resort and Golf Club. That year's 10K went deeper into Palmilla, over the golf-cart bridge and around the property.
So the 2026 race is a new route in a new neighborhood, and the people who run it say so. The Port Aransas Chamber listing urges runners to check the course maps before race morning, "especially returning runners navigating the new routes." The same listing calls the venue "Cinnamon Shore SOUTH" in one paragraph and Cinnamon Shore North in the next. The race site, the official registration page and Cinnamon Shore's own event page all say North, and the registration page gives the address as 214 Grand Boulevard.
At Palmilla, the long race used the golf course. At Cinnamon Shore it uses the beach. The official registration page says the 10K follows the 5K course at first, then "stretches further onto the beach and again throughout Cinnamon shore." It also says the 10K is not two laps of the 5K.
That means the longest race spends the most time on the sand and streets next to the Great Lawn. The starts are staggered over about an hour and a quarter, so the course stays busy for most of the morning:
| Race | Start time | Price through Nov. 24 | Race-day price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10K Run | 9:00 a.m. | $75 | $85 |
| 5K Walk/Run | 9:30 a.m. | $55 | $70 |
| 2K Walk/Run | 9:40 a.m. on the registration page, 9:45 a.m. on the race site | $45 | $60 |
| 1K Kids Fun Run, ages 5 and up | 9:50 a.m. | $10 | $15 |
| Tot Trot, ages 0 to 5 | 10:15 a.m. | Free | Free |
The 10K and 5K award the top three finishers in each age group, male and female, plus overall winners. Registration for the 2K, 5K and 10K comes with a t-shirt, finisher medal and swag bag. Shirts are not included for the 1K or the Tot Trot. If you want a shirt anyway, the race site has a race-day shirt pre-order. Race-day registration is open from 8:15 to 9:00 a.m. on the Great Lawn, with a $15 increase over the advance price. That explains the 8:15 a.m. time on the Chamber listing. The first race starts at 9:00.
Once the races are done, the morning keeps going on the lawn with food trucks, inflatables for kids, music, lawn games and a vendor village. Organizers call it a rain-or-shine event.
The Turkey Trot Kick-Off Party is on Tuesday, November 24, at Cinnamon Shore North, and it doubles as packet pickup. The race site's kick-off page still lists the time as TBD. Cinnamon Shore's event page lists the planned activities:
On the registration page, organizers single out Turkey Bowling as the thing not to miss. They also say more details will go out by email closer to the date and point people to the race's Facebook page for updates. Local makers and food vendors can apply to the Vendor Village.
So the week starts with an evening event at Cinnamon Shore North, followed by a morning event on the same lawn about 14 hours later.
Before the race moved, Cinnamon Shore already had the back half of the week. On Thanksgiving Day, Dylan's Pizzeria is offering a heat-and-serve Thanksgiving feast. Cinnamon Shore's holiday page promotes it but hasn't posted pickup dates or times yet.
On Friday, November 27, Santa's First Stop starts at 3 p.m. at Town Center, with photos in Santa's sleigh, a holiday bazaar and crafts. Cinnamon Shore describes it as an annual event: every year, St. Nick visits the community the Friday after Thanksgiving.
The same day, The Boutiques at Cinnamon Shore at 125 Market Street start their Black Friday sale, which runs through Sunday, November 29. The sale takes 20% off regular-priced merchandise in the store and online, and 50% off the sale racks in the store. Cinnamon Shore's Thanksgiving landing page gives the dates as November 28 to 30, but the sale's own page says Friday through Sunday, November 27 to 29.
Here's how the week lines up:
Cinnamon Shore's dining list for race week also includes Lisabella's, Stout's, Shore Cafe and C Bar, along with Dylan's and the Town Center boutiques.
The town takes over again after Thanksgiving weekend. From December 11 to 13, 2026, the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber hosts the Holiday Shop Around at shops across Port Aransas, with free admission. On Saturday, December 12, at 6 p.m., the Chamber's Lighted Boat Parade & Holiday Drone Show runs from Port Aransas Fisherman's Wharf at 900 Tarpon Street. The evening includes a boat parade through the City Marina, a drone show and music from The Cleartones.
Those December events are on the harbor side of town. This year, every Thanksgiving-week event on the list above takes place inside Cinnamon Shore, at the Great Lawn, Town Center or Market Street. The Turkey Trot's registration page has advance prices through November 24.
If you own at Cinnamon Shore and are wondering what a race week on the Great Lawn means for your home's appeal, whether as a second home, a rental or a future listing, Kathy Tullis would be glad to talk it through. Request your home valuation or explore more on Cinnamon Shore, and she will bring the same neighborhood-level detail to your plans.
With decades of top-tier experience and a passion for personalized service, Kathy Tullis is more than an agent—she's your dedicated guide in achieving your real estate dreams. Her proven expertise and client-first approach ensure every detail is handled with care and excellence.
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